PepsiFresh Contest: Real Tracking and Social Impact Analysis

I've been following the PepsiFresh contest since the launch in December, the largest social media for social good cause marketing effort put forth to date.  I recently posted a guest post by Bonin Bough from Pepsi that gives the insider view. This is a big bold effort.   I'm most curious to see how Pepsi will demonstrate leadership in social marketing and of course the longer term result - social impact.

Jeremiah Owyang has shared his initial analysis of Pepsi's Contest, summarizing the opportunity, risks, strengths, weaknesses, metrics, and impact. 

Strengths:

Pepsi's campaign has a few advantages:

1. First Mover Advantage: Typically, companies that try an innovative approach in marketing will benefit as they garner automatic buzz from press, media, and analysts as they are doing something new.  
2. Deep pockets: Pepsi can reach elbow deep into pockets for a large marketing budget --and plenty of funding for agency partners to initiate.   
3. Extended event lifespan: This isn't just a superbowl event, those who win the funding through crowd votes won't be announced till March 1st, nearly a month after the superbowl, giving this campaign extended life.
4. Not just about Pepsi: Playing to cause marketing, this engages passion from communities to improve other people's lives, rather than shoving a pop singer's associative branding in a broadcast 30 second spot.
5. Celebrity Interaction and Endorsements:

1. Pepsi has gleaned the support from NFL players, and made it a competition to see which cause will get the most votes, see NFL.com
2. Additioanily, they've gotten celebrities like Twitter-god Aplusk.

Weaknesses:

Yet Pepsi may have a few areas of opportunity that may hinder success.

1. Pepsi has yet to show the world they get social marketing.  Their recent entry into the space with the edgy --but sexist "Amp" iPhone applications resulted in severe backlash, and is now a case study on the infamous punk'd list. 
2. Cultural mismatch. Secondly, Pepsi's culture of mass marketing of a brand heavy CPG product will need severe changes of internal culture to embrace social marketing --where success lies in letting go of control.    
   

Measuring Success

Measuring of this investment should be dependent on a few KPIs.  

1. The the overall brand mentions (weighted for positive sentiment over negative) exceed that of total potential reach of an opportunity cost of $20mm in superbowl TV ads?  Opportunity should factor in mainstream coverage as well as social into the formula.
2. Overall sentiment in change towards Pepsi as a brand.  A primary research study should be fielded to ask something along the lines with  "Did The Refresh Everything effort increase your desire to buy Pepsi?"  This should be measured immediatly after superbowl, then after March 1st contest announcements, then 1 year after the programs went into funding.
3. Overall sentiment in social channels: Using brand monitoring software, a study should be fielded to gauge the overall change in perception within the social sphere, whee this effort was focused.
4. Advocacy Reach: Overall spread of campaign through social channels beyond the branded channels to gauge how far this campaign spread.
5. Intensity:  During superbowl, how many people engage with refresh campaign, it's websites, online?
6. Overall impact towards helping communities.  What % of the projects that were funded were successful, what impact did it have on the community? Did it impact the brand of Pepsi?

The last point is critical, in my mind, for Pepsi to demonstrate that the projects did have a social change impact.   Of course, we know in the social change sector that measuring impact and seeing tangible change takes time, a long time.  While the SuperBowl Game will be over in a matter of hours and the contest will last all year, implementing the winner's project that are focused on social change will take time.  It will be even longer before you see and measure social impact.     

I was so happy that Jeremiah Owyang shared his research note taking technique.  It is a good example of tracking in real-time - and something I've been doing for all my projects over the last five years.   So, if you want to follow along on Jeremiah Owyang's scorecard - here it is.

Unfortunately, my plane ride to Mumbai is not equipped with wifi or live US sports - so will be missing it and check in on Twitter when I land.

Comments

[Alex B]

Grad students: If you're looking for a topic to research, number 2 and number 6 could be a great road of discovery and offer lessons learned for the future. #2: Probably the most important question from Pepsi's perspective. #6: Probably the most important question in terms of the community and audience involved.

Then--> What if Pepsi achieves #6, but not necessarily #2, could make a great write-up and thesis...Just sayin'.

Thanks for sharing Beth!

[Art Courses]

I just love Pepsi.. :D

[Jessica Malkin]

One important way that Pepsi will be able to extend the life line of this program is to follow some of the grant money they are giving out and document the stories of the people they are helping...this will be a MISSED opportunity if they don't take advantage. Also, ideally find those grants that are somehow aligned intrinsically with the Pepsi brand...great post Beth!

[chris valdez]

I run a great nonpforit organization and would like to know how we can enlist in prorams like the pepsi challenge?

Christopher D. Valdez
Executive Director
The Youth Corps of America, Tucson
6930 E. Golf Links Circle
Tucson, Arizona 85730
520-312-9987
Web site: tycoa.us