Branding Article: Pepsis Missed Brand Opportunity


I love Pepsi. It's that slightly sweeter taste and the all-American logo combined with the non-conformist statement that, well, it's not Coke.

Yet Pepsi has been consistently #2, and there's nothing wrong with being #2 if that's your goal. But Pepsi's goal is to be the #1 preferred brand (notice I didn't say 'taste' ? we all took the Pepsi taste test and they're still #2) with members of the eponymously titled Pepsi Generation ? an age group that they seemingly stretch from year to year.

As of late, Pepsi has employed Pop-Culture icons to represent their brand : Britney, Big n' Rich, AROD and Jeff Gordon to name a few. Yet none of them seem to capture Coke's ageless, timeless wave of emotion brought on by a 6 year-old boy and Mean Joe Green. That commercial touched all of our senses; the agony of defeat, a fan's elation with their idol, a friendship being forged between generations and a refreshing beverage that made everything ok. Coke continues to focus on the experience, while Pepsi focuses on taste.

Which is why I cringe every time I go to a restaurant that only carries Pepsi products; Sure, I'm happy, but what of those who prefer Coke? The waiter/waitress always asks if you would like a beverage before ordering, and an overwhelming majority of people reply, "I'll have a Coke." The wait staff them replies with the brand kiss of death:

"Is Pepsi ok?"

Is it ok? It's like saying 'no we don't have Coke, but will you settle for this sub-par beverage?" And because they ask this way, the customer always reluctantly answers 'yeah, I guess.'

For every restaurant, there should be an in-house Pepsi Brand Champion - someone who will train all restaurant employees on Pepsi's passion, core values, culture and more importantly, how to make it preferred! Instead of making it the red-headed step child on the menu, they should wear buttons that read, 'We Proudly Serve Pepsi Products'. There should be a branded way to respond to the unavoidable Coke question. There should be Pepsi soda glasses and other branded materials so that it's no surprise to the customers. People do not choose restaurants because of the soda they carry, so Pepsi needs to step up and educate it's captured audience on why they should be the choice of every generation.

tandembranding is a nation-wide branding firm, and we work with marketing directors to make their company famous. We specialize in industries that cater to the customer experience.

For more articles on how branding can make you famous, please visit tandembranding.com

Mark Campanale, Brand Expert
tandembranding
tandembranding.com







Related News



Board meetings, combine clinics keep Murray on the road - The Prairie Star

Board meetings, combine clinics keep Murray on the road
The Prairie Star, MT -14 hours ago
Murray said they also helped neighbor, Duane Olson, bring in his cows and get his branding done, as well as sort pairs and put bulls in with the herd. ...
Great Falls producer faces stray chemicals in organic pea cropThe Prairie Star
all 2 news articles

Mercury needs re-branding - Nature.com (subscription)

Nature.com (subscription)

Mercury needs re-branding
Nature.com (subscription), UK -17 hours ago
Results are in from Messenger, the spacecraft that swooshed past Mercury in January. To my great disappointment there’s no mercury mentioned in the results. ...

TEAC appoints new marketing head, announces re-branding campaign - Current.com.au

TEAC appoints new marketing head, announces re-branding campaign
Current.com.au, Australia -Jul 3, 2008
“We re-launched the brand, but [need to] re-build the brand in terms of consumer confidence, because TEAC has always been a Japanese brand, but because of ...


Downtown Lakeland teams with St. Louis firm to build branding - Bizjournals.com

Downtown Lakeland teams with St. Louis firm to build branding
Bizjournals.com, NC -Jul 2, 2008
The Lakeland Downtown Development Authority has hired Kiku Obata & Company, a design firm based in St. Louis, to help establish its brand identity. ...

Nation building and branding Malaysia - Malaysia Star

Nation building and branding Malaysia
Malaysia Star, Malaysia -7 hours ago
In fact, Malaysia should also brand itself as a place to work or retire in a tropical paradise that offers a lifestyle second to none. ...
Poverty looms in Isle of RichesMalaysia Star
all 2 news articles

Pro Life BC introduces its new branding - B.C. Catholic Newspaper

Pro Life BC introduces its new branding
B.C. Catholic Newspaper, Canada -13 hours ago
Director James Borkowski elaborated on some of the meaning behind the brand, saying, "A signal is a consistent message usually providing direction or ...

SMEs to get aid with branding, packaging - Malaysia Star

SMEs to get aid with branding, packaging
Malaysia Star, Malaysia -Jul 2, 2008
“Tesco will provide the market access with Limkokwing University contributing the expertise on design and branding,” SMIDEC chief executive officer Datuk ...

Beware of Branding Success - Branding Strategy Insider

Beware of Branding Success
Branding Strategy Insider, FL -Jul 3, 2008
Becoming the number-one brand in any market brings with it new, potentially fatal dilemmas. The first is prominence: getting to the top puts you directly in ...

LG pumps £28 million into re-branding the former NEC Arena in ... - TechRadar.com

TechRadar.com

LG pumps £28 million into re-branding the former NEC Arena in ...
TechRadar.com, UK -17 hours ago
What Mobilereports that the arena's re-brand is expected to be active from autumn. LG claims that the deal will enable it to get their brand name in front ...
LG has announced an eight-year sponsorship deal with Birmingham’s ...Mobile Today
all 5 news articles

The value of branding becomes patent - Financial Times

The value of branding becomes patent
Financial Times, UK -Jul 3, 2008
By Patti Waldmeir in Shanghai More companies are filing for patents in China - and suing to enforce patent rights there - than anywhere else in the world, ...