Pepsi needed to drive volume, loyalty and brand relevance at a time when carbonated soft drinks are in decline. The brand created a loyalty program, Pepsi Stuff, and used a wide range of traditional and digital activation tools to generate participation and brand buzz.
Pepsi Stuff offers points on Pepsi products, which can be redeemed at Amazon.com for free MP3 downloads, electronics, apparel, and chances to win aspirational prizes like trips. Prior to launch, Pepsi integrated an email campaign, public relations, blog outreach, and search marketing to build awareness and interest. For content, Pepsi previewed their Super Bowl commercial starring Justin Timberlake, created a special 2:00 edition and other behind-the-scenes footage just for the internet, and provided free starter points. Following the Super Bowl broadcast, a year-long online ad campaign and emails to registered Pepsi Stuff participants have helped sustain buzz. The campaign produced tremendous results. Keller Fay Group measured 23.8 million more conversations about Pepsi over the first three days after the Super Bowl compared to the average throughout the month prior to broadcast. Pepsi’s gained more WOM than any other Super Bowl advertiser - in fact, Pepsi gained twice as many incremental conversations as the next-best performing advertiser, Budweiser. In addition, the campaign generated the most online buzz of any Super Bowl ad, according to Nielsen Online research.
Keller Fay found that Pepsi Stuff has had sustained impact on WOM, as the brand’s TalkShare™ versus competition rose by 4 points for the three months following the Super Bowl, compared to the three months prior.
Most importantly, the program has had a sustained impact on sales. Since Pepsi Stuff’s initial launch, the volume trend on Pepsi has improved by 2.2 growth points versus pre-period, and Pepsi has had a .7-point positive share swing versus its key competitor.
Client: PepsiCo
Agency: Keller Fay Group (research)
Budget: Undisclosed
Date of Campaign: January 2008 to present
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