Can soda companies change the world?  At a time when the fight against childhood obesity is a weekly headline, companies seen as contributors to the problem, such as Pepsi and Coca-Cola, are spending major dollars trying to change how we perceive their brands. 

PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have both committed to developing healthier products and promoting healthier, more active lifestyle choices.  But those ideas can be a tough sell to consumers who love (or hate) their brands because of their bubbly, sugary, sweetness.  And both brands seem to be finding that an easier way to change their image might just be to change the world first.  PepsiCo is forgoing Super Bowl ads this year and running a major social media campaign called The Pepsi Refresh Project.  Through their website (refresheverything.com), Facebook page and YouTube Channel, Pepsi is encouraging people (young people, ideally) to do something good for their planet.  Individuals, groups and organizations can submit ideas that would positively impact their community and beyond.  Submissions are voted on by other viewers/entrants/participants – and Pepsi is giving monthly grants from $5K to $250K to help make those winning ideas a reality. 

Coca-Cola, who has had a longtime partnership with the Olympics, is promoting the first “zero-waste, carbon-neutral” Olympic sponsorship.  The company is making good on their sustainability vow by providing everything from emission-free soda coolers, to Olympic Village furniture made from salvaged pine-beetle epidemic wood, to dressing the staff in uniforms made from recycled bottles.  But days before the Opening Ceremonies, of course, is the Super Bowl – and Coca-Cola will be advertising.  Coke is running two spots as part of their Open Happiness campaign, which as the company puts it, is to remind people that “whenever they enjoy a Coca-Cola, they play a role in helping us make a difference in the lives of others.  By opening a Coke they create a happiness multiplier” (a “pay-it-forward with soda” theme, if you will).  Coke has also teamed up with Facebook to offer fans virtual gifts to send to friends and family.  Each virtual gift is matched by a $1 donation to  Boys & Girls Clubs of America, as well as giving the sender a sneak preview of the Super Bowl spots.  And their website, livepositively.com, further encourages visitors to get involved somehow, whether it’s donating to relief efforts in Haiti, recycling for the Green Schools program, or serving the community as part of the Sprite/MTV Step Off Challenge.

So are consumers going to swallow what some might call “propaganda”?  Or will the dollars spent translate into glowing halos around the brands?  In the end, does it really matter if the efforts positively impact individuals, communities and the environment?  I haven’t made up my mind — I’m a water drinker myself.