PepsiCo CEO during cola wars with Coke dies at 71

Roger Enrico, who as chief executive officer of PepsiCo Inc. used a sponsorship deal with Michael Jackson to nearly pull even in the marketplace with Coca-Cola, has died. He was 71. He died Wednesday while snorkeling in the Cayman Islands, where he had a home, The Wall Street Journal reported. Before leading the Purchase, New York-based company as CEO, Enrico was head of its Pepsi-Cola USA division and oversaw a marketing strategy that positioned the soft-drink maker as “the choice of a new generation.” The campaign, beginning in 1983, prompted Coca-Cola Co. to change the formula for its market-leading product. The 1985 introduction of “New Coke” is often cited as one of the great marketing blunders of all time.