PepsiCo is about to launch Pepsi NEXT, a totally new reduced-sugar and reduced-calorie variety in its cola range. The soda giant, which has an extensive portfolio of diet drinks (Diet Pepsi, Pepsi One and Pepsi Max to name a few), will offer a new product in July—the company will introduce it only in two test markets, in Iowa and Wisconsin, for the start. The launch of the product, which was heavily discussed in April in mass media without any comments from PepsiCo, was finally announced by Massimo d’Amore, CEO, PepsiCo Beverages America during a presentation at the Beverage Digest Wall Street Smarts conference in New York yesterday, June 13.

PepsiCo, one of the biggest global companies committed to drive innovation and support talents, is expanding its program PepsiCo10, launched last summer in the U.S., to Europe. The initiative is aimed at discovering emerging and innovative small media and technology companies, which can introduce small, but very positive changes to the industry working side by side with PepsiCo experts developing projects for the Pepsi-Cola, Walkers Snacks, Tropicana and Quaker brands.

On April 4, Pepsi launched the second year of its Pepsi Refresh Project, calling on people from across the United States to submit bold ideas that have the power to move communities forward, focusing on the categories that America cares about most: Education, Communities and Arts & Music. In addition to its standing grant categories, Pepsi will announce a new Pepsi Challenge each month in the form of a question that Pepsi will challenge the public to answer with creative ideas. This month, Pepsi is challenging fans to channel their love of music to drive social change with its first Pepsi Challenge by asking, “How would you rock the house for a good cause?” 

Comparison stands behind any considered choice, and any confident global brand tends to provide its consumers with an opportunity to examine both the positive and negative sides of their products—and sometimes weigh its offerings against goods by other manufacturer. Sometimes, companies also step outside the product world and help compare lots of other things—sexes, automobiles, brothers, tastes, political parties, athletes and more—to help determine which of the two is better, stronger, messier, tastier, faster, more attractive, reliable, sportive, etc.  In this overview, we won’t focus on serious ratings revealing carbon footprint or social impact, like Nike’s Environmental Apparel Design Tool, Timberland’s Eco Index or GoodWill’s rating—instead, as tribute to April Fool’s Day, which was celebrated last Friday, we will focus on humorous and tongue-in-cheek projects.