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By Your Name

Pepsi's Diversity and Inclusion

By Rachel Forsyth

According to Diversityinc.com, both PepsiCo and its spin off company Pepsi Bottling Company are ranked 28 and 29 on DiversityInc’s 2008 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list. Upon looking at PepsiCo and Pepsi Bottling Company website, I found many links, pledges and tokens of recognition for their diversity efforts. The sites make it clear that the Pepsi name uses diversity throughout their employment, recruitment and advertising. There was no search necessary on both sites to locate whether Pepsi is dedicated to diversity. I liked what I saw. It was clear that from home page to their page dedicated to “Diversity and Inclusion,” that Pepsi delivers a clear and consistent message. Not only is this message of diversity relevant today, but as one book clearly states, they are the winners of the "Real Pepsi Challenge."

After looking at Pepsi Bottling Company and PepsiCo’s websites, I became intrigued where Coca-Cola (Pepsi’s main competitor) stood on the diversity playing field. According to DiversityInc, they rank 2nd place as a top diverse company. However, when I googled ‘Coca-Cola and Diversity,’ it was apparent that Coca-Cola has made quite a comeback from their April 1999 racial discrimination lawsuit. Black employees brought this lawsuit against Coca-Cola. The suit, settled in November 2000, claimed Coca-Cola discriminated in pay, promotion, and evaluations.

With all the recognition Pepsi has received, I found their diversity and inclusion efforts to be genuine and in full force. It's evident they use these tactics in all areas because of how important it is to be perceived as inclusive. I think the way PepsiCo and Pepsi Bottling Company have become a diversity role model. Honestly, I really had no idea before visiting the website that they were that diverse. I feel like today, I automatically assume companies operate with an open mind. I think Pepsi is a great leader in diversity by showing that your company, not just your product, should be “something for everyone.”