A Very Smart Brand-Building Decision
The Pepsi brand has established a reputation for thinking differently and aligning itself with the exuberance of youth through upbeat messaging and staying ahead of the communications curve. Pepsi’s Super Bowl sidestep and concurrent social media plunge hit the mark in six important ways:
- Pulling out of the Super Bowl is a provocative way for Pepsi to question conventional wisdom and is very much in line with its brand values. The brand’s absence generated as much, if not more, coverage and discussion than usually afforded the actual commercials.
- Their opt-out is in sync with current and emerging consumer values of responsible consumption and spending. Meaning matters as much as money and much more than hype.
- Pepsi’s opt-in to social media shows that it understands and values the new way people connect and communicate.
- By aggressively embracing "cause marketing" with a significant financial commitment (over $20 million) Pepsi tangibly demonstrates a respect for and commitment to corporate social responsibility. This resonates with youth and shows that Pepsi is willing to do what it takes to deliver on that promise.
- The Pepsi Refresh Project is a powerful delivery of the brand’s new global campaign the: “Every generation refreshes the world. Now it’s your turn.” (I posted an earlier commentary on the Pepsi campaign.) The Refresh Project provides the delivery system for people to bring this theme to life in their own way.
- Pepsi is trading a perishable advertising message for a sustainable communications platform upon which a wide array of engagements with people can be developed, grow, and take on a life of their own.
The Medium (or Absence of It) Is the Message
Having an advertising presence in the Super Bowl carries with it a certain cachet and gravitas. Participating as an advertiser “says something” about a brand or company’s importance, resources, and creativity. The message delivered can result in anything from a fleeting moment of creative fame or flop, to something that becomes an institutionalized part of one of America’s most beloved and iconic sporting events. Pepsi certainly has become part of the Super Bowl sponsor elite so its decision to opt out spoke volumes about the Pepsi Brand. Here’s what it said.
Pepsi....
- Is bold enough to move from being one of the “usual suspects” expected to show up on Super Bowl Sunday to being the “exceptional exception” that people seek out and personally engage with all year.
- Has the confidence to trade the immediate, center stage brand buzz of a spectacular event for an ongoing, meaningful conversation that builds a sustained shared experience.
- Is proud to share and live its brand values through the values and passions of other people.
This quote from Lee Clow, the legendary chief creative office of Pepsi’s ad agency, TBWA Worldwide, sums it up well: “Our idea was that this year we’d try to shift the marketing and communications to something that’s truly walking the walk. The goal is to develop a mechanism for young people to create ideas to make things better that will ultimately become part of the global behavior of the brand.”
Article comments
1 - Jo-Lynne Worley
Great blog. Even though I'm not a fan of Pepsi, I think your way of thinking about this and the social media value of Pepsi pulling out is spot on.
2 - Hank Wasiak
Thanks Jo Lynne. This is really some good asset-based thinking at work. Maybe you will convert to Pepsi one of these days.