PepsiCo is putting graduates’ entrepreneurial skills to the test with the new PepsiCo Go Trendsetter Challenge, an online brand competition that could lead to a position on the company’s Graduate Programme within the Digital and Insights teams.

From goji berries to street food, kimchi to the Paleo diet; when it comes to eating, snacking and drinking, predicting the next trend is big business and PepsiCo Go aims to discover the next generation of international trendsetters. The graduates who can turn the best ideas into an impressive business plan showing how they would market their idea and engage consumers could have the opportunity to join PepsiCo’s Graduate Programme for Digital or Insights. A range of digital prizes are also up for grabs for those in first, second and third place.

The competition is split into four stages and is open to graduates from across the European Union. Roles in the Graduate Programme are only available in the UK, France and Spain and entrants should be eligible to work in at least in one of these countries.

Stage one: Submit ideas

Stage two: Mentors supercharge graduates’ thinking

Once an initial pool of ideas has been submitted, PepsiCo will select the most promising concepts. The chosen entrants will be given the chance to join an online mentoring portal, where they will work alongside a PepsiCo mentor to create a more extensive business proposal.

Stage three: Elite candidates go forward to the final

The finest business minds from the second round will earn a place in the final and will get the opportunity to present their business idea to a PepsiCo Panel. All finalists will also be offered interviews for an exciting position on the PepsiCo graduate programme within the Digital or Insight teams.

Becky Taylor, Senior Director Digital, PepsiCo Europe & Sub-Saharan Africa commented:

“The food and beverage sector is alive with great ideas – just look at the products we’ve seen develop from the craft and street food movements.  Consumer demand for new ideas, especially for more nutritious foods and beverages, is on the rise and our industry is an exciting space right now. We want to give some of the brightest, creative and entrepreneurial young minds out there the chance to put their ideas on the map and work with our team of experts to learn quickly about how to grow a brand as they are starting out on their career.”

The Insights graduate scheme is a three-year programme based in the UK working across three different but connected specialisms: Strategic Insights, Commercial Insights, and Analytic Insights for one year at a time.

The Digital graduate scheme is a one-year scheme based in France, Spain or the UK working across e-commerce, brand marketing and social media. Graduates will be given the opportunity to shape the future of the food and beverage industry, including influencing what, how and where consumers buy.

PepsiCo will also award prizes of a range of digital prizes for those winning first, second and third place.

Becky Taylor continued:

“When it comes to food and beverages, predicting the next big trend is big business. Our Digital and Insights teams are two areas of the business with the power to influence products of the future and the way they reach global markets. It will be great to see successful entrants from PepsiCo Go join our teams and help shape the future of our industry.”

 

 

 

 

Rebecca joined the HRreview editorial team in January 2016. After graduating from the University of Sheffield Hallam in 2013 with a BA in English Literature, Rebecca has spent five years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past she has been part of the editorial teams at Sleeper and Dezeen and has founded her own arts collective.