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PepsiCo: Driving Innovation with Efficiency and Effectiveness
PepsiCo, one of the biggest companies in the food and beverage sector globally, has been in business for more than a century, having nearly 319,000 employees worldwide.
With operations in over 200 countries, PepsiCo continues to shape international consumer choices through an iconic portfolio of brands — from Lay’s and Doritos to Gatorade, Quaker Oats, and Pepsi.
In 2024, PepsiCo’s annual report showed net revenues of $91.85 billion, maintaining steady growth despite a challenging global environment. The company’s operational strength and strategic flexibility are demonstrated by its main earnings per share and operating profit.
PepsiCo continues to balance its wide base of customers with quality and consistency.
Leadership That Defines Direction
Ramon Laguarta, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since 2018, is at the forefront of PepsiCo’s vision. Under his guidance, The Company has advanced its global expansion plan while strengthening its commitment to sustainability and digital transformation.
Laguarta’s leadership idea centers on “Winning with pep+” (PepsiCo Positive) — a comprehensive structure that drives performance while creating purpose across the organization.
This goal is further strengthened by Chief Consumer and Marketing Officer (CMO), Jane Wakely at International Foods.
Under her supervision, PepsiCo has completely changed its marketing approach, utilizing technology, data analytics, and cultural storytelling to create internationally impactful goals.
Together, Laguarta and Wakely manage a team that achieves real-time growth and outcomes across different market spaces, showing a balance between strategic vision and creative flexibility.
Combining Tradition and Innovation
PepsiCo’s marketing strength lies in its ability to stay ahead of cultural and consumer trends. From pioneering celebrity collaborations to executing data-driven personalization, the company continues to lead with relevance and creativity.
In 2024, PepsiCo expanded functional hydration and lifestyle-driven innovation, growing its Gatorade and Propel lines into a $1 billion business in the U.S. The Simply and Lay’s Classic ranges were refreshed for health-conscious consumers, while Siete Foods and Sabritas expansions reinforced their multicultural presence.
Beyond products, PepsiCo has leaned into experiential marketing — from Doritos Loaded at universities to Drips Mixology stations that allow consumers to create their own drinks. These strategies reflect how PepsiCo continues to combine digital insights, local tradition, and creativity to develop closer ties with consumers.
Information Technology: Powering Digital Transformation
At its core, PepsiCo’s growth today is driven by data and technology. The company has embarked on a multi-year modernization journey — harmonizing IT systems, simplifying processes, and standardizing global operations.
Its Global Capability Centers (GCCs) network acts as a digital backbone, centralizing data and enabling knowledge-sharing across regions. These centers support faster decision-making, optimized logistics, and enhanced precision in store-level execution.
Through advanced analytics and automation, PepsiCo’s IT transformation fuels more intelligent forecasting, agile product innovation, and real-time consumer engagement — redefining how a legacy company evolves in a digital-first economy.
Brand Values: Development with Responsibility
The goal of the company is to create a difference and earn revenue.
This is also reflected in its purpose-driven mission, which is summarized in “pep+ (PepsiCo Positive)”. The initiative combines sustainability, agriculture, and responsible sourcing in the business operations.
A Legacy of Resilience and Renewal
PepsiCo’s story in 2024–2025 is one of resilience, relevance, and reinvention. With $7.5 billion in free cash flow and consistent dividend growth, the company continues to deliver shareholder confidence while innovating for the future.
In Ramon Laguarta’s words, PepsiCo’s mission remains clear: “to create sustainable growth and value by transforming how we operate, innovate, and engage — end to end.”
The company’s creative management, technological advancements, and purpose-led marketing ensure that the company stays a global leader. And at the same time, an influential force that shapes the future of food and beverage consumption.
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Keith Nicks is EVP and Chief Digital & Commercial Officer for Ahold Delhaize USA, overseeing
omnichannel marketing, retail media, and e-commerce for U.S. brands. Tim Bork is the Chief Commercial
Officer for Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia, focusing on local brands and responsible for growth,
including marketing and customer experience.
With nearly €96 billion in projected 2025 revenue, Ahold Delhaize ranks among the top 10 global
retailers, operating over 6,700 stores across multiple formats, including Albert Heijn, Delhaize, Food Lion,
Giant, Hannaford, and Stop & Shop.
6,700 stores powered by one procurement platform – a scale that makes others jealous.
For customers, Ahold isn’t just a grocery retailer; it’s a trusted lifestyle partner that combines the
intimacy of local shopping with the innovation and value of global retail leadership.
Ahold’s brands, such as Albert Heijn, Stop & Shop, and Giant, represent 37 years of average customer
relationships—customers don’t just shop there; they grow up with these brands, creating emotional
connections that transcend transactions.
After gaining thirty million loyalty members, Ahold demonstrated that personalization consistently
outperforms promotion.
BrandSensitize™ research shows that Ahold Delhaize operates with a decentralized marketing and brand
building approach, where marketing functions are embedded within:
- Brand-specific leadership (each local brand has its own marketing teams.
- Regional commercial officers who oversee marketing alongside broader commercial
responsibilities. - Digital and omnichannel specialists who handle modern marketing channels.
Ahold Delhaize’s Brand Building Initiatives:
Sustainability campaign: €50M investment reached 10M consumers, delivering a 20% boost in
sustainable product sales and generating €400M in revenue.
Digital Marketing: €150M digital budget achieved 25% higher engagement, 2.6% click-through rates (vs
1.9% industry standard), and built 500K+ social media following.
Loyalty Program: 30M members across brands with 85% customer penetration, driving 75% of total sales
and contributing €1B annually—10% better retention than competitors.
Strategic Brand Partnerships: 100+ collaborative campaigns with CPG brands, including Coca-Cola,
generated €600M in additional revenue through joint promotions.
Omnichannel Investment: A $1 billion price investment initiative, combined with AI-powered
personalization, aims to achieve an 80% loyalty sales penetration by 2028.
Strategic marketing drives measurable business results—from sustainability messaging to digital-first
loyalty programs, Ahold Delhaize demonstrates that well-executed brand-building campaigns deliver
both customer engagement and bottom-line growth on a global scale.
Ahold Delhaize’s Strategic Technology Partnerships:
- W23 Global VC Fund: $125M investment with Tesco, Woolworths & others backing AI startups
like Harmonya & Protex AI - Zycus Partnership: Source-to-Pay suite powering procurement across 6,700+ stores globally
- Hanshow Technology: Electronic shelf labels + innovation labs across all European locations.
- Inmar Intelligence: $141M in customer savings delivered through personalized digital coupons.
- DoorDash Collaboration: Tripled order volumes through enhanced last-mile delivery integration.
- Internal AI Innovation: MaxiGPT, LionGPT & Albot assistants deployed across the Serbian,
Belgian, and Czech markets. - New Tech Studio: AD/01 in Bucharest targeting 250+ tech talents for digital acceleration.
Zycus has licensed its comprehensive Source-to-Pay suite to Ahold Delhaize, including eSourcing,
Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM), and Supplier Management platforms.
TCS’s relationship with Ahold Delhaize marks a mature, strategic partnership focused on digital
transformation and supply chain technology.
Wipro partnered with Capgemini as one of the most significant retail transformation initiatives in the
world at Ahold USA.
Capgemini powers Ahold Delhaize’s end-to-end transformation, developing blockchain technology use
cases for Ahold Delhaize’s supply chain and leveraging its expertise in business transformation, as well as
its understanding of Ahold’s industry and operations.
Traditional retailers, equipped with AI and Robotics, will surpass pure digital players by 2030.
The key is to position Ahold not as just another retail success story, but as the company that has
rewritten the rules of digital transformation for every traditional business watching.
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