On Heels of Foursquare Deal, Pepsi Looks to Partner with 10 More Startups
Pepsi, the food and beverage giant, is ramping up the ways it connects technologically with its customers. Toward that end, the company just launched a new contest aimed at involving 10 startups in yearlong pilot programs with one of Pepsi’s dozens of brands, including Frito-Lay, Mountain Dew, and Tropicana. Organized in conjunction with Highland Capital Partners and Mashable, Pepsi is also offering winners access to its public relations and branding partners, including Weber Shandwick and OMD. “The idea is to identify young entrepreneurs with promising technologies but who don’t have a clear business plan to work with marketers,” says Seth Kaufman, PepsiCo’s director of media strategy and investment. Pepsi is hoping such relationships will help itself better connect with consumers -- “which is very important for us to figure out,” says Kaufman -- while serving as a marquee client off which the startups can capitalize down the road.
