THIS WEEK: Pepsico boosts European team

Pepsi-Cola International is planning to turn Mountain Dew into a pan

European brand and has promoted Soren Mills, the marketer behind its

launch in the UK, to head the new offensive.

Mills has been promoted from UK marketing manager for flavours to

Pepsico’s European team, where he will head up European marketing for

the Mountain Dew and 7-Up brands.

Part of his role will be to build Mountain Dew into a European brand,

following on from this year’s launch in the UK. The pounds 6m UK ad

campaign was created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO. It will be rolled out

across Europe over the next 12 months.

According to Mills, Mountain Dew, which was launched in February, has

taken 1% of the UK carbonated soft drinks market. Its share is now the

same size as Lilt’s and half the size of 7-Up. Pepsico says the brand

has the potential to be the best-selling flavours drink in the UK and

across Europe.

‘The carbonated soft drinks market as a whole has been driven by growth

in cola and lemon/lime, but flavours are becoming increasingly important

because drinkers are gaining a broader repertoire of tastes,’ said

Mills.

Mills’s appointment signals a strengthening of Pepsico’s European drive.

He is the third member within a month to be appointed to its European

team.

Mills will report to Yann Tardiff, the director of marketing for core

brands in Western Europe, who joined in March 1995.

‘We are getting more serious about Europe as a business,’ said Jim

Lawler, vice-president of personnel for Europe, who said the sales and

marketing team for Europe had grown from three members 18 months ago to

ten. ‘We have a substantially larger and more capable team, which is an

indication of the focus we are giving Europe,’ he added.

Mills oversaw the relaunch of 7-Up and looked after the Liptonice brand

before the partnership between Unilever, PepsiCo and Britvic ended in

April. He will be replaced by Nick McGrath, sales director for the

impulse sector.

This article was first published on Marketing