Beginning in June 2011, about 65 US PepsiCo employees of various career levels and functions began the first of their monthly WebX lunch meetings. There, a high-level Frito-Lay executive made a presentation to offer talking points about its brand portfolio. Another session included the art of storytelling and how to start a blog. A third one taught staff how to engage a restaurant manager when dining at an establishment that doesn't serve PepsiCo products.

This was ...