• Yahoo, Monday, March 26, 2012 10:26 AM

Over the past month, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper/Snapple have each ramped up their marketing efforts to make the citrus cola category -- a/k/a lemon-lime carbonated drinks -- sexier, more appealing and more accessible to consumers.

Although competitors in the $74 billion beverage industry, they are united in one effort: Reverse a trend that has seen consumers abandon soft drinks for energy drinks and bottled water. Among those employed by the beverage giants in multimedia marketing are LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dick Vitale, Erin Andrews, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Cee Lo Green and Lil Wayne.

But whether consumers will follow the leads of celebrities on the road to citrus cola sales remains to be seen.

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