Dive Brief: 

• PepsiCo’s Mtn Dew is upping its marketing to niche audiences with the launch of two yearlong rewards programs that target consumers interested in the outdoors or gaming, according to a press release. The brand recently sponsored related events to support the programs. 
• The Outdoor Gear Program invites consumers to purchase specially marked packs of Mtn Dew to earn points that can be entered via a microsite and redeemed for various outdoor gear from brands including GoPro and Hydro Flask. 
• Separately, the Mtn Dew Gaming Rewards Program, in partnership with Xbox, allows consumers who purchase 20 oz. bottles of Mtn Dew to redeem points online for rewards from an always-on marketplace and a “Dew Game Vault” that features limited-time drops. 

Dive Insight:

PepsiCo brand Mtn Dew is reaching out to niche audiences with programs made to appeal to two very different sets of consumer interests, indicating the lengths brands are willing to go these days to be culturally relevant and earn loyalty. Marketing around specific consumer interests has been a commonly deployed tactic, leveraged recently by brands including McDonald’s, Apple and Hyundai.  

The first of the two rewards programs, the Outdoor Gear Program, calls back to Mtn Dew’s Tennessee heritage and aims to attract outdoor enthusiasts by offering the chance to win new gear. Consumers can purchase specially marked 12-, 15- and 24-can packs of various Mtn Dew flavors to discover codes on the packaging that can be redeemed online for points. Additionally, Walmart and Dollar General will offer two times the points on specially marked Mtn Dew 12-can packs of flavors Frost Bite and Maui Burst, respectively, later this spring. 

The brand teamed with a wide range of brands across the camping, fishing and biking categories for redeemable rewards that include National Parks Services annual passes, Hydro Flask tumblers, The North Face sleeping bags and camp duffels, Engel coolers, GoPros and more. Paired with its efforts, Mtn Dew sponsored the Go Outside experience at Bassmaster Classic from March 22-24 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

For its Gaming Rewards Program, Mtn Dew teamed with Xbox to offer a slew of redeemable prizes to help gamers level-up their set-up. Consumers who purchase Mtn Dew 20 oz. bottles at convenience stores and gas stations nationwide can redeem product codes at MTNDewGaming.com for points that can be used to win items. The Dew Game Vault each month will open and reveal an exclusive, limited-time reward in collaboration with numerous brands like Xbox. 

Additionally, 20 oz. bottles of Mtn Dew’s Overdrive, Purple Thunder, Frost Bite and Maui Burst flavors purchased at Casey's, Circle K, Kroger, Walmart and Dollar General will offer two-times the points for the Gaming Rewards Program in the coming months. Promoting the launch, Mtn Dew over the weekend served as the exclusive beverage sponsor for PAX East gaming event in Boston, Massachusetts. As the self-proclaimed drink-of-choice for gamers, the brand’s latest move is an attempt to strengthen its existing ties to the community. 

"The gaming community is a force to reckon with and we are so proud to be at the forefront, always finding new ways to fuel gamers with the tools they need to elevate their game play and build connections with their crew," said JP Bittencourt, vice president of marketing at Mtn Dew, in release details. 

Other moves by Mtn Dew this year include running its first Super Bowl ad in support of Baja Blast to celebrate the tropical-themed flavor’s 20th anniversary. PepsiCo brand Starry, launched last year, also ran an ad in the big game that starred musician Ice Spice as part of its “It’s Time to See Other Sodas” campaign, which has since included a second ad featuring basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo.