In 2009 PepsiCo committed to partner with the United Nations to advance the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the monumental set of eight goals that rallied the world around a bold vision to drastically reduce poverty and other social ills by 2015.

After the MDGs, PepsiCo re-committed to advance their more comprehensive successors, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), setting up an ambitious plan to drive progress on key goals where it had most resources and influence. Drawing upon its own global business experience, the company set out to achieve this by running social business projects in high-potential developing regions around the world. 

As one of the largest multinational food and beverage companies with a growing presence in the developing world, PepsiCo was well-positioned to make significant contributions toward advancing SDG 2: to eradicate hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. The company commissioned Synergos to map nutritional opportunities among low-income markets in two most-affected geographies: India and sub-Saharan Africa. Synergos’ goal was to help PepsiCo develop innovative, nutritionally fortified foods that would be financially accessible to low-income people who are most at risk of malnutrition. 

Through its global network and country office teams, Synergos provided perceptive, localized guidance to these markets, especially in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Nigeria. PepsiCo’s project lead, Norberto Chaclin, noted Synergos’ strength in acquainting companies to all the actors they need to know in these regions: 
One of the gifts of Synergos is their ability to build a team who know the local cultures and infrastructure and not rely on typical consumer research. For instance, they set up meetings and interviews with people who ran logistics, ambassadors, heads of production, and community organizers for villages and farmers, to help us tell the story of a country like Tanzania and answer key questions: how does Tanzania fit within our ability to go to market and what are the gaps? How do I get in there and meet key figures who can help me move a project forward? Out of these questions, Synergos helped us arrive at a more holistic understanding of the region where our concerns evolved to both include delivering an innovative product for the consumer and adding value to the local economy. 

Synergos pushed PepsiCo to partner intentionally and incubate ideas together with them. One of the most memorable examples of this for Chaclin was when Synergos invited a member of his team to work directly alongside them on a project as if they were a Synergos employee, even giving her a desk at Synergos’ New York office for the duration of the project, and integrating her into field visits. This experience enabled that employee and the whole PepsiCo team to reach a deeper appreciation for Synergos’ methods and practices, and strengthened their ability to incorporate them into their ongoing work. 

With its emphasis on individual reflection, the Synergos approach can be personally transformative for clients as they are urged to examine their own inner purpose before moving outward to their work. This was the case for Chaclin:

Working with Synergos has been pivotal to my career. Even though I was doing well, I felt the need to work on something more purposeful and impactful in my life. At that time, having learned about the projects PepsiCo was doing with Synergos, I knew I wanted to work on that initiative, even if my decision would affect my career. Our collaboration since has been instrumental to understanding my career, and fundamentally changed my approach to socially responsible projects, as everything I've done since is anchored in a mission of sustainability. The range of experiences facilitated by Synergos has helped me build confidence and executive experience by setting me up for different roles and situations a lot of people aren't as prepared for. While I am no longer involved in PepsiCo’s initiatives in Africa and India, these experiences inform my vision for future projects.

Starting from the inside, then working out, the Synergos approach creates a trusting space where deep collaboration between all actors can emerge, then seeks to orient those actors acutely to the market and community landscapes where they want to achieve social good. Chaclin found this strategy to be transformative for PepsiCo’s goal to create nutritious products that help vulnerable people reach their full potential:

Synergos is a hidden gem. As trusted facilitators and advisors in new markets, their breadth and depth of on the ground experience with consumer immersion at the base of the pyramid is exemplary, and I don't think they have even showcased their full potential yet. The addition of this consulting arm to their core foundation to help companies like ours navigate unfamiliar regions is incredibly powerful and presents an opportunity that is waiting to grow.

Synergos Consulting Services help clients generate sustainable economic and social value through their philanthropic efforts, core businesses, and CSR. For more information on our consulting services, and to meet our team, check out Synergos.org/Consulting.