PepsiCo Pilots Digital Marketing Programs

PepsiCo announced the 10 start-up companies, which will make up the inaugural PepsiCo10, an innovative incubator program that matches technology, media and communications entrepreneurs with PepsiCo brands to activate pilot programs in digital media and social marketing.

 

Among the selected 10 start-ups are gaming platforms for consumers in restaurants, amusement parks and retail stores; mobile couponing solutions, a still mostly unrealized consumer engagement point for consumer packaged goods companies and retailers; and niche social networking platforms that bring consumers together around common interests, such as music, TV and sports.

 

"The PepsiCo10 are an inspiring group of entrepreneurs, who represent the best in emerging trends in technology, media and communications," says B. Bonin Bough, director of Digital and Social Media at PepsiCo. "With the inaugural PepsiCo10, we are creating a new conduit for digital R&D within PepsiCo and for the industry broadly -- an important endeavor as we continue to seek innovative and meaningful ways to connect with our consumers and to transform communications into a business driver."

 

Targeted consumers of Gatorade, Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Quaker Chewy granola bars and Pepsi beverages in restaurants will see new digital marketing activations as early as the fourth quarter of this year, thanks to the PepsiCo10 pilot programs.

 

"PepsiCo10 is about outside innovation, celebrating and helping to cultivate emerging start-ups, while at the same time, refreshing our brands and our communications strategy with new perspectives and inspiration," says Seth Kaufman, director of Media Strategy and Investment for PepsiCo North America Beverages.

 

The rigorous selection process of the PepsiCo10 began in June with an open call for submissions focused on one of four innovation segments: social media, mobile marketing, place-based and retail experiential marketing, or digital video or gaming. The more than 500 applicants were culled down for a second-round RFP and video submission and from there, to 20 for a two-day oral presentation to PepsiCo brand and marketing teams, agency partners and venture capitalists at PepsiCo headquarters.

 

Selected PepsiCo10 partners include:

 

-AisleBuyer: Mobile shopping platform aimed to improve users' in-store retail shopping experiences by leveraging SmartPhone technology to unite the best features of both 'bricks' and 'clicks' retailing.

-TableTop Media: First pay-at-the-table and digital promotion tabletop platform that uses a Ziosk seven-inch wireless touch screen device to provide guests at casual dining restaurants with an interactive and convenient ordering and check-out experience.

 

-MyCypher: Dynamic mobile platform that allows artists worldwide to create new music in real-time by turning every mobile phone into a microphone.

-Zazu: Mobile alarm clock and calendar reminder that orally provides users with calendar details, weather, email and news, allowing them to start the day with the information they need to make the right decisions.

 

-BreakoutBand: Social music experience for teens that allows them to form virtual bands with friends, create original songs and compete to top the song charts.

-FanFeedr: Real-time personalized sports feed platform, which allows users to pick favorite teams and players, and supplies them with the most-up-to-date collection of relevant news, videos, tweets, scores and information.

-Tongal: Online platform that combines crowd-sourcing and performance games to harvest content from a worldwide community of creators for businesses' campaign concepts, taglines, slogans, pitches, commercials, music videos, instructional videos, short films, animations and other rich media.

-Evil Genius Designs: Interactive technology provides mobile game play and entertainment to guests waiting in lines at amusement parks, arenas, conferences and more.

-Miso: Social platform that allows users to 'check-in' to their favorite television shows to earn points and unlock virtual badges, share what they are watching and see what friends are viewing, and engage with content throughout the course of a program.

-MotiveCast: Loyalty- and reward-based mobile gaming solution that uses augmented reality and location-based services to allow brands to discover and deeply engage with consumers in branded, fun, rewarding and highly interactive game play.

 

For more information, including a highlight reel of the PepsiCo10, visit http://pepsico.presslift.com/pepsico10partners.