Pepsi is rolling out a new shape for its 567-gram bottle for the first time in about 17 years.
The
new bottle has a contoured bottom half that appears easier for holding,
and the wraparound label is shorter so that more of the drink is
exposed. The change follows a number of splashy moves
in the past year by PepsiCo to improve results for its namesake soda,
including a multiyear deal to sponsor the Super Bowl halftime show and a
wide-ranging deal with the pop star Beyonce. PepsiCo
Inc., based in Purchase, New York, has been working to revitalize the
brand after losing market share to Coca-Cola Co. in recent years.
Andrea
Foote, a PepsiCo spokeswoman, said the new bottle is part of the
company’s ongoing update of marketing and packaging materials for the
cola. The single-serve bottles, which are widely sold in coolers at drugstores and other retailers, will begin rolling out in April. Foote
said it will take a year or two before the new bottles entirely replace
the current bottles, which the company says were introduced in 1996.
Coca-Cola,
based in Atlanta, says its current 567 gram contour bottle made its US
debut in 1993. Small changes were made over the years, such as making
the surface easier to grip and shortening the neck of the bottle.
Despite
PepsiCo’s stepped up efforts, its beverage volume in North America
declined by 4 per cent last year. That included a 4 per cent declined in
carbonated soft drinks and a 3 per cent decline in non-carbonated
drinks, according to a regulatory filing with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
PepsiCo makes a wide range of
products, including Frito-Lay chips, Gatorade, Quaker Oats and Minute
Maid. But it has long been defined by its namesake soda and its rivalry
with Coca-Cola.
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