PepsiCo launches global review for AI driven marketing transformation

MUMBAI: The pitch is getting a little more intelligent. PepsiCo has launched a global review focused on AI-driven marketing transformation, inviting agencies and consulting firms to pitch for an assignment that could reshape how the food and beverage major approaches marketing in the artificial intelligence era.

According to an Ad Age report, the review has drawn interest from both major agency networks and management consultancies, underlining how the lines between traditional marketing, technology and business transformation are increasingly blurring.

The precise scope of the assignment has not been disclosed. However, the review comes as PepsiCo pushes towards becoming an “agentic AI-first” enterprise, with the company looking to embed AI across decision-making, innovation, marketing, sales and operational workflows.

For marketers, that means the brief is no longer simply about creating the next big campaign. Agencies are increasingly being asked to bring capabilities spanning data, automation, AI-powered content creation, media optimisation and customer experience, with measurable business outcomes becoming a bigger part of the equation.

PepsiCo has already been building its AI ecosystem through technology partnerships. Earlier this year, the company announced a multi-year collaboration with Google Cloud to deploy Gemini-powered AI capabilities across functions including analytics, workforce productivity and go-to-market execution.

The company has also indicated that its marketing organisation is moving beyond individual AI experiments towards a more connected system. The ambition is to use AI to generate consumer insights, personalise campaigns and support faster decision-making.

That makes the latest review significant for the agency industry. The eventual partner will potentially be expected to sit at the intersection of creative thinking, technology and business transformation, rather than operate purely as a traditional advertising agency.

The review also reflects a wider shift in how global marketers are evaluating agency relationships. As AI moves from experimentation into everyday marketing operations, the question is increasingly not whether brands should use AI, but who can help them turn it into a competitive advantage.

For agencies and consultancies pitching for PepsiCo’s business, that could make this less of a conventional account review and more of a test of who can help build the marketing organisation of the AI era.