Digital Digest #3 Presentation on PepsiCo

1. PEPSI: MARKETING
STRATEGY
4 TAKEAWAYS FROM 55 YEARS OF ADVERTISING

2. 2020 marks PepsiCo's 55th birthday, and throughout the years, it has provided
many examples of both successful and unsuccessful marketing. Let's examine four
key points from Pepsi's marketing plan.
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3. 01 MAINTAINING
MINDFULNESS
•Pepsi made the decision to try to capitalise on the Black Lives
Matter movement and societal upheaval in 2017 by running
some timely advertisements. But there was a lot to be desired
about how the campaign was carried out. The final Pepsi
advertisement included model and Kardashian family member
Kendall Jenner. In it, Jenner advances through a crowd of
applauding protesters to present a Pepsi can to a police officer.
When the officer receives it with a smile, the entire situation
erupts in loud celebration, and all of our society’s problems are
resolved!
•Even while the idea may have been well-intentioned, the
advertisement was quickly mocked, denounced, and ridiculed
online. Many opponents viewed this advertisement as a blatant
attempt to capitalise on a social justice movement and
corporatize it, so obscuring the true problems. Although Pepsi
promptly apologised and removed the advertisement, the
harm had already been done as the infamous line is still the
focus of jokes and memes.
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This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

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5. 02
FAILING IS NOT FAULT
The massive disaster that Crystal Pepsi has
so frequently been painted as was not the
case. When Crystal Pepsi was introduced in
1992, it relied primarily on the Van Halen
song "Right Now" to capitalise on the
passing of a decade. It was going to be a
brand-new clear drink for a brand-new
generation, complete with a big marketing
effort that would mirror societal changes.
Instead, it was discarded into mainstream
culture, however not for the explanations
you may have anticipated.
Crystal Pepsi was doing well in the
marketplace. As it turned out, Coca-Cola
got back at them. The corporation
developed Tab Clear as a product
specifically intended to undermine the
clear soft drink industry and drive both
Pepsi Crystal and Tab Clear to their
downfall. The "kamikaze marketing"
strategy was successful, and the millions
of dollars that Pepsi spent are now lost to
time.
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This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

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7. 03
FIGHTING COMPETITORS
The renowned Pepsi challenge of the 1970s
essentially involved blind tastings of Pepsi
and Coca-Cola by unidentified consumers.
Many people who had claimed to be die-
hard Coke fans were shocked by the results
when they learned that Pepsi was the
better-tasting soft drink. The outcomes
represented a paradigm shift, causing Coke
to produce defensive news statements in
the wake of its advertising disgrace. Even
creating "New Coke" by experimenting with
its standard components was how the firm
reacted. The outcome was a significant
marketing blunder, as hundreds of
thousands of Coca-Cola fans wrote in to
demand a restoration to the company's
original recipe.
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9. 04
INFLUENCER MARKETING
Even before famous people were a thing,
Pepsi saw the potential of influencer
marketing. Celebrity endorsements are a
strategy that Pepsi frequently employs
since they consistently generate interest in
and participation in campaigns.
Super Bowl advertising featuring Britney
Spears or the "Pepsi Perfect" product
placement in the "Back to the Future"
films, as well as the iconic Cindy Crawford
commercials, were all huge hits.
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11. REFERENCES
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Tortorice, D. (2023, February 8). Pepsi Marketing Strategy: 4 Takeaways from 55 years of
Advertising (Infographic). Brafton. https://www.brafton.com/blog/content-marketing/pepsi-
marketing-strategy/
Sandu, B. (2023). Pepsi ads and commercials that made a significant impact. Design Your Way.
https://www.designyourway.net/blog/pepsi-ads/
Yash Yadav. (2017, April 6). Full Pepsi Commercial starring Kendal Jenner [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwvAgDCOdU4
augustv123. (2019, October 24). Crystal Pepsi Commercial (1992) [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2za2IK8FQoM
MrClassicAds1980s. (2011, April 23). Pepsi Challenge 1981 [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiO_JES4yBY

12. THANKYOU!