Podcast Summary: The CPG Guys – "A Culture of Innovation with PepsiCo's Mike Del Pozzo"

Date: November 8, 2025
Hosts: Peter V.S. Bond
Guest: Mike Del Pozzo, President, North America Business, PepsiCo
Theme: Exploring how PepsiCo is building and sustaining a culture of innovation across its product, packaging, and go-to-market strategies.

Episode Overview

In this episode, Peter V.S. Bond welcomes Mike Del Pozzo from PepsiCo live from the NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores) show in Chicago. The discussion centers on how PepsiCo drives a culture of innovation, encompassing product development, packaging, clean-label initiatives, and digital commerce. Mike details PepsiCo's latest innovations, how the company responds to evolving consumer demands, and how PepsiCo collaborates with partners and leverages data for continued growth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mike Del Pozzo's Role & PepsiCo's Commercial Agenda

• Timestamp: [02:35]
• Mike’s responsibilities include leading North America’s customer organization, the commercial agenda for enterprise customers, and go-to-market transformation, especially in digital commerce.
• Quote:

  "Think about it as the commercial side of the business holistic across North America."
  — Mike Del Pozzo [02:35]

2. Functional Ingredients and Product Innovation

• Pepsi Prebiotic Cola:

  • First traditional cola with prebiotic fiber (3g fiber, 5g cane sugar, 30 calories, no artificial sweeteners).
  • Aimed at younger consumers seeking functionality without sacrificing taste.
  • Quote:

    "Younger consumers are really looking for this functional ingredients... but they don’t want to sacrifice taste and we think this delivers both."
    — Mike Del Pozzo [03:41]

• Gatorade Lower Sugar:

  • Major R&D breakthrough reducing sugar by 75% while retaining electrolytes and natural color/flavor—launching in early 2026.
  • Quote:

    "It only works if you can not compromise on, you know, the product greatness in the first place. And so we think we nailed it..."
    — Mike Del Pozzo [05:22]

3. The Role of Partnerships & Joint Ventures

• Starbucks Coffee + Protein Launch (Ready-to-Drink):
  • JVs leverage the strengths of Starbucks' brand and PepsiCo's scale and insights.
  • Accelerates speed to market, enabling the launch of functional products like Starbucks Coffee with 22g protein.
  • Quote:

    "These JVs, I think they really accelerate the innovation agenda when you think about the timeline..."
    — Mike Del Pozzo [07:51]

4. Packaging Innovation

• 12oz Glass Bottles Initiative:
  • Aligns with Gen Z preference—glass is the fastest-growing CSD pack type among Gen Z.
  • Elevates the "premium" experience in both retail and high-end food service.
  • Quote:

    "For younger consumers, packaging is just not functional. It’s part of the overall experience."
    — Mike Del Pozzo [09:41]

  • Impact: Enables sales opportunities and helps premiumize the beverage experience, appealing to both restaurants and at-home consumers.

5. Brand Refresh & Clean Label Commitment

• Lay’s 100-Year Refresh:

  • The most significant brand and packaging update in a century; new matte packages, highlighting real ingredients and farm-grown potatoes.
  • Coincides with the removal of artificial colors and flavors by end of 2025.
  • Quote:

    "It’s not just about looking different. It’s really about telling this story of transformation."
    — Mike Del Pozzo [12:28]

• Operational Challenge:

  • Reformulating all Lay’s and Tostitos core products is a multi-year, complex project.
  • "Clean label" means recognizable ingredients without sacrificing taste—a complex but necessary transformation to meet consumer demand.
  • Quote:

    "We’re going to reformulate the entire core products of two of our biggest brands... That’s years of R&D work."
    — Mike Del Pozzo [14:27]

• Touch of Humor:

  • Peter jokes about Cheetos' iconic dust, prompting Mike to reassure that the experience will remain.

    "I promise you’ll still be able to have that iconic Cheeto on your finger."
    — Mike Del Pozzo [16:09]

6. Data-Driven Innovation & Retailer Partnerships

• PepsiCo’s PDP Vis Platform:

  • A data and insights tool showcased at NACS, enabling retailer-specific innovation through understanding shopper missions, needs, and behaviors.
  • Encourages co-creation and tailored solutions for retail partners.
  • Quote:

    "Innovation… begins with the insight... Petviz really helps us identify these insights from a retailer problem to solve..."
    — Mike Del Pozzo [16:36]

• Price Pack Architecture & Omnichannel:

  • PepsiCo adapts pack sizes and product assortment for different channels and consumer occasions—with a $10B digital commerce business.
  • "Always everywhere" mindset: meet consumers’ expectations wherever they shop, in whatever format.
  • Quote:

    "Consumers don’t care anymore. So I think we’re getting much better about really those blurred lines between the occasions."
    — Mike Del Pozzo [18:46]

7. Building a Culture of Innovation

• Empowering Teams & Testing Bold Ideas:
  • Fostering an environment where fast testing and learning from failures are encouraged, rooted in consumer listening.
  • Emphasis on discipline, data, and public celebration of wins to create momentum.
  • Quote:

    "We need to start with listening… create this culture of innovation that really starts with listening..."
    — Mike Del Pozzo [20:51]

  • Quote:

    "Making sure that it’s consumer driven and it’s not just on a gut reaction."
    — Mike Del Pozzo [22:35]

8. Vision for the Next Five Years

• A Future-Focused, Resilient PepsiCo:
  • Legacy: End-to-end transformation, from sustainable practices to partnerships and delivering on consumer needs—not just in isolated projects but throughout the value chain.
  • Quote:

    "I think it’s not just about innovation, but it really is about the entire value chain end to end. How do we become more resilient, how we ensure we’re focused on the future..."
    — Mike Del Pozzo [23:05]

  • Partnerships with Purpose:

    "We want the legacy to be that we did this in partnership with customers [and] communities we serve..."
    — Mike Del Pozzo [24:11]

Memorable Moments & Notable Commentary

• Peter’s Playful Self-Disclosure:
  Reveals he has 15 cases of Rockstar Recovery Orange in his closet—Mike jokes:

  "So you’re the one." [07:13]

• On Cheetos-Lover Concerns:

  "If you tell me I’m not going to get some iconic cheetah accumulating on my fingers when I’m eating, then we’re going to have an issue."
  — Peter V.S. Bond [15:54]

• On Innovation Mindset:

  "We see this as an ongoing transformation across the entire value chain and this is really just the beginning."
  — Mike Del Pozzo [24:11]

Key Timestamps

• [02:35] – Mike Del Pozzo on his leadership role at PepsiCo
• [03:41] – Pepsi Prebiotic Cola: Ingredients and functional innovation
• [05:22] – Gatorade Lower Sugar: R&D and consumer needs
• [07:51] – Starbucks Coffee + Protein and the power of joint ventures
• [09:41] – Premium glass packaging and its importance with Gen Z
• [12:28] – The Lay’s hundred-year refresh and clean label shift
• [14:27] – Operational lift of clean label transformation
• [16:36] – PDP Vis: Data-driven collaboration with retailers
• [18:46] – E-commerce, omnichannel, and pack architecture strategy
• [20:51] – Creating an innovation-driven culture at PepsiCo
• [23:05] – Mike’s vision for the future of PepsiCo innovation

Tone & Takeaways

The conversation was energetic, candid, and future-focused, with both Peter and Mike injecting humor and personal touches. Mike emphasized partnership, curiosity, diversity of approach, and data-driven decision-making as crucial to PepsiCo's innovation journey. For listeners, the episode offers a detailed look at how PepsiCo balances iconic brand legacies with bold, contemporary innovation and cross-functional collaboration.

Quote to Remember:

"We feel like we’re building this for the long haul and hopefully our partners would say that as well."
— Mike Del Pozzo [24:39]