The great PepsiCo fightback: Why fizz no longer matters

Abstract

Purpose

Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

History is littered with famous comebacks and business can obviously boast its fair share. We are all able to cite organizations that have survived difficult periods and emerged stronger and more competitive as a result. But over the last decade or so, few turnarounds can have matched the one that has seen PepsiCo's stock price soar and its net margins more than double. A far cry from the period immediately before when performance had slipped so far behind that of fierce rivals Coca‐Cola that the company even became a target for ridicule in some quarters of the business press. So what's brought about this dramatic upturn in fortunes? How has PepsiCo been able to post such impressive results in a sector where success is typically measured by gains of less than 1 percent?

Practical implications

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

Citation

(2007), "The great PepsiCo fightback: Why fizz no longer matters", Strategic Direction, Vol. 23 No. 7, pp. 17-20. https://doi.org/10.1108/02580540710753418