SXSW: Why Pepsi Loves Startups

Digiday is at SXSW. We’ll profile startups that solve real problems for brands, agencies and publishers; report the scuttlebutt outside the convention hall; and shoot video interviews with digital media leaders.  Our coverage is made possible through the sponsorship of Vitrue, the social media management platform.

PepsiCo is a major supporter of the startup scene. It’s one of the top sponsors of SXSW, setting up shop in the convention center with a “Pepsi Central Station,” expanding its PepsiCo 10 startup program to India and Brazil and holding an “un-conference” to discuss how companies can operate like startups. The idea behind PepsiCo 10, explained PepsiCo director of digital media Josh Karpf, is for Pepsi to get exposure to the latest innovations while giving startups a case study of how to work with a major brand. Karpf believes brands can learn a lot from the fast, iterative nature of startups.