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PepsiCo appoints Wern-Yuen Tan as APAC CEO
MUMBAI: PepsiCo has appointed Wern-Yuen Tan as the CEO for the APAC region, it shared in a press statement. Tan will begin his new role on 15 June 2020 and will be based in Singapore. He will report directly to PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta. He will be replacing Ram Krishnan who will now transition fully to his previously announced role as global chief commercial officer of PepsiCo.
Prior to PepsiCo, Tan served as President and CEO of Walmart China where he led a team of 100,000 associates responsible for over $10 billion in annual revenue across the Walmart, Sam's Club and eCommerce businesses. During his tenure, he led Walmart China through a time of transformation to become an industry pioneer in omnichannel innovation and retail digitization. Prior to joining Walmart in 2017, Tan served as managing director for McDonald's Taiwan, where he gained valuable experience in the foodservice sector. Earlier in his career, he was a principal at Boston Consulting Group, where he advised retail and consumer clients on growth strategy, innovation and turnarounds. Tan began his career in the Singapore government.
PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said, “All of us at PepsiCo are delighted to welcome Wern-Yuen as our new CEO of APAC at this time of unprecedented change and opportunity. Wern-Yuen has driven transformative innovation and results at every step of his career and brings deep experience with consumers in this diverse region through positions in retail, foodservice and consulting. His leadership will be instrumental as we look to accelerate growth by leveraging our scale and creating more localised solutions in these important markets."
He added, "I also want to recognise and express my deep gratitude to Ram and the APAC leadership team for their phenomenal work managing our business through a historically difficult period while delivering strong results and making PepsiCo Faster, Stronger and Better. Ram will now return fulltime to his role as the global chief commercial officer, a crucial position for PepsiCo's winning with a purpose strategy. His continued leadership will be a tremendous asset as we execute on our global consumer and customer sales agenda, whilst developing and scaling new capabilities and business models based on data and technology to deliver future growth."
"I am thrilled to join PepsiCo, a truly global company whose products are recognised across the world," said Tan. "With deep roots across this region and an unparalleled offering, PepsiCo is uniquely positioned to expand its market share and existing omnichannel capabilities across APAC. I look forward to working with Ramon and the entire leadership team to drive growth and localised solutions in this dynamic part of the world."
MAM
Barista partners Ginny Weds Sunny 2 with mango campaign
Cafe chain blends cinema buzz with summer menu and 20 per cent offer.
MUMBAI: Love may brew slowly, but marketing clearly doesn’t especially when coffee meets cinema and mangoes steal the spotlight. Barista Coffee Company has partnered with the upcoming hindi film Ginny Weds Sunny 2 as its official beverage partner, in a move aimed at tapping into youth culture through entertainment-led engagement. The collaboration is not just a logo placement exercise. Instead, Barista is translating the film’s high-energy vibe into its cafés with a themed summer menu titled “Main Hoon Mango”, accompanied by a limited-period 20 per cent discount on combo offerings across outlets.
Actors Medha Shankr and Avinash Tiwary feature in the campaign, seen engaging with the mango-themed menu inside Barista cafés, a visual cue designed to blur the lines between reel and real-life consumption moments.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in how consumer brands are leveraging hindi film industry not just for visibility, but for immersive, on-ground engagement. By embedding the film’s narrative into its product experience, Barista is aiming to drive footfall, especially among younger audiences who increasingly seek experiential touchpoints over traditional advertising.
Barista Coffee Company CEO Rajat Agrawal described the partnership as both a branding and growth play, focused on expanding reach beyond the existing customer base and aligning with evolving consumer preferences.
The emphasis on a seasonal, flavour-led hook mango, one of India’s most culturally resonant ingredients adds a timely layer to the campaign, aligning with summer consumption trends while riding on the film’s promotional momentum.
For Barista, the move is part of a larger positioning shift. Rather than operating purely as a coffee retail chain, the brand is increasingly framing itself as a lifestyle destination, one that intersects with entertainment, conversation and shared experiences. By integrating cinema into its physical spaces, Barista is effectively turning cafés into micro-extensions of the film’s universe, where consumers do not just watch a story unfold but participate in it sip by sip.
The 20 per cent offer further nudges trial, lowering the barrier for consumers to engage with the themed menu while amplifying recall through a tangible incentive.
Brand-film collaborations are hardly new, but their execution is evolving. Where earlier partnerships relied on co-branded ads or product placements, the current playbook leans towards immersive storytelling and retail integration.
In that sense, Barista’s “Main Hoon Mango” push is less about promotion and more about participation inviting consumers to experience a slice of the film within a familiar, everyday setting. As the film industry continues to act as a cultural amplifier, such partnerships underline a growing truth, in today’s attention economy, it is not enough to be seen brands must be experienced.
And if that experience comes with a mango twist and a cinematic backdrop, all the better.
