PepsiCo, PVR renew partnership deal

Beverage maker PepsiCo India and multiplex chain PVR on Tuesday announced that their long-standing strategic partnership has been renewed as part of which PepsiCo will continue to be the official beverage supplier (or pouring partner) for carbonated soft drinks, health drinks and juice based drinks and water at 166 PVR screens across 22 cities in the country.

The deal has been renewed for a period of five years, and PepsiCo brands including Pepsi cola, Mirinda, Mountain Dew, 7UP, Nimbooz, Slice, Gatorade and Aquafina will be served exclusively at PVR multiplexes.

"Over the last 15 years, the partnership has evolved from a traditional supplier relationship to include marketing programmes such as the Cricket World Cup," PepsiCo said in a statement.

PVR MD Ajay Bijli said he sees this partnership as "a long-term and successful one."

The two companies said they would take forward the partnership through integrated campaigns and use consumer insights for new product innovations.

According to Praveen Someshwar CEO India beverages, PepsiCo, "With more than 25 million footfalls in 2011-12 and an increasing pan India presence, this association consolidates our presence across the organised multiplex category."

PVR, which pioneered the multiplex category, operates in Delhi-NCR, Bangalore, Punjab, Mumbai and Maharashtra. It has announced that it will scale up its screen presence to 500 by 2015 across the country.

Food and beverages is among the most profitable businesses for the organised multiplex trade. PVR's theatres straddle from low-cost multi-screen cinemas in tier II cities branded as PVR Talkies, and premium multiplexes called PVR Premiere for bigger cities. PVR also operates a film distribution and production business through its subsidiary, PVR Picture.