PEPSI
Frank Cooper
Chief marketing officer of global consumer engagement
Pepsi Sparkling Beverages Group
Pepsi in 2012 set out to redefine its relationship with artists, both emerging and iconic, when it renewed its ongoing partnership with Beyoncé for a multiyear pact that included her global Mrs. Carter tour. But Frank Cooper and his team also leveraged that tour sponsorship in 2013 to give opening-act slots to emerging artists Eva Simons and Lido Lido, both of whom the brand is working to break in the Netherlands, and Franka Batelic, who’s a focus for Pepsi in Croatia. The brand also premiered the full-length music video for “Grown Woman” from “Beyoncé,” a week after the album’s surprise release on Dec. 13. “It was great to be a part of that and setting a new standard alongside Beyoncé,” Cooper says, “but what really made a difference is the way in which we leveraged her scope and power to give other artists opportunities.” Pepsi will pursue that approach in 2014 with a still-under-wraps program that will likely leverage the brand’s international sports partnerships. “It will be a combination of independent record distributors, partnerships with key technology companies and leveraging Pepsi assets to build momentum for emerging artists and rising stars,” Cooper says. -Andrew Hampp