Our Sales Leads column discusses the latest brand and media agency initiatives. View past columns in the archives here.
-
Pepsi Bets On U.S. Multicultural Business for Growth
The food and beverage behemoth PepsiCo beat expectations on revenue for Q1 2025 but saw demand soften in North America, with a relatively weak consumer in both the United States and Mexico. “Consumers have remained value‐conscious across brands and channels as the cumulative impacts of inflationary pressures have strained budgets and altered food shopping patterns,” CEO Ramon Laguarta and CFO Jamie Caulfield said in prepared remarks. They added that plans to turn around its North America business include expanding further into multicultural and functional products, like its Simply, Sabra and Siete brands. The company also recently bought Poppi, a prebiotic soda brand.
Check out Portadas PepsiCo Marketing/Advertising Coverage
- Soccer Promotions: Inter& Co, PepsiCo grow Hispanic and Gen Z Reach
- Pepsi Buys Poppi: 6 Marketing Implications
- Energy Drink Marketing: PepsiCo’s Faby Torres on How the CPG Giant Does It
- Pepsi marketing strategy: insights from a senior-level marketer
-
Gainbridge
The United Soccer League (USL) and Gainbridge® announced a long-term partnership, making Gainbridge® the first-ever entitlement partner of a professional soccer league in the United States. As part of a multi-year agreement, Gainbridge® will become the Official Partner and Exclusive Financial Services Partner of the newly named Gainbridge Super League, a Division One professional women’s soccer league, beginning in the 2025/26 season. This marks a significant milestone in the growth of women’s sports and the business of soccer. Earlier this month, Gainbridge® named Briana Scurry, one of the most accomplished goalkeepers in United States soccer history and a two-time Olympic champion, as a brand ambassador. Scurry, a trailblazer in the sport, played a pivotal role in the U.S. Women’s National Team’s 1999 World Cup victory and was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. She joins an elite roster of Gainbridge® women ambassador athletes, including WNBA star Caitlin Clark, tennis icon Billie Jean King, and LPGA legend Annika Sörenstam. Gainbridge® will expand its presence across the USL ecosystem as the Official Annuity Partner of its leagues and USL Super League clubs. Founded in 2018, Gainbridge Insurance Agency, LLC (“Gainbridge®”) is an insurtech subsidiary of Group 1001 that empowers consumers to take control of their financial future
Check out Portada’s intelligence piece on Soccer Team versus Player Sponsorships!
-
HP Inc.
In an exclusive interview, Karolina Tuszewicka, Director and Head of Media—North America and LATAM at HP Inc., tells Portada that she sees opportunities for growth in obtaining operational excellence, reducing fragmentation, improving planning discipline, and enabling better measurement (MROI, incrementality) to drive more intelligent investment decisions. Omincom Media Group PHD is HP’s media agency in North America. Tuszewicka is one of the leading brand executives at Portada’s upcoming Marketing in Multicultural America Summit in Los Angeles on June 5.
-
Underoutfit
Underoutfit, a fast-growing brand in women’s intimates, is launching its first national linear television campaign this week in partnership with TV agency Marketing Architects. Marketing Architects and Underoutfit are launching a campaign to increase site visits and drive organic Amazon sales, while maintaining a low-frequency strategy designed to maximize reach. The campaign will initially use a shootless creative approach for fast turnaround, leveraging the brand’s existing assets and curated found footage. In the meantime, a brand platform and full shoot campaign are in development for the next stage. Founded in 2021, Underoutfit has built a passionate customer base with its comfortable wire-free bras, shapewear, and everyday essentials designed to support real bodies without sacrificing softness or stretch. Its signature 180-day wash-and-wear trial and consistently low return rates have driven high repeat purchase behavior and deep customer loyalty. “We’ve proven that once someone tries our products, they become a fan for life,” said Felix Leshno, Co-founder of Underoutfit. “Now it’s about telling our story at scale. TV gives us the platform to introduce Underoutfit to millions of new customers in a way that reinforces the brand we have worked hard to build.” The national TV launch reflects a broader strategy to cement Underoutfit’s position as a category disruptor. Instead of relying solely on digital marketing, the brand is embracing a long-term brand-building approach aimed at increasing mental availability and capturing new audiences across high-reach media channels.
Find out about Portada Live events planned for 2025. Portada Live events are highly curated events. Their agenda is designed to maximize knowledge-sharing and networking between top brand marketing, media agencies, and media executives. To learn about thought leadership and networking solutions at Portada Live and Portada digital media offerings, please contact Sales Director Irma Gutierrez at [email protected].
-
Aldi
Aldi, the discount grocer has opened its first two stores in the Las Vegas area, with more on the way. The Henderson and North Las Vegas stores mark a milestone for Aldi as it aims to open more than 220 new stores this year, with the ultimate goal of opening 800 new locations by the end of 2028. Chain Store Age reports. Jason Hart, CEO of Aldi, said that “with 25% of U.S. households and counting trusting our products and low prices, we’re growing rapidly from coast-to-coast. Opening stores in Las Vegas gives us the opportunity for continued growth in this exciting market and allows us to bring an affordable and fun grocery experience to shoppers nationwide.” -
Marriott
Marriott International has agreed to acquire the lifestyle brand citizenM, a unique and innovative offering in the select-service segment. The transaction is expected to accelerate Marriott’s global expansion of its select-service and lifestyle lodging offerings, as the company continues to expand its portfolio to provide even more exciting options for guests and Marriott Bonvoy members worldwide. The citizenM global portfolio currently consists of 36 open hotels, comprising 8,544 rooms, across more than 20 cities spanning the U.S., Europe, and Asia Pacific, including gateway cities like New York, London, Paris, and Rome. The brand’s current pipeline includes three under-construction hotels totaling over 600 rooms that are anticipated to open by mid-2026, with the prospect of significant additional growth across Marriott’s global regions over the next decade. At closing of the transaction, Marriott will pay $355 million to acquire the brand and related intellectual property. Following closing, the citizenM portfolio will become part of Marriott’s system, with the hotels owned and leased by the seller subject to new long-term franchise agreements with Marriott. Stabilized fees for the open and under construction pipeline portfolio are anticipated to be approximately $30 million annually. The seller may also receive earn-out payments up to $110 million based on the brand’s future growth over a specified, multi-year timeframe. These payments would not begin until the fourth year following closing. Assuming closing of the transaction in 2025, Marriott now expects full year 2025 net rooms growth to approach 5 percent.
-
MCU
Municipal Credit Union (MCU), New York City’s largest and oldest credit union, unveiled its new campaign, “We’re Here for It,” a bold rebrand that reflects MCU’s deep connection to the city and its unwavering commitment to helping members of all backgrounds and stages of life navigate the financial challenges and opportunities unique to the Big Apple. Developed in partnership with creative agency DNA&STONE, “We’re Here for It” introduces a fresh, authentic visual identity to MCU, using everyday, DIY-style imagery to celebrate not just what makes New York special but the unique pace, pressure and financial realities New Yorkers are facing across the city — from ever-increasing living costs to long-term goals like saving for a home. Anchored by an updated manifesto, the campaign embodies MCU’s belief that financial institutions must meet people where they are in their financial journeys. “As fellow New Yorkers, we understand the hustle it takes to succeed in this city,” said Kyle Markland, Chief Executive Officer of MCU. “MCU is a member-owned organization. That means we’re driven by helping hard-working New Yorkers to thrive. With this campaign, we want both existing and prospective members to feel proud to be part of an institution that can celebrate New York for all that it is — while providing solutions that meet the diverse needs of living in one of the world’s most fast-paced and demanding cities.” “It’s tough to make it in New York, but as New Yorkers we love our city,” added Cania Infante, Chief Marketing Officer of MCU. “We know that many people leave the city at an inflection point: when they are about to move out on their own, to marry, to expand their family, etc., and we want them to know that MCU can provide solutions designed to help them stay and get ahead in the Greatest City in the World.”
-
GameChanger
GameChanger, the #1-rated youth sports app for live streaming, statistics, scheduling, and scorekeeping, announced its first national brand campaign: For the Sport of Love. The campaign shines a spotlight on the unsung heroes of youth sports – the coaches, parents, and families who show up every day, driven not by fame or fortune, but by love. GameChanger is a DICK’S Sporting Goods company. Starting on Monday April 28, the new campaign will run across top digital and social media platforms, including Meta, YouTube, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, ESPN, Conde Nast, and Hearst. For the Sport of Love was directed by Curt Morgan, Founder and ECD of the agency, WOLVVS. “This campaign is a reminder that behind every box score and highlight, there’s a deeper story, and someone who made it possible,” said Sameer Ahuja, GameChanger president and DICK’S Sporting Goods senior vice president. “So often, it’s a coach, parent, or loved one who shows up without fanfare but with unwavering commitment. For the Sport of Love is our way of saying thank you to those who give so much, simply out of love. It feels only right that GameChanger’s first national brand campaign honors the families, coaches, and supporters who lift our youth up, day after day.” Filmed entirely in California, the campaign features real athletes and coaches from across the greater Los Angeles area. Teams include Millikan High School and LA Premiere Prep (boys basketball), Ontario Christian and St. Joseph’s High School (girls basketball), Corona High School (baseball and softball), Orange Lutheran High School (baseball), Notre Dame High School (softball), Prime and Surfside Volleyball Clubs (girls volleyball), Calabasas High School (boys soccer), and Newbury Park Elite Football Club (girls soccer).
