Pepsi invests in cause related marketing

Pepsi will be inviting consumers to participate in social causes?an effort that will use social media, like Twitter and Facebook.

This Monday, the company will be launching the Pepsi Refresh Project. Pepsi will be shelling out more than $20 million?spread throughout the year?for donations to local organizations for causes like health, arts, culture, and education.

Ideas for the grants can be submitted on a project-dedicated Website, where browsers can suggest and vote for causes. The details of the project will be unveiled on Monday, when Kevin Bacon and Demi Moore are set to appear on the Today Show on NBC. The two celebrities will be advocating for pet causes and educational mentoring services.

The project will also be advertised on the show and its Website as part of a marketing agreement with NBC Universal.

The Pepsi Refresh Project aims to tap an emerging trend called cause-related marketing or pro-social marketing. This platform gives brands the opportunity to contribute to social causes, while exposing the brand in the process.

Source: NYTimes