The Pepsi Refresh Project: Successful For The Greater Good

By Katie Norwood

A recent article from Ad Age chronicles the evolution of the Pepsi Refresh Project, which has been so successful in the United States and Canada that Pepsi has expanded it into Europe, Latin America and Asia. Since the project’s unveiling, Pepsi has become a proverbial multi-million dollar fairy godmother by granting money to consumer-submitted causes that range from supporting energy efficiency to battling childhood obesity.

Beyond the project’s positive contributions to the greater good, the campaign is also a strategic move for Pepsi in terms of branding and marketing. The campaign has helped to brand Pepsi as a forward thinking, philanthropic company that is genuinely concerned about social issues. Pepsi has been very successful in establishing the campaign’s visibility and consumer participation due to the campaign’s extensive use of social media, including an official Facebook fan page, custom Facebook application, Twitter page and blog. Corporate social responsibility is necessary and expected of corporate giants today, and all of Pepsi’s major competitors also have philanthropic initiatives, but the question is – could you name a single one of those initiatives?

The tremendous success of the Pepsi Refresh Project is a testament to the unlimited opportunity and potential growth that social media can offer nonprofit organizations. The pairing of social media with nonprofit organizations is a match made in heaven; after all, at its core social media is about establishing personal connections – and reaching out to others is small, but significant, step toward making the world a better place.

Are you a nonprofit executive, board member, volunteer or employee? Is your organization using social media? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the Pepsi Refresh Project!