Syndicated stakeholder engagement study - Pepsico
Issue
PepsiCo has embarked upon an ambitious programme to reshape its portfolio. It recognises that simply responding to rising public concerns about health, obesity and sustainability is not enough and wants to become a champion of change, transforming for the better what UK consumers eat and drink in a sustainable way.
Understanding the views of stakeholders including politicians, journalists, NGOs, scientists, civil servants and regulators is integral to PepsiCo’s strategy, both as input to the business’ approach on issues such as health and environment and also as a guide to building constructive dialogue
Solution
Populus has helped PepsiCo to understand its stakeholders for six years. In addition to conducting specific programmes of qualitative research for PepsiCo, Populus conducts an annual syndicated study (Stakeholder engtagement study: Food Manufacturing Sector) which tracks the attitudes of opinion formers (politicians, journalists, advocacy groups and civil servants) in the food sector towards all of the leading food manufacturers. It also compares how effectively food companies engage with stakeholders. The study targets the right opinion formers because Populus gets leading food companies to nominate their most important stakeholders and is cost-effective because costs are shared across multiple subscribers.
Outcome
The study helps PepsiCo to understand what key opinion-formers in the food sector think of PepsiCo and its efforts to reshape its portfolio. It measures how effectively PepsiCo communicates progress on the health and environmental agendas and how this communication impacts on the overall perception of the organisation. In addition to informing PepsiCo’s strategic engagement with stakeholders, it is also used to help prioritise external communications activity.
Endorsement
'Populus’ syndicated research, which is targeted specifically on our sector, plays a crucial role in helping us to understand our stakeholders. It accesses the stakeholders that matter to our business, helps us to focus our communication and tracks the impact of our engagement with politicians, journalists, NGOs and civil servants.'
Sally McCombie, Pepsico UK and Ireland, Corporate Affairs Senior Director