The Changemakers: Pathways to Prosperity series was created to spotlight the profound impact individuals can have on their communities when given access to workforce development support. As the latest installment of the PepsiCo Foundation's three-year Changemakers series, this edition focuses on five individuals who transformed opportunities into action. The driving idea was to demonstrate that with the right tools, one person can become a catalyst for community change. The goal was to raise awareness about the PepsiCo Foundation's nonprofit partners, share the authentic stories of local changemakers and inspire audiences to engage with key social impact issues. By presenting lived experiences, the series aims to drive deeper understanding and involvement from the public.
We brought the Changemakers: Pathways to Prosperity project to life through a comprehensive 360-communications strategy that integrated owned, earned and paid media. The strategy began with the development of emotionally resonant video content centered on five individuals whose lives had been transformed through PepsiCo Foundation-supported programs. These videos served as the anchor for all campaign activity, presenting powerful testimonials of personal growth and community impact.
Our plan of action focused on a multi-tiered amplification strategy designed to reach audiences across sectors and geographies. First, we leveraged PepsiCo Foundation-owned channels such as LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and a dedicated landing page on PepsiCo.com to share the videos and supporting content. These platforms were selected to meet audiences where they were most active, ensuring high visibility.
Next, we partnered with Fast Company to extend our reach through paid media, tapping into a values-aligned audience interested in innovation and social impact. This collaboration helped elevate the profile of the changemakers while reinforcing the Foundation's broader commitment to community-driven progress.
Internal engagement was a major focus. We created and distributed global emails to all employees, generating 117,000+ unique opens. In parallel, we provided customized communications toolkits to nonprofit partners and regional teams. These included ready-to-use social media posts, email copy and other assets tailored to highlight their local changemaker, helping foster authenticity and ownership.
Foundation leadership actively participated in the campaign’s organic amplification. Their involvement, combined with the enthusiasm of local teams and partners, built credibility and trust in the storytelling.
One of the campaign's most unique features was its decentralized yet unified approach. While we maintained consistent core messaging, toolkits were adapted to regional needs, allowing each community to tell their story in a way that felt personal and culturally relevant. This balance of cohesion and customization set the series apart.
A key challenge we encountered was sustaining engagement throughout the campaign lifecycle. To overcome this, we took a phased approach, staggering content releases, promoting related initiatives such as the Global Impact Report, and refreshing calls to action to maintain momentum. The ability to remain agile and responsive played a crucial role in keeping the campaign dynamic and impactful from launch through post-campaign engagement.
The campaign exceeded expectations across all key metrics, affirming that our objectives were effectively met. With 12.8 million video views and 25 million impressions across platforms, audience interest in community-driven stories was clear. The series also drove 69k+ page views on the dedicated PepsiCo.com page and 56k+ on the Foundation's page, largely from a combination of internal engagement and external media partnerships.
Additional success indicators include over 117k unique opens of the internal global employee email and nearly 500 downloads of the Global Impact report, demonstrating the campaign's power to educate and inspire deeper exploration. Ultimately, our efforts succeeded in not only raising awareness but also driving meaningful engagement around the PepsiCo Foundation's workforce development efforts.