Pepsi boosts Black-owned restaurants' marketing, rewards consumers with Dig In Day

Dive Brief:

Pepsi announced that the first Dig In Day, a celebration of Black-owned restaurants, will take place on Nov. 6, per a press release. The day will be supported by advertising, partnerships, business resources and local events.
Black restaurateurs can visit PepsiDigIn.com to apply for an 8-week digital consultancy program, access business resources, including templated brand materials to use in their marketing and social media efforts. Consumers can support Dig In Day by eating at a Black-owned restaurant and uploading their receipt to DigInPassport.com to win a chance at rewards and collectibles.
Dig In Day is the latest part of a previously announced Pepsi initiative that seeks to drive $100 million in sales over the next five years to Black-owned restaurants, which face systemic barriers that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, per the release.

Dive Insight:

Pepsi continues to iterate around its Dig In platform, which it first launched in January 2021, in support of Black-owned restaurants. After running a national TV spot and docuseries, the beverage giant is ramping up its commitment to keeping the cause alive for consumers and businesses by enabling them to directly drive sales at Black-owned restaurants.

Pepsi is leveraging its own marketing expertise to provide Black-owned restaurants with templated brand materials and other business resources through a microsite. This effort comes as several major marketers have committed to helping Black-owned businesses overcome systemic barriers in various industries. The marketer has also teamed up with celebrity chef JJ Johnson, who will help create immersive experiences as part of Dig In Day.

For consumers, Pepsi has launched a mobile-friendly "passport" site that helps them find Black-owned restaurants, track their purchases and earn a chance at rewards. The marketer will offer consumers who upload receipts on Nov. 6 access to a soon-to-be-announced, limited-edition, premium collectible item. Reward and loyalty programs have become a key way for a range of marketers to engage with consumers and collect first-party data.

In addition to supporting consumers and Black-owned restaurants, Pepsi is encouraging other businesses to take part in Dig In Day. Corporate partners including the James Beard Foundation, marketing platform BentoBox, marketing firm Intersport and public relations agency Golin have committed to buying their employees lunch from a Black-owned restaurant on Oct. 28. Pepsi has also partnered with EatOkra, a guide to local Black-owned restaurants; Black & Mobile, to support restaurants' app development efforts; and MyBlackReceipt to track uploaded receipts.

Dig In and Dig In Day are part of PepsiCo's $400 million commitment made in 2020 to advance racial equality within the company, industry and local communities. By continuing to roll out new efforts as part of the initiative, the marketer can demonstrate its continued commitment to a cause that is important with a range of consumers.