Pepsi wants to make the world a better place and so it has up to $1.3 million in Refresh grants to give out every month, ranging from $5,000 through to $250,000.
The social investment campaign can be seen online at www.refresheverything.com, and is being presented as Pepsi’s alternative to spending on television advertising at the Super Bowl this year.
From January 13, US residents can submit an idea online, choosing categories of health, arts and culture, food and shelter, the planet, neighborhoods, and education.
From February 1, 2010, visitors to the site will be able to vote on ideas, with the first 32 awards being announced on March 1.
The clever part is the trade
The headline here is not just the money. It is the positioning. Pepsi is framing this as an alternative to a single high-cost burst of attention, and shifting that investment into a participatory program where people submit, rally support, and vote.
Why this format can generate momentum
- A clear incentive. Monthly grants create repeated urgency, not a one-off moment.
- Built-in categories. Health, arts, food and shelter, the planet, neighborhoods, and education make participation easy to understand.
- Voting creates distribution. If your idea needs votes, you recruit your network. That recruitment becomes the media.
In large-scale brand purpose programs, participation grows when funding, voting, and sharing are designed as a repeatable cycle rather than a one-off moment.
What to watch if you run campaigns like this
- Transparency. People will want to understand how ideas are evaluated and funded.
- Participation fatigue. Monthly cycles help, but the experience has to stay simple to repeat.
- Proof of impact. The long-term credibility comes from showing what the funded ideas actually achieved.
A few fast answers before you act
What is the Pepsi Refresh Project?
It is a social investment program where Pepsi offers monthly “Refresh grants” and invites people to submit community ideas and rally votes to get them funded.
How much funding is available?
Up to $1.3 million in grants per month, with awards ranging from $5,000 to $250,000.
When can people submit and vote?
From January 13, US residents can submit ideas. From February 1, 2010, visitors can vote, with the first 32 awards announced on March 1.
What categories can ideas be submitted under?
Health, arts and culture, food and shelter, the planet, neighborhoods, and education.
What is the strategic alternative being positioned here?
Pepsi is presenting the program as an alternative to spending on television advertising during the Super Bowl, shifting that spend into a participatory grant platform.
