PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) announced the company's She Is PepsiCo campaign, which aims to celebrate and empower women, showcase their transformative abilities and help recruit even more into frontline roles.
The program honors 28 associates from 20 different cities across the U.S. and Canada who exemplify leadership and dedication to their teams and communities. Each She is PepsiCo honoree will be celebrated with a personalized delivery truck wrap that shows the women in their work setting. These delivery trucks that normally carry images of brands such as Pepsi, MTN DEW and Gatorade, will now feature the faces of the women honorees across North America as the trucks carry products along regular business routes. PepsiCo says its fleet makes up one of its most valuable, and widely seen marketing assets and is an effective vehicle for quickly and broadly raising awareness about career opportunities for women.
Beginning in 2022, PepsiCo invested in a multi-market TV and digital advertising campaign featuring females in frontline careers, which drove a double-digit increase in frontline women hires, most notably in warehouse loaders. One example includes TV commercials that are now running in the Greater Los Angeles area, Chicago, Orlando and Connecticut featuring three women from PBNA—Kanisha Hall, a delivery supervisor, Jasmine James, a driver, and Ashley Allen, a warehouse lead. These commercials are part of a broader strategy to recruit more women into the workforce.
"Representation matters. Women need to see themselves in roles to understand the doors that are open for them," says Andrea Ferrara, chief human resources officer for PepsiCo Beverages North America. "As leaders, we are committed to applying the same rigor and care to the employee experience at the frontline as we are at all levels of the organization."
The Honorees
This year's honorees include truck drivers, warehouse staff and quality technicians, and their trucks will be on the roads in cities from Los Angeles to Albany. Four of the honorees have worked at PepsiCo for more than 10 years, with one individual working over 35 years within Pepsi production. Here are what a few of the honorees had to say when asked how they feel about this recognition:
Full Service Vending Driver Jolene Hermann from Eau Claire, Wis., says, "I am paving the path for women to work in what has typically been men's work. I have seen more women come into this profession and am empowered by the fact that women are realizing that they can do the work just as well."
Manufacturing Operator Lisa Little from Cheverly, Md., says, "I am one of the only female forklift operators and I am proud to make a difference and have an impact on future women frontline workers."
GEO Box Driver Brittany Williams from Mesquite, Texas, says, "I truly feel like anything that a man can do, a woman can do! It's an honor to be a frontline female worker in such a male-dominant industry and I will continue to lead and set an example for women."
Machine Operator Jovita Jimenez from Urbandale, Iowa, says, "Si se puede, yes, we can. Women can do the same jobs that men can do. There are no limits."