Pepsi talks about branding at DEW
February 2016 – The Digital Entertainment World expo featured a keynote by Kristin Patrick, Global Chief Marketing Officer of PEPSI in a One-on-One chat with Ken Hertz, Senior Partner of Hertz Lichtenstein & Young LLP. The focus of the keynote was the directions and development of branding in a connected marketplace.
Kristin opened with the overview of PEPSI’s concept of their brand. The brand is not focused on just one beverage, rather it is an expression how it is the center of an entertainment platform. They currently have a center point of music as a platform, and they use the music as the core of building an emotional connection between the brand and the consumers.
Kristin Patrick of Pepsi at DEW 2016
The company is constantly pursing new ways to connect that are beyond the standard 30 second tv ad. One the methods that they are moving back to is branding through sponsored content. This content is in the targeting multiple application areas with modifications in the message based on segment. In the area of music, the sponsorship and branding message can be tailored to the type of music and the audience.
The shift from the product to the experience is a key in the new branding strategy. The sponsored experience, is a long format message, that extends well beyond that of a 30 second ad. The sponsorship also allows for customer based messaging through background images and verbal recognition that is distributed through social media. The social media helps promote the brand in a positive light and promotes the experiences to others so they are motivated to experience the same events for themselves.
