by David Weiner
To celebrate PepsiCo10’s recent launch in Europe, we’re talking to last year’s PepsiCo10 about their experiences running pilots with PepsiCo brands. Here, Tracy Brown, of Evil Genius Designs, talks about her company, her vision, and partnering with PepsiCo.
Why did you enter the PepsiCo10 program?
We were intrigued by the program construct– an open call for start-ups that had an existing product that had already generated some revenue or investment – that would be partnered with a PepsiCo brand to activate a pilot for their customers. So this program wasn’t about companies with concepts or that already had a significant amount of investment, which is right where we fit. (And I also hoped to influence someone to bring back Mountain Dew limited edition Gamer Fuel that I miss having while I play video games… hint hint)
What did you gain from the entry process?
Making it through the different rounds of cuts from over 500 to 70 to 20 to the final PepsiCo10 was super exciting and probably helpful for a lot of brief pitch information. We learned we can script and edit a video request for proposal in less than five days and we honed an exact 10-minute presentation for the summit at PepsiCo headquarters. We had a good time meeting the other top 20 companies while waiting in the green room.
What have the benefits been from running the pilot?
We are going IPO before Zynga! Alright, maybe not yet, but we did successfully develop a pilot that engaged people in PepsiCo’s portfolio awareness in a way that was subtle, allowed them to have fun and engaged them to share some of their experiences with their social networks. We were able to demonstrate our flexibility as a vendor partner, the quality of our work, our ability to be creative with our product for PepsiCo’s brands and that our product concept actually works to accomplish brand engagement and awareness.
How do you feel taking part in Pepsico10 has and will impact a company?
Being part of the PepsiCo has really elevated our company’s recognition and credibility with potential customers and investors as well as provided us with valuable PR that a small company like ours would take years to achieve. PepsiCo and their partners really helped (and continue to help) open doors and provide opportunities that would have been hard for us to obtain on our own.
What was the best advice received from industry mentors?
This could be its own blog. Stick to your unique product offering and competition is good. Hire slow, fire fast. If you can just make it past the two-year mark, everything will turn. And pivot. (Just kidding on the last one.)
Have the pilots changed the companies approach to business?
The number one thing we learned is that for large brands, there are many partners at the table. Brand campaigns are executed with the brand company and their outside partner agencies – which means more people at the table to understand their roles, motivations and contributions.
Would the companies recommend PepsiCo10 to their peers?
I think everyone who fits the criteria should apply to be a PepsiCo10 company! Not only will you learn a lot about your company’s product and how a large brand like PepsiCo accomplishes their business (hugely valuable insight), but you will have an opportunity to expand your network. I still talk with several of the other PepsiCo10 member companies and we even look for opportunities to partner or exist in loose ‘co-opetition’. And the PepsiCo team members are really awesome engaging with you outside of the program too.
What innovations of the last two years have impacted your organization the most?
One of the biggest innovations would probably be the onset of ‘gamification’ – where gaming principles are applied to everyday activities. While this hasn’t become mainstream yet, people are slowly starting to realize that gaming isn’t about wasting time. If applied properly, gaming psychology and mechanics can be hugely motivating and impactful. Marketers have been using principles like this to sell brands for eons – and the application of gaming psychology into the mix is sheer….evil genius. >:-)
What innovations do you see on the horizon that will impact your organization in the next two years?
While there are several, I can say we are watching increased digital signage implementations and more Wi-Fi access installations driven by more smartphone adoption, tablet pc’s and phone network capacity. We are watching activism – because we would love to harness our platform in captive waiting areas where people play games for good. We are dabbling in interactive TV and have launched our platform with a well-known movie title so that everyone sitting around the TV can play the game simultaneously using their personal devices. No more fighting over controllers and remotes – just points and achievements!
What are you most excited about for your organizations in 2011 and 2012?
I am most excited about continuing our relationship with PepsiCo and landing some additional high profile clients so that more people can have fun with our games wherever they find themselves waiting in line or in front of screens. (I’d love to find the WORST line and transform it with our gameplay into the hugest multiplayer game in one space!) We also just made it past that two-year mark, and are in the midst of finding the correct investment partner and expanding the team with some key geniuses – aided largely from our exposure in the PepsiCo10. And the return of Gamer Fuel. (Well, one can dream…)
