PepsiCo: "Don't Panic!" Interview

When you think of PepsiCo, you probably don’t realize how many of the world’s most beloved brands are part of the company’s impressive portfolio. The drinks and snacks provided by Pepsi, Quaker, Doritos, Gatorade, Tropicana, and countless other brands are enjoyed over a billion times a day by people in over 200 countries. Yes, you read that correctly!

Meeting that sort of global demand is no easy feat and requires a massive, well-oiled machine. So, it should come as no surprise that aside from UPS and Fedex, no one else in the USA has more trucks on the road than PepsiCo has. Over time, the FMCG giant has mastered the art of keeping shelves filled, providing consumers easy access to their favorite products, 24/7, all around the world. 

But in a time where people are more empowered by more choice than ever, a new game plan is required to capture customer’s hearts and minds. Add a global pandemic that creates a seismic shift in consumer needs, attitudes and behaviors and you start to see why PepsiCo is placing a lot of emphasis on understanding what value it brings to people’s lives. 

The man in charge of making sense of people’s changing wants, needs and desires is Stephan Gans, PepsiCo’s Chief Insights and Analytics Officer. He (together with a team 450-strong and in partnership with PepsiCo’s key capabilities including Marketing, R&D and Design) identifies evolving needs to help the company and its brands provide consumers and retailers with the best possible service and portfolio of products.

I sat down with Stephan to talk about what it takes to deliver on PepsiCo’s mission to create more smiles – especially during testing times like these.

Read the full interview here!