PepsiCo Official Launch Partner for iTunes Radio

PURCHASE, N.Y., Sept. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) today announced it is the exclusive food and beverage launch partner for iTunes Radio, Apple's new iAd-supported streaming radio service which went live today with iOS 7. On iTunes Radio, PepsiCo will deliver custom experiences across PepsiCo brands, as well as branded channels within iTunes Radio, reaching millions of consumers on their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, Mac or PC. These innovative experiences will be a vehicle to foster discovery of new global artists and highlight connections between music and other pillars of pop culture such as sports.

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"PepsiCo has consistently leveraged music as a growth driver for our brands. We believe that today's music eco-system allows our brands to play a more active role in supporting artists and engaging music fans," said Frank Cooper, Chief Marketing Officer, Global Consumer Engagement, PepsiCo Global Beverages Group. "As Apple continues as the leader of digital music and iTunes Radio instantly becomes a key player in the streaming music space, we view this relationship as an integral part of PepsiCo's global strategy to provide fans with unique access to the world's most iconic music artists, as well as a major stage for rising stars within our music portfolio."

PepsiCo will have the only branded channels on iTunes Radio at launch and plans to integrate multiple food and beverage brands from its portfolio. Pepsi will be the first PepsiCo brand to debut with Pepsi "Pulse #Now."  The channel features four stations dedicated to Pop, Country, Latin and Electronic Dance Music and will be promoted on iTunesRadio.com/pepsi. Additional brand channels will follow later this year, enabling PepsiCo to drive fan engagement with artists and musical genres across its global brands. 

Moreover, PepsiCo will leverage its massive global scale and footprint to introduce globally relevant and emerging artists to the U.S. audience through iTunes Radio. This year, PepsiCo has provided unparalleled global exposure and promotional muscle to emerging artists such as Eva Simons (Netherlands), Momo Wu (China), 3BallMNTY (Mexico), Wally Lopez (Spain) and Jasmine Villegas (US) and plans to extend promotional plans via iTunes Radio. In addition, PepsiCo supports emerging artists around the world through partnerships with record labels, award shows and trade organizations such as the GRAMMY® Awards and the Country Music Association, as well as televised competitions such as The X Factor, Arab Idol and The Voice China. The Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show is the most-watched musical event of the year. More than 110.5 million viewers in the U.S. tuned in to last year's show featuring Beyonce. Earlier this month, Pepsi and the NFL announced Bruno Mars as the headliner of the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVIII Super Bowl Halftime Show.

While iTunes Radio at launch is available only in the U.S., PepsiCo will have significant added global reach through iAd's App Network, which will run ads across multiple territories in the world.

About PepsiCo 
PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.  

SOURCE PepsiCo, Inc.