Pepsi and IHOP Find Sticky Solution to Partnership With Maple Syrup Cola

Food and beverage brands have been experimenting with various flavor combinations in recent years, with mixed results. We're here for Girl Scout cookie-flavored Dunkin' iced coffees, but did the world really need the Aviation Gin Riblet? Pepsi and IHOP are hoping sweet-toothed drinkers will want the limited release Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola. The product "harmonizes" caramel flavoring from Pepsi with the maple syrup stylings of IHOP pancakes. The marketing runs counter to a major trend in CPG beverages: the shift away from sugary drinks. Consumers seeking healthier refreshments has been the latest front in the Cola Wars for the past two years. Pepsi has been the one playing catchup against its biggest rival in terms of market share. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar (formerly branded as Coca-Cola Zero until 2017) controlled 7.9% of the U.S. carbonated cola market last year, up from 6% in 2015, according to market research firm Euromonitor International. Pepsi Zero Sugar (formerly Pepsi Max until 2016) moved from 0.3% to 0.4% during the same time period. Perhaps Pepsi felt that concentrating strictly on the healthy end of the market was too limiting? In any case, it's going full-sugar in this IHOP collaboration. “There is truly nothing quite like the indulgent taste of Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola—sweet maple syrup blended with the refreshing taste of Pepsi-Cola," said Todd Kaplan, Pepsi's chief marketing officer, in a statement. "We couldn’t be more excited to partner with IHOP on this special initiative, as it isn’t often we get to bring together two iconic brands to satisfy the cravings of pancake and Pepsi lovers alike." The chance to win a Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola starts today and runs until March 29 on Instagram and Twitter. There will be just 2,000 cans available for fans aged 18 and older in the U.S. who tweet out a photo or video of their stack of pancakes with the hashtag #ShowUsYourStack. “At IHOP we celebrate our history of bringing folks together and providing a sense of togetherness, belonging and joy when they dine with us,” said IHOP CMO Kieran Donahue. “We are thrilled to partner with Pepsi to have some fun and create a moment for our guests to bring home an additional source of happiness with this limited-edition Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola.” Looking for the right match The move to combine Pepsi with another popular brand is a recurring strategy. Almost exactly a year ago, the beverage maker teamed up with the marshmallow treat Peeps on a new soda flavor. That promotion also only ran for a limited time and had a social media component. Fans could win a drink by using Peeps marshmallows to show how they're enjoying their favorite springtime activities, tagged with #HangingWithMyPeeps. In October, Pepsi followed up with a Cracker Jack release coinciding with the 2021 Major League Baseball postseason that also had a social media-driven contest. Back in 2020, the brand also released an apple pie flavor for a limited time. Mixing and matching different brands in collaborations is not going away anytime soon. From Flamin' Hot Mountain Dew to Kraft and Van Leeuwen creating a macaroni and cheese-flavored ice cream, only time will tell what the next concoction will be. In PepsiCo's Q4 earnings announced last month, the company reported $25.2 billion in net revenue, amounting to 12.4% growth YoY. IHOP's parent company, Dine Brands, announced earlier this month that the breakfast chain's same-restaurant sales increased 39.2% YoY in Q4 of 2021, but were down by 3% compared to Q4 of 2019. Taco Bell Is Enlisting Fans to Create the Next Cinematic Nacho Fries Ad