Going Behind the Scenes with Dr. Pepper Snapple Group

As a child, I remember visiting my grandma and grandpa’s house.  We would go swimming and there would always be Dr. Pepper in the outside refrigerator.  It was one of my favorite sodas (and still is)!  So you can imagine the excitement I had when I had the opportunity to go behind the scenes with Dr. Pepper Snapple Group!  

As a parent (and blogger), I am often curious how companies are working to better the lives of their consumers.  After going behind the scenes with Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, I love Dr. Pepper and Snapple even more than I did before!  Here is what I learned about the company, as well as their intentions and goals for 2015.

About Dr. Pepper Snapple Group

Dr. Pepper Snapple Group is the leader in flavored carbonated soft drinks and sells more than 50 different brands of soft drinks, teas, juices, mixers and other premium beverages.  There are 19,000 employees with operations in North America and the Caribbean.

In 2015, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group has goals set for “Calories In” and “Calories Out.”  Calories In – Half of all innovation projects are focuses on reducing calories, smaller portions and improved nutrition.  Calories Out – Support local and/or national programs encouraging active lifestyles.

What is Dr. Pepper Snapple Group’s Commitment?  (1) They believe that healthy lives depend on balance, balancing the calories you consume through food and beverages with the calories you burn through physical activity.  Through their existing portfolio, as well as through innovation, R&D and their corporate social responsibility programs, they’re taking numerous steps to help the people who enjoy their products to achieve that balance.  (2) Continue to provide a full range of products, with at least 50% of all innovation projects in the pipeline focuses on reducing calories, offering smaller sizes and improving nutrition.  (3) Support local and national programs that encourage active lifestyles and fitness.

Calories In – Dr. Pepper Snapple Group is Making Changes

“Our initiatives as a company to promote balance reflects a larger commitment by the beverage industry to deliver meaningful solutions to obesity.”  

• As an industry, they took full-calorie beverages out of schools voluntarily through the School Beverage Guidelines, which have reduced the calories in beverage shipments to schools by more than 90%.  That’s pretty cool, right?  
• Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and other leading beverage companies launched the Clear on Calories Initiative, which puts calorie counts on the fronts of all beverage containers. 
• Balance Calories Initiative with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the American Beverage Association goal – reduce the calories consumed in beverages by 20% over the next 10 years by focusing on smaller package sizes, innovation, marketing and distribution of low- and no-calorie beverages.
• Mixify – a multi-year national consumer awareness and engagement program by the beverage industry to talk to teens about the importance of balancing what they drink and eat with what they do.

Calories Out – Commitment to Active Play

Let’s talk about the Physical Activity Deficit.  Did you know that only 20% live near a park?  Or that only two-thirds of kids get less than an hour of play a day?  Our children today are increasingly time-crunched, with 12 fewer hours of free time per week.  Disadvantaged inner-city youth participate 40% less in sports and fitness.  Not to mention that recreational time is increasingly spent on devices rather than playing outside.  Kids ages 8-18 spend an average of 7.5 hours per day on media.  The consequences of all of this, along with poor eating and drinking habits, is that obesity rates have tripled.

Let’s Play: A Meaningful Part of the Solution

To help address the decline of active play in communities across the United States, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group launched Let’s Play to provide the tools, spaces and inspiration to make play a daily priority.

• Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) launched Let’s Play in 2011 with a $15 million three year partnership to build or improve 2,000 playgrounds with KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated promoting active play.
• In 2014, DPS and KaBOOM! extended their partnership through 2016 with an additional $10 million commitment from DPS to continue providing kids the active play they need.
• This year, DPS made a $1 million commitment to Good Sports, a national non-profit dedicated to promoting active play among older children by providing athletic equipment to disadvantaged young people nationwide.
• Let’s Play has expanded to include older children who lack the opportunity to participate in organized sports due to the cost of equipment, uniforms and entry fees.
• We look at these programs both as being a catalyst for improvement and building customer and community relationships.
• By the end of 2016, DPS will have donated more than $26 million to Let’s Play since they started three years ago – woo hoo!

Our Questions for Dr. Pepper Snapple Group

How long does it take to develop a product from start to finish?  How does the team adjust to changes in trends and swings in public opinion?

On average, an easy project takes a year, and a hard project takes two years.  DPS tries to anticipate needs and monitor trends.  For example, they already have all of their ideas tested for 2016.  They use research methodologies that let them think differently and anticipate trends that are going to come up.  

Do you ask teens to taste new products, or just adults?

It depends on the intended audience for the product.  For example, with Mott’s products, they’ll invite both parents and kids in for taste tests.  They often react differently – for kids, the focus is just on the taste.  For moms and parents, they’re taking other factors into consideration, like what’s on the label.

Do you have any favorite tips of your own for encouraging activity for families?

Play is everything and anything!  The other day, my son was at baseball practice and my daughter had a baseball hat.  We tossed the baseball hat like a Frisbee for ten to fifteen minutes!  As adults, we tend to think of playtime to look a certain way, but to children, the possibilities of how to play are endless!  Imagination Playground is a great example of the power of play!

This is a sponsored post with The Motherhood.  All opinions are mine.