Closed: No Longer Accepting Submissions
Description
PepsiCo is seeking new on-pack promo scan code options for cans, labels, and closures that would:
- Simplify consumer participation
- Ensure integrity of promotion
- Be more cost-effective
- Be easier to produce and handle on existing manufacturing lines
Background
Current Solution:
PepsiCo runs promotions by leveraging promotion codes that directly connect product purchases with promotion participation.
Codes are usually located:
Option 1:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Option 2:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Option 3:
Under the ring pull                             Under the bottle cap             On the bottle label
    
                       
        
Key Challenges:
- Difficult for a consumer to participate (requires manual typing, allows mistakes and or fraud, lowers promotion participation rate)
- Codes add production and supply chain complexity and costs
Key success Criteria
Must-Haves:
- Must be scalable and run at speeds of at least 1,000+ parts per minute, preferably assembled within PepsiCo’s supply base
- Must ensure promotion integrity and prevent fraudulent redemption
- Must not impact current finished goods performance:
- Bottle or can opening/closing
- Label scuffing or tearing
- Must be compatible PepsiCo’s Pep+ goals with regard to sustainability:
- Proposed technology must not
- negatively impact recyclability of the can, bottle, label, or closure
- negatively impact the carbon footprint of production efforts
- negatively impact bottle or closure weight
- Include a capital investment
- Under-cap solutions must be compatible with 28mm diameter 1881 plastic closures
- High degree of ease for consumers:
- Minimal number of steps for consumers – e.g. digital scanning or leveraging AI
- Easy to follow directions
- Codes readable by cell phone camera OR easily readable by eye for manual entering
- Proposed technology must not
Nice-to-Haves:
- Minimal impact on filling plant
- Variety of color options
- Custom color options are highly desirable
Possible Approaches
- Laser marking
- Laser engraving/etching
- Reactive polymers which exhibit color changes when exposed to lasers
- Novel non-alphanumeric displays
- Leveraging bottle characteristics
- Leveraging labels by potentially concealing unique codes on labels
Approaches not of Interest
Unless significant advances have been established, PepsiCo is not interested in:
- QR codes that can be redeemed before purchase
- Geofencing technologies
Preferred Collaboration Types
PepsiCo is primarily interested in technologies that are close to commercial availability, yet early-stage solutions may also be of interest, provided a clear development pathway exists.
Related TechNeeds:
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