The CPG Guys: A Culture of Innovation with PepsiCo's Mike Del Pozzo

Nov 29, 2025

Mike Del Pozzo is the President of North America Commercial & Customer at PepsiCo, leading innovation across iconic brands. He discusses the introduction of Pepsi Prebiotic Cola, emphasizing the role of functional ingredients in appealing to younger consumers. Del Pozzo reveals Gatorade's reformulation for lower sugar without sacrificing performance. He highlights the importance of partnerships, like the one with Starbucks, in driving innovation, and shares insights on Lay's significant brand refresh and commitment to cleaner ingredients.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Prebiotic Cola Bridges Health And Taste

Functional ingredients like prebiotics meet younger consumers' desire for health without sacrificing taste.
Pepsi Prebiotic Cola pairs 3g prebiotic fiber with 5g cane sugar and 30 calories to deliver both benefits.

INSIGHT

Cut Sugar Without Losing Performance

Reduced-sugar innovation must protect core performance and sensory cues that define the brand.
Gatorade Lower Sugar kept electrolyte hydration and bold color while removing artificials and cutting sugar dramatically.

ADVICE

Accelerate Innovation With Strategic JVs

Use joint ventures to combine partner brand equity with your distribution and innovation capabilities.
The Starbucks Coffee & Protein JV speeds development and opens new functional coffee occasions with 22g protein.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Mike Del Pozzo, President of North America Commercial & Customer at PepsiCo, food & beverage manufacturer of iconic brands like Pepsi, Frito Lay, Mtn Dew, Gatorade, Quaker Oats & Doritos.

Find Mike on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-del-pozzo/ Find PepsiCo on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pepsico/ Find PepsiCo online at: https://www.pepsico.com/ Here's what we asked Mike:

PepsiCo recently announced *Pepsi Prebiotic Cola* — a major evolution of traditional cola. How do you see functional ingredients like prebiotics shaping the future of the carbonated soft drink category?

2. Gatorade is introducing *Gatorade Lower Sugar*. What role does reduced sugar innovation play in meeting evolving consumer expectations without compromising performance?

3. Starbucks Coffee & Protein is launching nationally through the PepsiCo partnership. How important are joint ventures like this in accelerating PepsiCo's innovation agenda?

4. Pepsi is moving into premium *12oz glass bottles*. What does this say about the importance of packaging as an innovation driver, especially with younger consumers and how will this help in foodservice?

5. Lay's is undergoing its biggest brand refresh in 100 years. How do visual identity and packaging innovation play into consumer trust and loyalty?

6. By the end of 2025, Lay's and Tostitos will have no artificial colors or flavors. How big of a lift is this operationally, and how does PepsiCo define "clean label" innovation?

7. How is PepsiCo using *pepviz®* (data and insights) to connect innovation with retailer success and shopper behavior?

8. With e-commerce and omnichannel shopping accelerating, how does PepsiCo think about innovating "where" products show up, not just *what* they are?

9. Innovation often comes with risk. How do you personally create a culture within PepsiCo North America where teams feel empowered to test, fail, and scale new ideas?

10. If you fast-forward to 2030, what will PepsiCo North America's innovation legacy look like under your leadership?