PepsiCo Leverages the Power of Social Media
PepsiCo's Mountain Dew brand unveils the details of its DEWmocracy program; a comprehensive open communications platform that relies on the collective intelligence of loyal consumers to shape the direction of the brand and Mountain Dew innovation pipeline. The current project, DEWmocracy 2, which launched in July 2009, is a twelve month, seven stage campaign that will result in the production of a completely user generated Mountain Dew beverage.
DEWmocracy is a term that was first coined in 2007 to help express the brand's desire to create open dialogue with consumers, using the social web to listen and respond to wants and needs of passionate fans. The first major DEWmocracy initiative, DEWmocracy 1, relied on an immersive story-based online game to develop a unique Mountain Dew beverage; Mountain Dew Voltage. Since its launch, Mountain Dew Voltage has sold more than 11 million cases, exceeding initial volume projections and has driven growth across the Mountain Dew portfolio.
Following the launch of Mountain Dew Voltage, Mountain Dew got to work on a larger initiative. DEWmocracy 2 challenges DEW fans to create the next Mountain Dew product from flavor to package design to an advertising campaign. Most importantly, DEWmocracy has been engineered to harness the power of the social web to empower brand loyalists to create new products, by the people, for the people.
"Mountain Dew's DNA is rooted in a DIY ethic, operating outside the mainstream, remaining true to itself. By shifting control of product development to its most passionate brand loyalists, Mountain Dew has elevated brand and consumer collaboration and co-creation to the next level," says Frank Cooper, SVP, chief consumer engagement officer, PepsiCo Americas Beverages. "DEWmocracy 1 proved the eagerness of DEW drinkers to invest in an experiment to develop a DEW product while DEWmocracy 2 puts power in their hands to create the experience."
Rather than relying on a single web platform, DEWmocracy 2 applies a variety of tools to best power the activity at hand; from closed forums to open platforms. This includes DEW labs, a private online community composed of the brand's most loyal, hard-core fans, innovative uses of Twitter, USTREAM, a 12seconds.tv video contest and a dedicated YouTube channel.
DEWmocracy is a term that was first coined in 2007 to help express the brand's desire to create open dialogue with consumers, using the social web to listen and respond to wants and needs of passionate fans. The first major DEWmocracy initiative, DEWmocracy 1, relied on an immersive story-based online game to develop a unique Mountain Dew beverage; Mountain Dew Voltage. Since its launch, Mountain Dew Voltage has sold more than 11 million cases, exceeding initial volume projections and has driven growth across the Mountain Dew portfolio.
Following the launch of Mountain Dew Voltage, Mountain Dew got to work on a larger initiative. DEWmocracy 2 challenges DEW fans to create the next Mountain Dew product from flavor to package design to an advertising campaign. Most importantly, DEWmocracy has been engineered to harness the power of the social web to empower brand loyalists to create new products, by the people, for the people.
"Mountain Dew's DNA is rooted in a DIY ethic, operating outside the mainstream, remaining true to itself. By shifting control of product development to its most passionate brand loyalists, Mountain Dew has elevated brand and consumer collaboration and co-creation to the next level," says Frank Cooper, SVP, chief consumer engagement officer, PepsiCo Americas Beverages. "DEWmocracy 1 proved the eagerness of DEW drinkers to invest in an experiment to develop a DEW product while DEWmocracy 2 puts power in their hands to create the experience."
Rather than relying on a single web platform, DEWmocracy 2 applies a variety of tools to best power the activity at hand; from closed forums to open platforms. This includes DEW labs, a private online community composed of the brand's most loyal, hard-core fans, innovative uses of Twitter, USTREAM, a 12seconds.tv video contest and a dedicated YouTube channel.