Comments on: PepsiCo fail exposes limits of targeting

By: Rafal Kwiatkowski

Rafal Kwiatkowski — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:20:36 +0000

I don't understand why PepsiCo, being such a powerful brand house, tries to ENRAGE rather than ENGAGE with consumers, and alienate female audience. Seems to me this campaign is a gimmick and in bad taste. It won't do them any favours other than a bunch of few desperate lads using this for chat up lines...

In a larger context PepsiCo, especially in light of Coke (diet) - who by the way successfully targets female audience http://tiny.cc/jzrYJ - have too much too lose and much to defend to generate just any publicity.

Yes, utilising emerging social channels, especially integrating mobile and social networks plus events is a great idea, and a form of good "new new media" campaign.

This PepsiCo campaign was on the right track but blew it with very poor content and totally missing the point.

By: J Henry

J Henry — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:53:50 +0000

Before you Score misses on multiple counts: It has no humour (unlike Lynx), it is too corporate, it tries to be a cool instruction manual and fails miserably, etc…pity as doing a free app to promote Mountain Dew is great. Anyway. Surprising cos this sort of thing usually gets rinsed out in the ‘testing sessions’ that they do with gangs of kids. Best thing about it was saying sorry tho….oh yes and it could have been worse for them…anyone remember dasani?

By: Rafal Kwiatkowski

Rafal Kwiatkowski — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:51:35 +0000

I don’t understand why PepsiCo, being such a powerful brand house, tries to ENRAGE rather than ENGAGE with consumers, and alienate female audience. Seems to me this campaign is a gimmick and in bad taste. It won’t do them any favours other than a bunch of few desperate lads using this for chat up lines…

In a larger context PepsiCo, especially in light of Coke (diet) – who by the way successfully targets female audience http://tiny.cc/jzrYJ – have too much too lose and much to defend to generate just any publicity.

Yes, utilising emerging social channels, especially integrating mobile and social networks plus events is a great idea, and a form of good “new new media” campaign.

This PepsiCo campaign was on the right track but blew it with very poor content and totally missing the point.

By: vikkichowney

vikkichowney — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:57:16 +0000

Good points Jordan.

I think they were entirely prepared for a ‘backlash’ and took a risk anyway.

The proof is indeed in the pudding…

By: Jordan Stone

Jordan Stone — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:46:29 +0000

I get that the Pepsi app might have pushed things a little too far, and could be seen as bad taste. But I also think the mobile app, the campaign and the integration with social networks – however sexist it all might be – are quite clever.

As you said, ‘the majority of people responding negatively to this app are not the ones that it was intended for.’ I don’t think AMP will suffer too much long term damage from this, and it would be a shame if they did something dramatic like pull the app.

Smart move for Pepsi to apologise as they did, and but I think the negative ‘backlash’ might have actually helped them spread the word and get the target demogaphic to give the app a try.

I’d like to see the numbers when the dust settles (# of downloads, # of active users, web traffic, buzz from advocates and detractors, press covereage) and judge the campaign based on that.