PIMS: communication through taste, culture, and dialogue

This study presents an analytical overview of the PR strategies of the Russian brand PIMS, a chain of beverage outlets offering drinks made from fermented tea, fresh fruit, and berries. In a relatively short period, the brand has cultivated a recognizable visual language, a loyal community, and an extensive network of collaborations with partners from the music, fashion, sports, and digital spheres. All of this makes PIMS a revealing case study for examining how a contemporary consumer brand builds communication in an environment where the competition for audience attention is extremely high.

The aim of this study is to systematically analyze PIMS’s communication strategies—specifically, the channels through which the brand interacts with the public, the persuasive mechanisms it employs, and the extent to which its strategy aligns with the principles of effective PR communication. To achieve this, the study relies on two theoretical frameworks. The first is the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), which helps explain how the brand influences its audience through both rational arguments and peripheral cues—such as visual style, collaborations, musical context, and a sense of community belonging. The second is Dialogic Theory, which provides tools to assess how two-way PIMS communication can be considered: whether the brand incorporates the audience’s input, whether it creates space for feedback, and how it responds under reputational pressure.

The presentation is structured into six parts. The first section describes the brand, its key positioning, and its target audience. The second section provides an overview of PIMS’s public communication landscape and the channels it utilizes. The third presents the theoretical framework for the analysis. The fourth applies the selected theories to specific brand communication practices, supported by visual evidence. The fifth formulates conclusions regarding the strategy’s effectiveness and offers practical recommendations. The sixth contains the list of sources and materials used.

PIMS manages its public communication through its website, Instagram*, and Telegram. The website establishes the brand’s core product messaging: fermented tea, fruit and berries, the absence of artificial stimulants, and an alternative to coffee. Instagram* is responsible for the brand’s visual lifestyle image, new flavors, seasonal collections, and collaborations. Telegram, particularly PIMS CLUB with its «Friends & Family» positioning, functions as a more intimate community space and support channel.

PIMS’s PR strategies can be analyzed using the Elaboration Likelihood Model and Dialogic Theory. ELM explains how the brand persuades its audience not only through rational arguments about the product’s composition but also through peripheral cues: visual identity, music, fashion, sports, collaborations, and a sense of belonging to «one’s own» group. Dialogic Theory helps evaluate how thoroughly the brand engages in dialogue with its audience, incorporates feedback, and responds to crises.

The brand promotes its beverage as part of an urban, visual, and social experience—it can be enjoyed during a walk, featured in stories, brought to an event, or used as an element of self-expression. Therefore, PIMS operates not just within the category of tea drinks, but also within the broader field of lifestyle consumption. This strategy connects to the Elaboration Likelihood Model. The central route of persuasion is found in product-based arguments: the tea base, fruit, berries, cream, natural ingredients, and the absence of artificial stimulants. However, the brand’s primary influence is built through the peripheral route—vivid visuals, an emotional tone of voice, a fashionable urban context, and the feeling of belonging to «one’s own» community. The audience may choose PIMS not only because of the drink’s rational qualities, but also because the product is perceived as aesthetic, relevant, and socially appealing.

Collaborations with partners in music, fashion, sports, digital services, cosmetics, and charity broaden the brand’s cultural footprint—the beverage becomes associated with an artist’s album, a sports event, a fashion drop, a personalized digital experience, or a social initiative.

From ELM’s perspective, partners function as peripheral cues: an artist, a fashion brand, a sports event, or a charitable foundation adds symbolic value and helps the audience quickly identify the brand’s essence—musical, youthful, fashionable, athletic, or socially responsible.

In music collaborations, such as PIMS x SLAVA MARLOW and PIMS x MARKUL, the brand connects with youth music culture through flavor, the artist’s aesthetics, packaging, QR codes, and user-generated content. Positive feelings toward the artist may transfer to the brand. PIMS x Yandex Music introduces personalization: a drink «in the color of the user’s music collection, ” linking music, color, digital experience, and an offline event.

The sports collaboration PIMS x MEDIA BASKET demonstrates integration into an event: an offline activation, delivery via a Telegram bot, PIMS CAM, and giveaways for spectators make the drink part of the viewing experience. Persuasion here operates through atmosphere and group identity rather than direct advertising.

PIMS actively employs the logic of drop culture: limited flavors, temporary products, special cups, seasonal collections, and collaborations available only for a specific period or in select locations. This strategy cultivates a sense of urgency and exclusivity—offering the audience an incentive to try the product while it is still available. The consumer does not necessarily need to analyze the product in depth; the transient nature of the drop itself generates the feeling of an event. Furthermore, such launches perform effectively on social media, because a limited flavor or a special cup can easily become a catalyst for photos, stories, and discussion.

The brand utilizes offline outlets, pop-up vans, event corners, sports events, queues, tastings, and specialized ordering mechanics. In this model, communication is built not around an advertising message, but around direct personal contact with the brand—a person sees the product, tastes the flavor, and engages with the space. This strategy aligns with both theories simultaneously. Through the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), experiential PR reinforces the peripheral route: the atmosphere of the venue, music, design, the queue, the event, and visual exposure to the product all enhance the brand’s appeal. Through Dialogic Theory, offline activations can be interpreted as points of interaction where the brand does more than just transmit a message—it enters into a dialogue with the audience.

Community building is also particularly significant. PIMS aims to engage its audience not merely as consumers, but as members of a community. This approach is evident in the PIMS CLUB Telegram channel, its informal tone of voice, the «Friends & Family» vernacular, ambassador programs, and how it responds to user feedback. For example, the reintroduction of certain flavors might be framed as a direct response to community suggestions. This strategy is deeply rooted in Dialogic Theory. Under this framework, PR is understood not as unilateral promotion, but as cultivating relationships with the public through genuine dialogue, acknowledging the audience’s voice, demonstrating empathy, and fostering a commitment to long-term connection. For PIMS, this translates to the brand doing more than just announcing news or launching new flavors—it must demonstrate that audience feedback informs both communication and product development decisions.

The reputational crisis surrounding the Pims Police video demonstrates the limitations of bright and provocative communication. While such a strategy may attract attention, it simultaneously creates a risk of conflict with the audience if the message is perceived as unethical or offensive. This case is best analyzed through Dialogic Theory. In a crisis situation, what matters is not only how noticeable the communication is, but also how the brand hears the audience’s reaction—whether it allows for open discussion, whether it shows empathy, and whether it is prepared to acknowledge diverse public viewpoints. If the brand closes comments or responds defensively, it limits dialogue and erodes trust. Therefore, Pims Police serves as an example of why a community-oriented brand must remain dialogic not only during positive news occasions but also amidst reputational conflicts.

Thus, PIMS’s strength lies in its ability to create visually striking and culturally relevant news occasions through lifestyle content, collaborations, drops, and offline experiences. The key area for development is strengthening dialogic communication, especially when facing criticism or reputational risk.

This is the central route of ELM: the brand provides rational arguments—what the product is, what it is made of, and how it differs from coffee. On its website, PIMS directly describes itself as «a new format of drinks to go» and an alternative to coffee.

This is the peripheral route of the Elaboration Likelihood Model: the audience may not analyze the composition, but instead react to visual appeal, color, and the product’s «Instagrammable» quality. In the case of PIMS, the product itself becomes a media object—the cup is easy to feature in stories.

These are peripheral cues in the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM): the artist functions as a source of cultural meaning. If the audience connects with the artist, aspects of the artist’s aesthetic are transferred to the brand. In the MARKUL collaboration, the QR code linking to the album is also significant—the drink becomes connected to a musical experience.