EMARKETER Data Guides PepsiCo’s Media Channel Spending
From Lay’s and Aquafina to Tostitos and Ocean Spray to Cap’n Crunch and, of course, Pepsi, PepsiCo has a brand for everyone. But audience targeting has to get much more specific than that. EMARKETER insights enable PepsiCo to connect its wide portfolio of brands with the right consumers, in the right channels.
“EMARKETER data is really valuable to help us understand not only where to invest marketing dollars but how to show up in each platform with customized messaging that suits consumer usage,” says Marie Tsang, portfolio media strategy manager at PepsiCo.
Tsang works across PepsiCo Food’s North American portfolio. When she first started in media with the company in Canada, EMARKETER analyst (and now vice president of content) Paul Verna was a valuable resource. “He shared what he was seeing in consumer time spans and where advertisers are spending their dollars,” she says. “Being able to speak with him as a client was very beneficial.”
For PepsiCo, keeping on top of what is happening in markets worldwide is critical, says Tsang. EMARKETER helps the company get a holistic global overview of consumer behavior.
“There’s a lot to be learned from other markets that will trickle down to the US,” she says. “I’m digging into social commerce quite a bit right now. Analyst reports give me a window into what is working well overseas, and why that may—or may
not—pan out in the US.”
Insight on reach and engagement
PepsiCo not only wants to understand which channels and platforms consumers use, but how they use them. Consider TikTok, Tsang says. Their reach is lower than Meta or YouTube, but if you look at the volume of time Gen Z users in particular spend on TikTok, you see a different picture.
“There’s a difference between reach and engagement. EMARKETER helps me see the nuances in data and really drill down, so I can balance our social media spending,” she says. “It allows me to understand not only where to invest dollars but how to customize our content to suit what users are actually doing.”
Tsang evaluates new media plans and tactics every day, and it is important that spending be grounded in strategy, rather than just what has been done previously. EMARKETER insight helps her validate her decision making.
For example, say the objective of a summer campaign is to reach people when they are on the move to spend time with friends and family. If they’re in the car, chances are pretty strong that they’re listening to content, rather than watching.
“Recent research highlighted how much time consumers spend listening to audio, and the comparatively low investment by brands compared to video,” says Tsang. “That’s a missed opportunity, and if I don’t see it in our plans, having data-backed evidence helps me make the recommendation to our agency and brand team.”
“PepsiCo’s media and marketing teams consistently leverage EMARKETER trend data reports to help inform channel mix within our broader digital and social strategy,” says Patrick Cavanaugh, senior manager, global media transformation, PepsiCo.
“EMARKETER is a trusted source,” says Cavanaugh. “It’s an efficient tool that helps me optimize my limited calendar by operating as a single source of truth. Others within the organization feel similarly, and it’s one of our more frequently cited marketing research properties.”
