Branded – Mitchell Watson, marketing manager, Pepsi Cola Jamaica
Thursday Life (TL): How did you land this job?
Mitchell Watson (MW): Based on my track record and accomplishments in the beverage industry I was recruited by a head hunter.
TL: How long have you been in this job?
MW: A grand total of 18 exciting months.
TL: What’s great about your job?
MW: Firstly, I like doing what I love in marketing and working with some of the leading brands in the world. Those being Pepsi Cola, 7Up, Mountain Dew, Ocean Spray, Gatorade and locally, Ting and Ginger Beer — brands that have also made serious international marks. Additionally, the job offers me the opportunity to work and be aligned with international stakeholders.
TL: What attracts consumers to your brand/brands?
MW: Pepsi is one of the world’s most iconic and recognised consumer brands. Today, the Pepsi portfolio includes three products — Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and Pepsi MAX — and each generates more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. To use a quote from Brad Jakeman, the president of PepsiCo’s Global Beverages Group, “This is a brand that has stood next to major cultural moments all around the world; it’s a brand that always operates in the consumer zeitgeist. The brand is much bigger than a product concept, but actually one that has allowed us to do a lot of interesting things with this brand beyond soda.”
TL: Where can consumers find out more about your brand?
MW: I’d love your readers to find out more about our company at Pepsi.com or Pepsico.com.
TL: Tell us something we might not know about your brand:
MW: Pepsi Cola was created in 1898 in New Bern, North Carolina by pharmacist Caleb Bradham, sales of the product started in Jamaica in 1950 and today the brand remains the leading cola in Jamaica. Since 2013 the company joined forces in a 50/50 merger with Red Stripe to form Celebration Brands Limited increasing the distribution capacity of both companies. Globally Pepsi is the leading brand in the music platform.
TL: Do you have any additional news you wish to share with your customers?
MW: Well, I would encourage all our consumers to stay tuned throughout the year and on www.pepsichallenge.com for further announcements and details about the #Pepsi Challenge and epic challenges across sports, design, tech and music.
