This is extracted from PEP's 10-Q report, and I think this part is very helpful for me to understand goodwill and other intangible assets.
We sell products under a number of brand names, many of which were developed by us. The brand development costs are expensed as incurred. We also purchase brands in acquisitions. In a business combination, the consideration is first assigned to identifiable assets and liabilities, including brands, based on estimated fair values, with any excess recorded as goodwill. Determining fair value requires significant estimates and assumptions based on an evaluation of a number of factors, such as marketplace participants, product life cycles, market share, consumer awareness, brand history and future expansion expectations, amount and timing of future cash flows and the discount rate applied to the cash flows.
We believe that a brand has an indefinite life if it has a history of strong revenue and cash flow performance, and we have the intent and ability to support the brand with marketplace spending for the foreseeable future. If these perpetual brand criteria are not met, brands are amortized over their expected useful lives, which generally range from five to 40 years. Determining the expected life of a brand requires management judgment and is based on an evaluation of a number of factors, including market share, consumer awareness, brand history and future expansion expectations, as well as the macroeconomic environment of the countries in which the brand is sold.
Perpetual brands and goodwill are not amortized and are assessed for impairment at least annually. If the carrying amount of a perpetual brand exceeds its fair value, as determined by its discounted cash flows, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. Goodwill is evaluated using a two-step impairment test at the reporting unit level. A reporting unit can be a division or business within a division. The first step compares the book value of a reporting unit, including goodwill, with its fair value, as determined by its discounted cash flows. If the book value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, we complete the second step to determine the amount of goodwill impairment loss that we should record, if any. In the second step, we determine an implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill by allocating the fair value of the reporting unit to all of the assets and liabilities other than goodwill (including any unrecognized intangible assets). The amount of impairment loss is equal to the excess of the book value of the goodwill over the implied fair value of that goodwill.
Amortizable brands are only evaluated for impairment upon a significant change in the operating or macroeconomic environment. If an evaluation of the undiscounted future cash flows indicates impairment, the asset is written down to its estimated fair value, which is based on its discounted future cash flows.
In connection with our acquisitions of PBG and PAS, we reacquired certain franchise rights which provided PBG and PAS with the exclusive and perpetual rights to manufacture and/or distribute beverages for sale in specified territories. In determining the useful life of these reacquired franchise rights, we considered many factors, including the pre-existing perpetual bottling arrangements, the indefinite period expected for the reacquired rights to contribute to our future cash flows, as well as the lack of any factors that would limit the useful life of the reacquired rights to us, including legal, regulatory, contractual, competitive, economic or other factors. Therefore, certain reacquired franchise rights, as well as perpetual brands and goodwill, are not amortized, but instead are tested for impairment at least annually. Certain reacquired and acquired franchise rights are amortized over the remaining contractual period of the contract in which the right was granted.
On December 7, 2009, we reached an agreement with DPSG to manufacture and distribute Dr Pepper and certain other DPSG products in the territories where they were previously sold by PBG and PAS. Under the terms of the agreement, we made an upfront payment of $900 million to DPSG on February 26, 2010. Based upon the terms of the agreement with DPSG, the amount of the upfront payment was capitalized and is not amortized, but instead is tested for impairment at least annually.
Significant management judgment is necessary to evaluate the impact of operating and macroeconomic changes and to estimate future cash flows. Assumptions used in our impairment evaluations, such as forecasted growth rates and our cost of capital, are based on the best available market information and are consistent with our internal forecasts and operating plans. These assumptions could be adversely impacted by certain of the risks discussed in “Risk Factors” in Item 1A. and “Our Business Risks.”
We did not recognize any impairment charges for goodwill in the years presented. In addition, as of December 31, 2011, we did not have any reporting units that were at risk of failing the first step of the goodwill impairment test. In connection with the merger and integration of WBD in 2011, we recorded a $14 million impairment charge for discontinued brands. We did not recognize any impairment charges for other nonamortizable intangible assets in 2010 and 2009. As of December 31, 2011, we had $31.4 billion of goodwill and other nonamortizable intangible assets, of which approximately 70% related to the acquisitions of PBG, PAS and WBD.
