PepsiCo announced today that it has chosen Fanfeedr as one of 10 start-up companies for the inaugural PepsiCo10, an innovative incubator program that matches technology, media and communications entrepreneurs with PepsiCo brands to activate pilot programs in digital media and social marketing.
“The PepsiCo10 are an inspiring group of entrepreneurs, who represent the best in emerging trends in technology, media and communications. With the inaugural PepsiCo10, we are creating a new conduit for digital R&D within PepsiCo and for the industry broadly—an important endeavor as we continue to seek innovative and meaningful ways to connect with our consumers and to transform communications into a business driver.” — B. Bonin Bough, Director of Digital and Social Media at PepsiCo
Among the 10 selected were start-ups, we find gaming platforms for consumers in restaurants, amusement parks and retail stores, mobile couponing solutions, and niche social networking platforms that bring consumers together around common interests, such as music, TV and sports. FanFeedr was the only sports-focused company picked, which says a lot about the platform.
The PepsiCo10 pilot programs will bring targeted consumers of Gatorade, Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Quaker Chewy granola bars and Pepsi beverages in restaurants new digital marketing activations as early as the fourth quarter of this year.
According to Seth Kaufman, Director of Media Strategy and Investment for PepsiCo North America Beverages, PepsiCo10 is all about leveraging “outside innovation” and “cultivate emerging start-ups” while refreshing the Pepsi brand and bringing “new perspectives and inspiration.”
The rigorous selection process began in June with an open call for submissions focused on one of four innovation segments. More than 500 applicants were cut down to 20, who gave a two-day oral presentation to PepsiCo brand and marketing teams, agency partners and venture capitalists at PepsiCo headquarters.
FanFeedr stood out in the Social Media & Marketing category, being described as “a real-time personalized sports feed platform, which allows users to pick favorite teams and players, and supplies them with the most-up-to-date collection of relevant news, videos, tweets, scores and information.”
The PepsiCo10 will get support from a PepsiCo mentor and other partners, including Mashable. A spokesperson from FanFeedr shared with us that they, “are all very excited —this is a big honor.”