PepsiCo is looking to match consumers with its foodservice partners (i.e., companies and restaurants that serve Pepsi products in their establishments) with a marketing program
that combines a mobile application and a loyalty program.
"It's all about how you engage with consumers, and it's all about how consumers are living their lives," Margery Schelling, chief
marketing officer for PepsiCo Foodservice, tells Marketing Daily . "I don't know any consumers who aren't traveling around with their phones."
In mid-May, PepsiCo will launch Pepsi Loot,
an iPhone app that uses geotargeting for people to find nearby restaurants that serve Pepsi beverages, ranging from chains Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Arby's and Panda Express to individual restaurants that
have Pepsi contracts, Schelling says. "It's a big equalizer," she says. "It's bringing a lot of awareness to some of our smaller partners."
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Once people go to one of the so-called "Pop spots"
(which can be narrowed by cuisine and other criteria), they are encouraged to check in via the app. Checking in will allow them to earn loyalty "Loot" points, which can be used to obtain downloadable
songs from Universal Music Group, exclusive behind-the-scenes content from artists such as Keane, Katherine McPhee and Jamie Cullum, and offers from participating Pop Spots (like a free drink with an
entrée purchase).
"This is the first geo-based loyalty program that's out there," Schelling says. She described the program as a "learning lab" for the company to explore new ways to use
social media, but she added that the company may look for ways to expand it beyond beverages and restaurants into retail outlets and convenience stores.
PepsiCo also recently became the exclusive
non-alcoholic beverage partner with Foursquare, which will customize programs and retailer-specific experiments for the company beginning in June.
The company will promote the program through
its customer database, as well as digital and mobile marketing initiatives, Schelling says, adding that PepsiCo will also tout Pepsi Loot through point-of-sale materials.