Global firms encourage collaborative action

25 January 2022
Through interactive exhibits and sustainable products, firms including Nestlé, PepsiCo and Mastercard are inviting Expo 2020 visitors to contribute to global change

Related reads:

Expo 2020 has recorded thousands of visitors on a daily basis since its commencement in October 2021 and surpassed 10 million visits on 16 January. 

By teaming up with the event or one of its country participants, private organisations are able to reach out to their target audiences in impactful ways. 

One such firm is Swiss food and drink conglomerate Nestlé, which has teamed up with the Switzerland pavilion at Expo 2020 to showcase its work around environmental protection and healthier lifestyles.

Nestlé's focus overlaps with the themes enforced by Expo 2020, including sustainability, supporting innovators and increasing youth participation.

Between 14 December 2021 to 16 January 2022, Nestlé ran an immersive exhibit at the pavilion to highlight its committments. 

    Visitors to the booth were prompted to follow gamified instructions shown on giant screens, which involves jumping, clapping, swinging, picking up, or stirring in a team effort. Participants were then informed that their 'efforts' will support the planting of 5,000 mangrove trees in Ras al-Khaimah, contributing to community efforts in the country. 

    "The idea is to shed light not just on the company's efforts in this space, but to also inform and spread awareness on key societal and environmental issues," says Karine Antoniades, head corporate communications at Nestlé. "We want to show that everyone has a role to play, be it children or adults, or companies, professionals."

    Simplification of the messaging was Nestlé's priority to ensure it is easy to understand and engage with.

    As of 14 January, Nestlé had recorded more than 14,400 visitors to the exhibit. The virtual interactive game remains active until 31 March, with prizes to incentivise participation.

    Future focus

    Through multiple exhibits, fresh products and AI-powered store experiences, Expo 2020's Official Beverage and Snack Partner PepsiCo is spreading awareness on the future of food and the need for sustainability.

    Three pavilions - the Plus, the Bolt and the Drop - are distributed across the three expo thematic districts. Each pavilion showcases a unique message of change.

    Also part of its futuristic' efforts are unmanned stores called Pepsi Go, situated at four different locations within the expo site. The cashless stores are powered by artificial intelligence (AI), and allows visitors to walk in with an authenticated payment system (powered by Mastercard), pick up a snack or two, and walk out with automated payment.

    The 18 square-metre store can accomodate upto four people at once and even provides automatic refunds, by dropping the products back on the shelf.

    PepsiCo has also introduced special products for Expo 2020, including limited edition, plant-based packets for its multigrain snack Sunbites, as well as recyclable aluminium cans for its water brand Aquafina.

    Uniting businesses, governments and consumers

    Expo 2020's Official Payment Technology Partner Mastercard is encouraging visitors to contribute to its Priceless Planet Coalition.

    What is the Priceless Planet Coalition?

    When purchasing tickets via the Expo 2020 website, visitors will be able to donate to payment services provider's global initiative upon checkout as an add-on feature. Within the UAE, the donations will be allocated towards restoring mangrove trees across the country’s natural ecosystems.

    Mastercard also has a mixed-reality space called the Cube at the expo site, which showcases the future of payment technologies. 

    The firm has further collaborated with another Expo 2020 sponsor, PepsiCo. Using Mastercard payment cards, visitors can access to the Pepsi Go stores on site, creating a contactless ecosystem. On check out, the amount is automatically deducted from their cards via the Mastercard Payment Gateway Services. 

    A MEED Subscription...

    Subscribe or upgrade your current MEED.com package to support your strategic planning with the MENA region’s best source of business information. Proceed to our online shop below to find out more about the features in each package.