Sunday 9 September 2012

PepsiCo markets to local tastes

PepsiCo has US roots but years of experience satisfying international taste buds.

Making a big play for market share in China, where it's been selling soft drinks and snacks for more than 3 decades, Pepsi is introducing flavours favoured by local consumers, from hot-and-sour fish soup potato crisps and cola chicken crisps to wolfberry oatmeal.

The Chinese market is so large and still growing so rapidly that Pepsi must forge alliances with local firms, build new production plants and expand its supply chain to keep up with projections.

Pepsi is vying for market share with a vast variety of competitors in China...not only local firms like Want Want but also long-time rival Coca-Cola, which uses superstar athletes and pop stars in its ads.

Then again, Pepsi's exclusive 'King of Pop' cans featuring Michael Jackson were a sensation in China, showing that Pepsi understands local tastes in music as well as in food.