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Pepsi Optimism Project Finds Most Americans See the Glass Half Full

Pepsi Optimism Project releases new data stating Americans are optimistic about the future. (PRNewsFoto/PepsiCo)

Pepsi Optimism Project (POP) Finds Most Americans See the Glass as Half Full

Pepsi’s Second National Survey Reveals Americans Are Even More Optimistic than in 2008

Despite mixed economic signals and other tough issues facing the country, most Americans are optimistic. According to the second survey issued on behalf of the Pepsi Optimism Project (POP), Americans are more optimistic now than in 2008 about their:

  • Relationships with family and friends (91% vs. 81%);
  • Overall well-being (88% vs. 84%);
  • Health (86% vs. 78%);
  • Finances (77% vs. 64%);
  • Chances of finding love (70% vs. 61%).

In fact, this new research shows us that 96% of Americans are optimistic about their futures and believe in each other.

“In 2008, our POP research informed us that there was a collective and contagious sense of optimism pervading the youth mindset. This year we see that same spirit of optimism is not only pervasive among the millennial generation but across all demographics,” said Frank Cooper, CMO of portfolio brands, Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages. “Representing a brand that has become synonymous with the spirit of youth and optimism, those of us at Pepsi are continuously encouraged by the resilience of Americans, across all ages, races, sex, location and economic background, people are embracing optimism, even in the most uncertain of times.”

The POP survey, which was conducted by an independent research firm, found that Americans most often associate the words “hope,” “confidence” and “success” with optimism. Americans now are more optimistic than last year about most aspects of their lives, except their careers. Other findings include:

Americans thrive together:

  • They have faith in each other: 89% of Americans believe that when challenged, they rise to the occasion;
  • They feel that witnessing or participating in live events, including music (84%), speeches (78%) and theater (69%) helps increase their levels of optimism;
  • 67% of Americans recently witnessed or participated in an event that made them feel optimistic;
  • Relationships trigger optimism, with 91% reporting that connections with family and friends provide the greatest source of optimism

The face of optimism is changing in America:

  • 72% of African-Americans are significantly more likely than whites (53%) or Latinos (60%) to expect more good things to happen to them than bad;
  • African-Americans (62%) were significantly more likely to associate the word “necessary” with optimism than whites (51%) and Latinos (52%);
  • The sense of optimism is stronger on Wall Street than on Main Street, with 64% of city dwellers stating they are more likely to be optimistic about an economic recovery than their non-metro counterparts (53%);
  • Public figures inspire optimism among Americans; the five most inspirational Americans reported were Lance Armstrong (78%), Michael J. Fox (74%), Barack Obama (70%), Tiger Woods (70%), Oprah Winfrey (68%) and Michelle Obama (65%)

“It is interesting to see that optimism is fostered by people coming together. Whether through live concerts, sporting events or speeches, Americans have high hopes in each other,” said Cooper. He also noted that Pepsi has spearheaded and supported a variety of activities this year that celebrate and cultivate optimism in American culture, including:

  • The MLB All-Star Charity Concert presented by Pepsi and starring Sheryl Crow: This free concert was attended by thousands of people in St. Louis and resulted in millions of dollars in charitable donations.
  • Refresh the World Symposium: Pepsi partnered with Spike Lee and Howard University in January to host a live symposium during the Presidential Inauguration week, featuring more than twenty leading experts on education, economy, hip hop and Black America.
  • Dear Mr. President: Pepsi invited Americans and people all over the world to submit personal messages to be shared as part of an open letter to the president, suggesting what should be “refreshed” in the new administration.

POP Survey Criteria

Approximately 1,280 Americans ages 18 and older were surveyed from June 11 through June 15 and June 18 through June 22, 2009 as part of the Pepsi Optimism Project, an ongoing study tracking the national level of optimism on a quarterly basis, by measuring the national state of optimism via a composite score. The national optimism score is derived from scoring and totaling American’s responses to survey questions about their overall sense of optimism, their sense of optimism about their personal lives, their optimism about the world and their optimism about the future. Optimism levels are broken down into five categories, including “Very Optimistic” (scores between 200-161), “Optimistic” (scores between 160-121), “Neutral” (scores between 120-81), “Pessimistic” (80-41), “Very Pessimistic” (40-0). Currently, the nation’s optimism score is 143, concluding that Americans today are “optimistic.”

The Optimism Survey was conducted on behalf of PepsiCo by StrategyOne, a full-service, strategic consulting firm based in New York, N.Y. The interviews were conducted via telephone using the field services of Opinion Research Corporation (ORC), incorporating a rigorous methodology including random digit dialing to ensure national representation, and computer-assisted telephone interviewing for optimal accuracy. An additional sample of Hispanics (N=186) and African-Americans (N=170) were surveyed in order to obtain a readable base size for each group. The margin of error for the total sample of adults (N=1,000) is +/- 3.1% at the 95% level of confidence, which means that in 95 out of 100 times that a sample of this size is drawn, the results would not vary by more than 3.1 percentage age points in either direction.

Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages

The Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages (PCNAB) portfolio features market-leading liquid refreshment beverages, including the Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist and Mug trademarks in the carbonated soft drink category. PCNAB is a division of PepsiCo, which offers the world’s largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 18 different product lines that each generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade – also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in over 200 countries. With more than $43 billion in 2008 revenues, PepsiCo employs 198,000 people who are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose. By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

Source: Pepsi Co.

GOT MILK? Summer Milkshake Recipes

GOT MILK? Partners with Acclaimed BLD Pastry Chef to Share Summer Milkshake Recipes

Personality in a cup - New Hispanic flavors

Personality in a cup – New Hispanic flavors

There’s a saying that you could tell people’s personalities based on the types of drink they enjoy. A person who likes a chocolaty beverage, for example, could be described as sweet and indulgent, while someone who likes fruity drinks could be described as carefree and fun. Pastry Chef Mariah Swan of Los Angeles-based BLD & Grace Restaurants says the same could be said for those who enjoy milkshakes. Just in time for summer parties and socials, Swan and BLD have partnered with the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB), the creator of GOT MILK? to share delicious, decadent and whimsical milkshake recipes for treat-lovers to enjoy during the hot days of the season.

“Milk is not only a healthy beverage, it’s also the base for many fun drinks like milkshakes,” says Swan, a graduate of the California School of Culinary Arts and a pastry chef at BLD for two-and-a-half years. “Drinking a milkshake brings out the kid in everyone, but each flavor highlights a person’s personality.”

GOT MILK? Summer Milkshake Recipes

Available exclusively on www.gotmilk.com/recipes, Swan has created summer milkshake recipes for those who cannot resist this good old-fashioned treat. She features one-of-a-kind milkshakes in her menu, each carefully created to bring out a unique personality. They include:

1) Blueberry Malt Milkshake – blueberry, a typical summertime fruit combined with milk and vanilla ice cream for people who are jovial and who like an unexpected twist in their drink

2) Frozen Mexican Chocolate – a decadent drink blending cocoa powder, milk, cinnamon and brownies on ice for those who do not know the word “compromise”

3) Salted Caramel Milkshake – a treat consisting of milk, vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and salt topped with whipped cream for people who consider themselves sassy and sweet

“These milkshakes are more than a treat,” says CMPB Executive Director Steve James. “They’re an absolute delight for kids of all ages. This milkshake program is one of the ways the CMPB hopes to educate consumers about the many creative ways they can incorporate milk in their diets.”

To also catch the favorite milkshake recipes of various political, entertainment and sports personalities that include San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti, High School Musical and Dancing with the Stars Personality Monique Coleman and San Diego Padre slugger Adrian Gonzalez, please log on to www.gotmilk.com/recipes.

Source: California Milk Processor Board

Honoring Judge Sonia Sotomayor a new line of products

I am a Wise Latina Too!

I am a Wise Latina Too!

A line of products to celebrate the historic Confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court

New York, August 7th – Cristina Mella, the entrepreneur and founder of Cristina Mella-Latino Living has launched a line of products honoring Judge Sonia Sotomayor and her historic confirmation to the Supreme Court of the United States. All products (from T-Shirts and coffee mugs to greeting cards and small gifts) are designed with the logo I am a Wise Latina Too!

“My goal is to recognize the amazing achievement of Judge Sonia Sotomayor and to provide Latinas with a line of stylish and colorful everyday products and accessories to show their Latin pride” explains Latino Living founder Cristina Mella. “I think that ‘Wise Latina’ is a sentence that resonates with many Latin women because in our culture Wise or Sabia implies a richness of life experiences and a way of seeing life” – continued Cristina Mella.

All I am a Wise Latina Too! products are available online at http://www.wiselatinatoo.com

About Cristina Mella-Latino Living

A native of Spain living in New York for the last twenty years, Cristina Mella is a Home and Lifestyle specialist with a Latin heart, an American mind and a European touch. Cristina appears regularly on TV, radio and print as a lifestyle personality sharing tips and practical advice and inspiring Latin families to live their best lives in the USA. Cristina is also the founder and creative director of Cristina Mella-LatinoLiving (http://www.cristinamella.com), a high-traffic blog with a contemporary look serving a daily dose of inspiring ideas and affordable solutions.

Source: Cristina Mella, Founder and Managing Director Cristina Mella-Latino Living, +1-914-630-4935 (office), info@cristinamella.com

Levelup.com Breaks the Alexa Top 2,000 Sites in the World

Busca Corp announced today that on Sunday July 19th Levelup.com –www.levelup.com) our flagship site and an integral part of the Busca Corp Network — has cracked Alexa’s Top 2,000 sites in the world. With over 10 million total network page views, Levelup.com has transformed into one of the top sites in Mexico and Latin America.

“The growth of Levelup.com is a testament to the 60 Billion Dollar Video Game market,” says Ramon Toledo, President of Busca Corp Media Network. “Through our partnership with Prodigy MSN we are well positioned as the #1 Video Game Site for the Latin American and U.S. Hispanic audience.”

Prodigy MSN is the most popular website in Mexico with over 23 million users and features a wide array of world-class services, such as Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger, as well as video, news, and the latest in entertainment, lifestyle and sports. Our partnership aims to target the rapidly expanding video game user base which in the 1980’s meant mostly males under the age of 20 but today includes both male and female gamers under the age of 35.

Levelup.com publishes user-generated video game content alongside professionally produced media content that offers tips, strategies, reviews, comments and a place to share experiences with a fully engaged online community. With its unique platform, Levelup.com has experienced strong and steady growth since its launch in 2007.

Levelup.com also recently entered, and is aggressively attacking, the U.S. Hispanic Market and, is opening a largely untapped demographic with huge potential.

Source: Busca Corp

Mundet, the Wonderful Apple Soft Drink Centenario Promotion

Mundet announces the first winner of its national Centenario promotion — Julissa from Calexico, California. This contest commemorates the 100+- year heritage of Mundet, offering exciting prizes under special gold bottlecaps that can be found on Mundet Manzana Verde (Green Apple) and Sidral (Original Red Apple) Mundet bottles.

Mundet, the delicious apple-based soft drink which has been a part of the Mexican heritage since the early 20th century, is celebrating its 100+-year heritage with an exciting Centenario promotion. Consumers have the opportunity to win exciting instant-win prizes located under special gold bottlecaps found on Mundet Green Apple and Sidral Mundet glass bottles. The grand prizes are Centenarios, Mexican bullion coins created in 1921 to honor the 100-year anniversary of Mexico’s independence from Spain, with an approximate value of $1,500 each. Additional prizes include T-shirts and teddy bears.

The first Centenario prize winner was Julissa from Calexico, CA. The Centenario promotion is national in scope. Consumers still have a chance to win prizes, including more Centenario coins, because the promotion is scheduled to run through May, 2010, or until all prizes are awarded.

Mundet soft drinks are known for their unique and delicious real-apple flavor. Sidral Mundet does not contain any flavoring (natural or artificial), since its unique flavor comes from real apples. Mundet is popular with adults and children, and is considered by many to have health benefits due to its pasteurization process and since it does not contain caffeine. Many Mexican mothers use Mundet as a hydration fluid for their children.

Since 1988, Mundet soft drinks have been distributed in the United States exclusively by Novamex (www.novamex.com). Mundet is currently one of the best-selling Mexican soft drinks in the US. Novamex is a leader in the marketing and distribution of authentic Mexican products in the United States, including Jarritos, Mineragua and Mundet, delicious soft drinks with the great authentic flavor of Mexico. In additional to product sales, marketing and distribution, Novamex provides educational and sports opportunities to children and youth in high-Hispanic markets throughout the United States, and assists hundreds of churches and non-profit organizations through the donation of soft drinks that can be sold for fundraising purposes.
Source: Mundet