Au Revoir

On 18 Sept 2006, I started this blog. To write about the fun filled culture of FritoLay, India. To get it going there was a short 3 min video of What is it Like to Work for FritoLay? That video uploaded on Youtube (click here to watch it) got us a lot of eyeballs. Research (basically that means all the people I spoke to) showed us that it was the first place for candidates to get a feel of the culture of PepsiCo's Snack division in India. Candid confession: When I saw that a lot of people were using that to decide on whether they would fit in to this culture or not, I did feel a tad bit inhibited and stopped doing videos of giggling employees on candid camera kind of stuff. Thats was truly tempting given the number of applicants who wanted to come into work in a giggly environment! Honestly - someone did say that to me.

Thereafter the focus was more on describing all the fun moments at work. The innovative people that we have here inspired us to do more. The media and other bloggers took notice and we got a gazillion suggestions on what to put into the blog. That made me realize that the challenge in having an unofficial corporate blog are two. One is to avoid sounding like a commercial for the company. More than that is the challenge of getting more than a few enthu guys to post. How do we update the blog continuously and frequently?

Madhu Rajesh was our answer. Besides being a part of the Employee Communication piece of HR, she brought oodles of ideas and enthusiasm to the table with her stories on our efforts at being RJs for a competition (which we lost miserably!) and many more.

Meanwhile it is time for me to say goodbye as I choose to pursue my dreams outside of FritoLay. So this will be my last post on the Frito blog - heck nothing stops me from commenting on the posts as a reader does it? So maybe instead of saying goodbye, I should say Au Revoir.

FORTUNE Teller!

Our very own Indra is back in news. This time on the FORTUNE COVER in its March 3 issue with the title, "What Makes Pepsi Great?" and then answers that question by offering "an inside look at how she has transformed an American business icon." (BTW doesn't she look amazingly cool & composed? She can easily give any Cosmopolitan, Vogue cover model a sprint for their job!)

Getting back to the business, here are the excerpts imparted by PepsiCo headquarters . The article examines the company's success from many angles. It looks at the Frito-Lay and Pepsi cultures that were merged to form PepsiCo in 1965, contrasting "the get-things-done expertise of Frito-Lay and the never-take-anything-for-granted underdog mentality of Pepsi-Cola." The magazine says the result is a "contrarian, risk-taking big company that prides itself on acting like a small company" and has posted an eye-popping compound annual growth rate of 13% over the past 42 years." It points out the company's revenue has nearly doubled since 2000.
The article also highlights "Performance with Purpose," which it says puts a positive spin on how PepsiCo does business both at home and abroad, boiling it down to "balancing the profit with making healthier snacks, striving for a net-zero impact on the environment and taking care of the workforce." FORTUNE lauds PepsiCo for taking on a completely different flavor in balancing the old with the new. It contrasts Fritos and Cheetos with Stacy's Simply Naked (pita crisps) and Flat Earth (fruit and veggie chips); Diet Pepsi and Mountain Dew with Naked Juice Pomegranate Blueberry and IZZE Sparkling Clementine; North American Van Lines and Wilson Sporting Goods with partners Lipton and Starbucks.
The article also provides a timeline on how snacks and beverages got healthier, highlights PepsiCo's business unit leaders, discusses the rivalry of Coke and Pepsi, as well as Wall Street's reaction in recent years. To download the online version , please click here

An exclusive family picutre of Indra published by Fortune ......(the smiling tall lady on the left)

The queen of transformation! Surely, Indra Jaisi Koi Nahin! (No one's like Indra)

Frito-Lay India wins Marketing Excellence Award

Our 'Love Mark' flagship brands Lays and Kurkure are not only being loved by the consumer but also accepting accolades from the industry for setting standards in marketing excellence. At the 7th Indra Marketing Excellence Awards held on 23rd February at Pune Pepsico India (Fritolay Division) was awarded under the category “Brand Excellence”. The Award is presented to those organizations who have put passion into building their brands and shifted the paradigm in setting a new trend in Brand Excellence. Top FMCG companies and advertising agencies were among those who were evaluated for the award. The function was held in Pune, attended by approx 2000 people which included senior professionals from the industry.

On a seperate note, just wanted to share how our innovation in India is making us proud gloablly. After creating a special place for itself at ‘Chai Time’ (Tea time) of Indian consumer, Kurkure is now being introduced to various international markets to showcase the unique magic of Indian spices. Check out our brand new campaign ‘Chala Change ka Chakkar’ and change everything you have.....even your life. Ever thought of exchanging 1 day of your life with your favorite celebrity? Well..do leave us a comment, it feels great!