I met Simon Lowden, CMO of Pepsi Beverages North America, in PepsiCo’s Greenwich Village design innovation center, which opened two years ago as a central location for product, brand and advertising design development. Many areas were off-limits, as they housed proprietary and as yet undisclosed initiatives. But walking the halls it was clear that the office was created to own and create ideas and innovation that could be applied to its suite of brands. At this time of year—indeed, starting many months prior—the location becomes consumed with all things Super Bowl.
Lowden and I discussed the plans for the big game, as well as the enthusiasm for Perry and her performance. PepsiCo, of course, has a say in the matter, and her appeal matches PepsiCo’s ongoing goals of attracting a broad audience but particularly Millennials and remaining culturally in-tune and relevant—which is the main reason for a company like PepsiCo, which must deal with a widespread decline in soft-drink sales, to devote so much of its ad budget, resources and time to the TV event. Stalwart advertisers keep coming back to maintain that foothold in culture. PepsiCo is doing it with not just its Pepsi brand but with its diverse portfolio of snack and beverage brands.
Lowden talked about the strategy behind and goals for the diverse efforts, including the Game Day Grub Match, a student cooking competition using PepsiCo products, and increased in-store efforts, as well as how he’ll measure success once it’s all over.
Watch our interview here.
