Abstract

PepsiCo, one of the leading soft drink companies in the world, launched Pepsi Blue with a lot of fanfare. However, the excitement soon fizzled out when the product failed to make an impact in the market. The caselet explores why PepsiCo wanted to launch Pepsi Blue and the possible reasons for its failure. It also explores the repercussions of improper marketing research on a company.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Why PepsiCo launched Pepsi Blue
• Can marketing research make or mar the success of a new product?
• Why Pepsi Blue failed to succeed in the market

Keywords

PepsiCo, carbonated soft drink, Pepsi Blue, cola segment, teenagers and young adults, berry and cola fusion, core brand, diverse customer base, Mountain Dew Code Red, Coke, Vanilla Coke, Lipton Tea, Starbucks Coffee Company, Frito-Lay, Quaker