The Hindu Business Line : CEO endorses Pepsi in TV commercial

The pesticide in Pepsi issue has compelled PepsiCo to come up with a one-of-a-kind of a media campaign, getting the CEO of PepsiCo India, Mr Rajiv Bakshi, to go on air saying: "Pepsi is safe for me, you, your children and mine."

Explaining the reason why Mr Bakshi himself has come on air to bridge the gap between the company and its consumers, Mr Abhiram Seth, Executive Director, Exports and External Affairs, said: "Who better than Mr Bakshi, the CEO himself, to take the responsibility to make the consumer understand that Pepsi is completely safe?"

Mr Seth said that the challenge was to tell a long story in a consumer-friendly format in the limited time that a television commercial allows. To arrive at the content of the commercial, a vigorous survey was undertaken to tap the kind of assurance consumers were looking for from the company.

The results of the survey clearly stated that the CEO himself should appear in the campaign, taking a tour with a common man through one of Pepsi's manufacturing facilities.

It also demanded the verification of whatever Mr Bakshi was vouching for through a scientist, who "after scrutinising the entire data was convinced that the Pepsi story was credible."

He added: "In this whole talk about Pepsi being an MNC, people forget that the company's Indian division is being run by professional Indian managers whose commitment towards the country and the business is undisputable."

PepsiCo India is going to carry on with this particular advertisement for the time being, and is also gearing up to carry on with a different campaign during the upcoming cricket season.

Mr Seth said, "We got the confidence to let our CEO take the burden on his shoulders from the fact that each ingredient that goes into making Pepsi is thoroughly tested and come under the protocols set by the Government of India as well as the EU norms."

The first major ingredient, water, confirms to the packaged water guidelines of 0.1 ppb and 0.5 ppb, which is also statutory under PFA.

Sugar, another major component, is converted to sugar syrup, which goes through a hot carbon filtration process and its analyses shows that it is in conformity to the prescribed water standards.

The rest are a mix of flavours and colourants that are common across the globe for production of Pepsi, he added.

Mr Seth reiterated the company's stand that it welcomes a Government-articulated, validated testing protocol, the lack of which was behind the whole confusion since each test had a different result due to the absence of a proper testing methodology.

On whether the entire controversy was being put to rest finally, Mr Seth said that no testing protocol existed for a final product globally.

To arrive at it is a time-consuming task that was initiated in 2003, the last time when the pesticide issue came to the forefront. "We are hopeful that this time a protocol will be arrived at," Mr Seth said.

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