PepsiCo named Mark Kirkham as CMO of U.S. beverages, effective April 7, per details shared with Marketing Dive. The unit houses brands including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Bubly, Starry and Gatorade. Kirkham, who has over 14 years of experience at the company, takes over the role from longtime marketing chief Greg Lyons, who is leaving PepsiCo to pursue an external opportunity.
Kirkham in October became senior vice president of sparkling beverages for PepsiCo North America, a move that saw him return to the U.S. after overseeing international beverages for the CPG giant. Lyons had served as CMO of the sprawling U.S. beverages group since 2018, an impressive run for a C-suite spot that is prone to churn. Former Pepsi CMO Todd Kaplan, another longtime PepsiCo executive, left the company last June for Kraft Heinz.
“Mark is a multi-disciplined marketer and creative storyteller with deep, global experience in the beverage business. He led the step-changed international approach to accelerating zero sugar and expanding our portfolio to address the needs of evolving consumers,” said Ram Krishnan, CEO of PepsiCo Beverages U.S., in a statement around the promotion. “In working with Mark over the years, I’ve been impressed by his imaginative approach to scalable problem solving; he is well-poised to take on this role and lead us into the next chapter of innovation and growth.”
PepsiCo in the announcement highlighted several of Kirkham’s past wins, such as leading a well-received rebrand for Pepsi in international markets and an iteration of the soft drink’s famous Pepsi Challenge campaign centered on its zero-sugar offering. Kirkham’s bona fides in the better-for-you arena speak to where PepsiCo’s strategic focus is shifting.
The company earlier this month acquired prebiotic soda brand Poppi for nearly $2 billion, teeing up another battle in the soda wars saga as chief rival Coca-Cola also dips its toes into a category that is winning favor with key Gen Z and millennial consumers. Prebiotic sodas, which promote benefits to gut health and also encompass disruptor brands like Olipop, make up a market that is estimated to reach $3.5 billion in value by 2032. How Poppi will be handled on the marketing front likely won’t be clear until the closing of the deal, which is still subject to regulatory approval.
PepsiCo switching up marketing leadership for one of its flagship divisions comes at a challenging juncture. Like many in the food and beverage industry, the marketer is grappling with more price-conscious shoppers and ongoing global uncertainty. Demand for its snacks and beverages again dropped in North America in Q4 2024, though organic revenue climbed 2.1% for the end-of-year period.
Other changes of late at PepsiCo beverages include a visual refresh and repositioning for Mountain Dew that has seen the soda embrace what executives call “energizing refreshment” and ramp up marketing around a new brand character, the Mountain Dude.
