An Unimaginable Journey: How Pepsi Beat the Odds in Romania

In An Unimaginable Journey, Aviad Meitar explores how the unlikely opportunity to take over the Pepsi business in Romania came to fruition. Meitar had virtually no knowledge of either the beverage industry or Romania, yet he recognized the value of bringing a first-class brand to a newly emerging market. Full of astonishing you-are-there details, this book is a fascinating tour of the challenges that Meitar and his colleagues faced in taking on a well-funded competitor, the Coca-Cola organization. In the rapidly changing market environment of Romania, the cola wars were not only between Pepsi and Coke, but included a low-cost ‘B’ brand as well. Meitar provides a first-hand account of how a tenacious group of entrepreneurs navigated political, economic, management, and marketing highs and lows. His story culminates with the successful sale of the business to the second largest Pepsi bottler in the world, and the re-branding of his team to acquire the Pepsi business in Bulgaria.