Pepsico obviously takes a different tack to international brands than its arch enemy Coca-Cola. Coke is drinks, through and through. Pepsico, owner of the Frito-Lay brand, is also into snacks. But to achieve fast growth internationally it has gone for non-organic growth in many markets – ie, it buys up locals. So then you come back to the typical problem of international branding (see also Unilever/Rexona).

Walkers logo, UK

It’s worth seeing how the company does this in different countries. First, a brand many a Brit will be familiar with: Walkers Crisps. But if you’re from the UK, would you recognise the other examples here.

 

 

Pepsico: Smiths

Smiths from Australia…

 

 

 

Salt & vinegar blood brothers

Lays in Greece – believe it or not, I actually found this Lays pack in a shop, slap-bang next to an exported pack of Walkers crisps (chips to you if you’re American). Like this. I’d love to know what their European sales manager would make of that distribution disaster!

Source: wikipedia, fair use

Lays (made by mother company Fritolay) from the US…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mexican “Lays”

Sabritas from South America…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lays, rising sun

Or the local company in Japan…

 

 

 

 

Returning to the question: “Would you recognise these crisp cousins?” – I think you would. So despite the separate names, the company is merging brands well. But what comes next? Will they bring the design so close that they can finally merge the brand names? Or will they run into the sort of problems Mars had with Snickers in the UK?

Oh dear, here comes British smuttiness again. Unfortunately, “Lays” has sexual overtones in the English vernacular. So maybe Pepsico will have to leave it at the design level.