Snack World - May 2014 - (Page 40)

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT H Best of Both Worlds ere's further proof that the universe of snacks is expanding at an accelerated, if not unparalleled, pace. In its latest foray in a category where PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division simply dominates - no brand comes within a million miles, or dollars, to be more exact - the nation's largest snack manufacturer continues to boldly go where no others have gone before by combining Cheetos Flamin' Hot cheese flavored snacks with Doritos Dinamita Chile Limon rolled tortilla snacks. From a 100-mile-high perspective, this year's launch of Cheetos Flamin' Hot / Doritos Dinamita Chile Limon Mix also demonstrates how the nation's largest food and snack manufacturers - PepsiCo, along with Mondelez, General Mills and others who make up the biggest of the big - can leverage their powerhouse portfolios and create new products by simply making world-class brands collide in one package. "The new Cheetos Flamin' Hot / Doritos Dinamita Chile Limon Mix unites the much-loved spice and crunch offered by these two brands and packs layers of great flavor in every bite," said Ram Krishnan, vice-president of marketing, Frito-Lay, Plano, TX. This is not the first time Frito-Lay mixed and matched to provide a new flavor sensation. Last year, Frito-Lay launched Cheezy Salsa Mix and Xtra Cheezy Mix. Anindita (Ann) Mukherjee, senior vice-president and chief marketing officer, Frito-Lay North America, called the product "one of the most successful innovations on Cheetos in almost a decade." "It's all about understanding this family fun experience where things like shapes, colors, textures and flavors BROUGHT TO YOU BY HEAT & CONTROL, J.R. SHORT, PRINTPACK, RUDOLPH FOODS AND GE CAPITAL 40 Snack World May 2014 www.sfa.org all come together to create that fun family bonding experience," she said during a speech at SNAXPO in Dallas in March. "We just don't stop with one year. We keep going. This year we're launching a new set of innovations that continue to build on demand. Once we know what to say and offer we want to make sure we execute with breathtaking impulse." Each bag contains four different flavors of Cheetos. The idea behind the move, according to Frito-Lay, was to combine all the different forms of Cheetos in one bag. Now, Cheetos fans no longer have to choose between puffed or crunch, hot or mellow, according to the company. In the cheese snack category, red symbolizes hot, flamin' hot and extra flamin' hot; orange means cheese, Cheddar cheesy and extra cheesy, and white along, with all other colors, reflects the constellation of other cheese flavors. Many regional and semi-national Snack Food Association members compete in this category, as Chicago-based IRI scanning data indicates. However, there is an invasion of other snacks from a whole constellation of other categories invading this part of the macro snack world. The list of potential forces competing within what can best be described as the "macro-cheese snack category" is long: snack crackers, pretzels, potato chips, tortilla chips, corn chips, nuts and trail mixes that are trying to capture consumers' almost insatiable appetite for cheese-flavored snacks. Combating the competition can be difficult, but owning the "hot" market is one way to thrive. For instance, Herr Foods, Nottingham, PA, added Jalapeño Popper and a bold Buffalo Blue Cheese flavored Cheese Curls to its line. - Snack World Staff http://www.sfa.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Snack World - May 2014

Snack World - May 2014