Ok – I’ll fess up. I’m a vender to this bubbly, crunchy giant (they own snackmaker Frito/Lay). But two articles in today’s Wall Street Journal underscore once again why I’m proud to say PepsiCo is one of my clients.
The first story is about the fact that PepsiCo posted a 12% profit. That’s surely something to be proud of, but that’s not what caught my eye. The company is forming a Global Nutrition Group. Now you might say that’s just good business, right? Not necessarily – as the second WSJ journal points out. It highlights consumers’ failure to buy Sun Chips (a PepsiCo brand) in a new eco-friendly bag. Apparently it emits a 90 decibel crackle when you dig into it. The article goes on to cite the fact that consumer conscience doesn’t always guarantee consumer product satisfaction. But clearly, PepsiCo is still committed to doing the right thing, willing to take some risks in getting there, and has made a buck in the process.
I’m also proud that PepsiCo has broken new ground with its Pepsi Refresh Grants, and many other innovative programs. PepsiCo’s Chief, Indra Nooyi, is to be commended for fighting the good fight, and still managing to deliver profits.
I went into the ad business umpteen years ago, because I wanted to change the world. I soon discovered there wasn’t that much opportunity to do it, because my clients weren’t interested in doing it. My altruism usually had to find an outlet through pro bono work. Now the pressure is on for me. I’ve got a client who appears to have, of all things, a social conscience.
No comments:
Post a Comment