5 Marketing Strategies We Can Learn from Pepsi

Practically everybody in the world has heard of Pepsico. This leading soda beverages brand was created after Pepsi, and Frito Lay merged in 1965. Even when there was an economic recession, during which time may soda brands faced trouble because of global changes in the industry, Pepsico thrived and has since expanded its business even further.

Pepsico’s success and growth can partly be attributed to their marketing strategies. Here are five marketing strategies that we can learn from Pepsi.

Position yourself well.

Pepsico has positioned its brand and products very well in the market. With 22 brands in its current portfolio, Pepsico offers snacks and drinks with low-calorie and nutritious choices aside from their regular soda products.

As a brand, Pepsi has positioned itself as one that embodies young energy, and this can be seen throughout their marketing and advertising campaigns. Pepsi’s customers are mainly aged between 13 and 35 years old from lower middle class to upper class with a busy and modern lifestyle. Their prices reflect that, staying affordable for millennials from different classes. They have even released smaller soft drinks options to make their products more appealing to those who need a quick drink to satiate their thirst and cravings.

Invest in the right channels.

Traditionally, Pepsico has always invested heavily in marketing to grow in the market and to drive in more sales. According to Pepsi’s annual report, though, they increased their global marketing and advertising budget by more than 12% for 2019. A lot of this now goes into digital marketing and advertising. Although Pepsi still spends on traditional advertising methods like television advertising, a lot has changed through the years. With digital technology still on the rise, it would be smart to invest more in digital marketing as Pepsi does.

Ever since social media became a trend, brands like Pepsi have started to connect with their customers through real-time promotional campaigns. This has helped them connect with millions of people all over the world in an instant. They have also become more conscious about their customer service and product quality since they are aware that negative comments and news can easily spread on social media and reach millions of people in a short span of time.

Focus on digital marketing.

As important as it is to connect with customers online, it also essential to have a good digital marketing strategy in place. One reason why Pepsi is still top of mind is that their digital campaigns always make a mark on their target market. Their 20-minute long ‘Bring Home Happiness’ campaign, for example, became so viral that people watched it more than a billion times.

So, although Pepsi uses social media as a channel to connect with customers, it is important to note that they also leverage the power that comes with it to run their campaigns. This is very important in today’s day and age to build loyalty and customer engagement.

Be innovative.

Pepsi also continues to invest in the packaging and quality of their products to stay top of mind. They have also expanded their product offerings by adding more nutritious options for their health-conscious consumers. Their diverse product portfolio full of a wide variety of delicious and nutritious choices and flavours is all part of their great marketing strategy.

Their packaging and quality should especially be noted as Pepsi continues to innovate. Updating their designs regularly has helped keep their customers happy while drawing in new ones at the same time. They do this because they know that attractive packages and having more options can help drive more sales. People’s needs change regularly, after all, so adapting to those needs is one important thing that Pepsi focuses on.

Choose good sponsorships.

Apart from its promotional campaigns, Pepsi also heavily depends on partnerships and sponsorships for brand awareness. In particular, they invest heavily in sports marketing, partnering with various sports bodies all over the world to promote themselves in essential markets. In 2015, for example, they partnered with the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 2016, they partnered with the Board of Control for Cricket in India. And in 2017, they partnered with the UEFA Champions’ League for the second time to promote several of their brands.

Without a doubt, there is a lot of competition out there today, so it would be important to keep innovating and experimenting as time goes by. Pepsi does this well, constantly growing with the times and adjusting their product choices to suit the demands and budgets of each new generation. It isn’t enough to set up strategies and hope for the best anymore. If you want to grow and succeed like Pepsi, you have to take your aggressiveness up a notch and continuously work hard to stay in the competition.