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Food and beverage major PepsiCo, which sponsors Pakistan's cricket team, has found itself in the middle of a consumer backlash in India with hundreds of people taking to social media urging consumers to boycott the company’s products.
The backlash comes against the backdrop of the Pulwama terror attack earlier this month that left 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel dead on the Jammu Srinagar National Highway.
PepsiCo, a sponsor with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), sponsors the Pakistan cricket team, too, with the ‘Pespsi’ logo displayed prominently on the players’ jerseys. Circulating pictures of the same, protesters on social media said boycotting PepsiCo brands could force the FMCG giant to stop sponsoring the neighbouring team.
“It is unfortunate that global brands get caught in such crossfire but incidents such as these can escalate very quickly. PepsiCo should think about pulling out of Pakistan cricket team sponsorship taking into account the size of the Indian market. In the end, business is all about size and PepsiCo has a lot in stake in India,” said brand expert Harish Bijoor.
The BCCI had earlier written to ICC for a probable boycott of the Pakistan cricket team during the upcoming cricket World Cup in England. A PepsiCo India spokesperson did not reply to an email from TOI despite repeated attempts. The maker of Lay’s chips, Mountain Dew and Tropicana, however, is not the only consumer brand in India to face flak from angry protesters.
Last week, the Bengalru branch of a Hyderabad-based bakery chain Karachi Bakery, witnessed a similar incident with angry protesters walking into the outlet and accosting the staff. The outlet was forced to mask the word “Karachi” on its signboard with a cloth. On Monday, however, it got its name back after the police arrested nine people. Karachi Bakery eventually took to Twitter to establish its India connection.