Pepsi Refresh Project – Assesment Answer

Introduction

In 2010, Pepsi introduced the Pepsi Refresh project, a cause marketing program that sought to support deserving causes by providing funds to various initiatives (Bida, 2012). Despite early engagement and social media buzz success, the program was ultimately discontinued. The reasons for ending the Refresh project, what Pepsi could have done better to ensure its success, and the program's influence on subsequent projects of a similar nature will be covered in this essay. The Refresh project will be examined in order to acquire insights into the opportunities and challenges of cause marketing projects as well as how they affect a brand's bottom line (Rowles, 2022).

There were a number of reasons why Pepsi decided to stop the Refresh project, according to the 2012 Mediapost article “Why Pepsi Canned The Refresh Project.” The program's failure to produce the intended business results was one of the key causes (Bida, 2012). Although the initiative was initially successful in terms of engagement and social media buzz, it did not result in more sales or a larger market share for the brand. The criticism that the program received also played a role in the decision to stop the Refresh project (Rowles, 2022). Some people questioned whether Pepsi was genuinely trying to support deserving causes or whether the program was being used as a marketing tool. Concerns were also raised concerning the impartiality and transparency of the grant recipients' selection procedures (Bida, 2012).

With the benefit of hindsight, Pepsi might have made a number of other decisions to guarantee the Refresh project's success and viability. First, in order to quantify the program's effect on the brand's bottom line, they may have created clearer measurements and targets. They could have used this information to assess the program's success and make wise decisions about its future (Bida, 2012). Second, Pepsi should have done more to respond to complaints and queries made about the initiative. They could have done more to make sure the initiative was seen as a sincere attempt to promote deserving groups, such as being more open about how the grant recipients were chosen. Thirdly, Pepsi might have looked for Refresh project alternatives that were more viable and in line with their corporate goals. To guarantee that it was seen as a sincere effort to support deserving causes, they might have collaborated with a non-profit organization to operate the initiative (Kozak-Holland et al., 2020).

The Refresh initiative has had a mixed effect on subsequent efforts of a similar nature. While some businesses have been motivated by the program's early success, others have been hesitant to invest in similar programs because of the risks and difficulties that Pepsi's experience showed. Ultimately, the Refresh project serves as a reminder of the value of creating specific goals and KPIs for cause marketing campaigns and making sure they are in line with a brand's commercial objectives (Yurder & Akdol, 2021).

Conclusion

In conclusion, several factors, including a lack of positive business results and criticism of the program's transparency and equity, played a role in Pepsi's decision to halt the Refresh project. Pepsi may have chosen different courses of action, such as establishing clearer benchmarks and addressing problems with the selection process, to guarantee the program's efficacy and durability. The Refresh project's influence on subsequent initiatives of a similar sort has been conflicted; although some businesses have been inspired by its success, others have been cautious to support such programs. The Refresh project emphasizes the importance of developing cause marketing initiatives that are in line with a brand's corporate objectives and are transparent, equitable, and true advocates for worthy causes.

References

Bida, C. (2012). Marketing: Causes, Why Pepsi Canned The Refresh Project. MediaPost. Online. Retrieved on 10 April 2023, from https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/186127/why-pepsi-canned-the-refresh-project.html#axzz2gVRWnJUF

Kozak-Holland, M., Procter, C., Kozak-Holland, M., & Procter, C. (2020). The challenge of digital transformation. Managing Transformation Projects: Tracing Lessons from the Industrial to the Digital Revolution, 1-11. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-33035-4_1

Rowles, D. (2022). Digital branding: a complete step-by-step guide to strategy, tactics, tools, and measurement. Kogan Page Publishers. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=BDpUEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=%E2%80%9CWhy+Pepsi+Canned+The+Refresh+Project.%E2%80%9D&ots=WdLmMLD1xP&sig=Mzv3DwzPAalPdFbXnMKbkMdP8f4

Yurder, Y., & Akdol, B. (2021). Social Media as a Communication Channel. In Research Anthology on Strategies for Using Social Media as a Service and Tool in Business, 46-62. IGI Global.

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