When it comes to protein, packaged food and beverage brands have gotten increasingly creative about ways to pack more of the nutrient into their products. Now, a shift is underway. "Fiber will be the next protein," PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said during an earnings call Thursday. "Consumers are starting to understand that fiber is a benefit that they need," he added. "It's actually a deficiency in US consumers' diet."
Rather than in-housing or outsourcing, executives on a panel at Advertising Week New York on Tuesday (Oct. 7) described their new relationship as one built on "co-sourcing," an interdependent approach where the two companies more closely share business KPIs and are less formal - read: speedier - when it comes to processes like briefing. PepsiCo ultimately recognized that, for all its talent, scale and legacy, social remained a difficult nut to crack, but also an increasingly essential one for reaching content-hungry consumers and propelling sales.
Pepsi has a new challenge: keeping products like Gatorade and Cheetos vivid and colorful without the artificial dyes that U.S. consumers are increasingly rejecting.PepsiCo, which also makes Doritos, Cap'n Crunch cereal, Funyuns and Mountain Dew, announced in April that it would accelerate a planned shift to using natural colors in its foods and beverages. Around 40% of its U.S. products now contain synthetic dyes, according to the company.
In a different era, when Elliott was less institutional and managed less than half the $76 billion in assets it boasts today, a letter like this would send chills down the spine of Pepsi CEO Ramon Laguarta. Now, thanks to the growing scale of activists, the growth of corporate defense teams at investment banks, and regulatory tweaks, a campaign from a feared investor is closer to a McKinsey review than a corporate espionage-filled battle.
Coca-Cola has emerged as a resilient choice for investors, maintaining a strong market position despite economic challenges, boasting continuous dividend increases for 63 years.
With the announcement of a beverage partnership with PepsiCo, VAI Resort is set to enhance guest experiences with exclusive access to a wide array of premium beverages.