PepsiCo's Mark Kirkham says making the "simple special" drives results

“To be successful as a CMO today, you’ve got to keep it simple,” said Mark Kirkham, CMO of PepsiCo, in an interview at the 2026 Cannes Lions.

Kirkham cited the over 50-year-old “Pepsi Challenge” as an example of a straightforward, creative idea that hasn’t lost its potency. “It’s essentially a sampling activation,” Kirkham said. “Sampling is a powerful, simple tool to put can-in-hand and brand-in-hand, and get people to try your product in a different way.”

“To be successful as a CMO today, you’ve got to keep it simple,” said Mark Kirkham, CMO of PepsiCo, in an interview at the 2026 Cannes Lions.

Kirkham cited the over 50-year-old “Pepsi Challenge” as an example of a straightforward, creative idea that hasn’t lost its potency. “It’s essentially a sampling activation,” Kirkham said. “Sampling is a powerful, simple tool to put can-in-hand and brand-in-hand, and get people to try your product in a different way.”