Mark Kirkham, senior vice president and CMO of international beverages, discussed why sponsors should invest in ways that elevate the sport.
The Insights: Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and has been gaining traction and popularity in the United States. With that being said, PepsiCo is looking to take the popularity in the men’s game and transition that into the women’s game. Women’s soccer has grown leaps and bounds over just the last decade alone and that trend looks to continue. For PepsiCo, supporting women’s soccer has a multi-faceted approach. One, investing in a growing sport will allow other sponsors to get in and build an even bigger sport. Secondly, investing in a growing sport allows PepsiCo to get more cost-friendly ad sets and exposure. Finally, it allows PepsiCo to grow the sport and positively impact women’s lives all over the world. So, whether it be for monetary gain or not PepsiCo is showing that investing in the up-and-coming is worthwhile as well as good for the brand.