What’s Lay's and IHOP Now Offering Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity Chips

 

Food Marketers have great jobs and most have lots of fun while working.  Imagine being the new person on the marketing staff and tasked with driving brand awareness while driving top-line sales and bottom-line profits for the brand.  According to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® blending pancakes and potato chips most likely is not the first ideation to come to mind.  But it works and will do the job of driving brand awareness and new electricity for two legacy brands.    

Ok, I guess by now you know that IHOP and Lay’s have team up to create something truly unique; Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity Chips. These delightful chips capture the essence of one of IHOP’s signature dishes, in a crisp, snackable form.

It’s time to check them out, they are available now at Walmart stores nationwide and for a limited time.

Here we go, think about this, Lay's x IHOP Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity features the flavor of IHOP pancakes, with sweet notes of strawberries and maple syrup, finished with a subtle flavor of bacon for a savory balance, served on a light-textured potato chip. The flavor was translated to Lay’s chips through a customized seasoning mix created by IHOP Chef Art Carl in tandem with Frito-Lay’s R&D and culinary teams at the Frito-Lay R&D headquarters.   

Remember the Frozen Food Court help drive top line sales and bottom line profits for many a legacy restaurant chain, and still does I might note. Think line extension as CPG has become an increasingly robust channel for restaurant brands looking for additional revenue streams and brand awareness opportunities.

Think about it, Lay’s has always been masters of snack innovation, so it a natural fit that elevates both brands. Now then, if your craving a little of IHOP’s breakfast magic, head to Walmart and grab a bag of Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity Chips.  If you want to drive some new electricity into your brand.  

Are you looking for new customers? Do you want to keep your current customers while building new electricity? According to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new food products in combination with new avenues of distribution all of which are the platform for the new electricity.” 

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh foods, developing brands, unique urban clothing, grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different. 

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday than tomorrow?  Visit GrocerantGuru.com for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may have the clue you need to propel your continued success.

Snacking takes Center Stage

 

There is no doubt that we are in prime time when it comes to snacking.  We have the Super Bowl in February, followed by March Madness and game time turns snacking into a must have as the team at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® first noted in it’s white paper,  the 65 Inch HDTV Syndrome. Once again, the choice between dining-out or cooking at home could be the size of the HDTV.

It is at the intersection of the consumer, technology and retail food sales we find the grocerant niche creating and expanding points of quality food distribution.  It’s at that intersection that Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson identified one universal commonality driving consumers buying pattern changes.  Johnson calls it “The 65 Inch HDTV Syndrome” consumer like HDTV’s have invested heavily in them and are using them.

Regular readers of this blog know that, the grocerant niche is the result of the blurring line between restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, and drug stores all selling fresh prepared, portable, convenient meal solutions.  Targeted at the time-starved consumer with Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food components that are perceived “better for you”, and portioned for one or two. Consumers like the Convenient Meal Participation, Differentiation, Individualization / Family Customization that these retailers offer.

Now of the retailers that takes center stage this time of year is Frito-Lay.  In its latest Snack Index Frito-Lay say running out of snacks is worse than their team losing the big game. How many of you agree?

So, according to Frito-Lay's latest Snack Index, half of the country believes running out of snacks is worse than their team losing the Super Bowl.

"The Super Bowl is about more than just football, it's about spending time with loved ones and snacking has become a big part of that ritual," said Denise Lefebvre, senior vice president of research and development for PepsiCo Foods. "That's why we invest in understanding what our consumers want, so they can have the right flavors, variety and snack styles to make their spreads a touchdown everyone can celebrate." Here are highlights of the latest Snack Index:

Recipe for a Perfect Party

·         Stock up early and often: Nearly half of guests (49 percent) note running out of snacks is worse than their team losing the Super Bowl, with three in five guests (62 percent) preferring to make the dash for snack refills during commercials rather than miss any game time.

·         Get the party started: Nearly a quarter of survey respondents say the party should start at lunch or earlier, with millennials (36 percent) and Gen Z (26 percent) most eager for an early kickoff.

·         Add variety: Compared to previous years, three in four consumers (71 percent) say they're more excited to try new flavors or variations of their favorite snacks in 2023.

·         Consider the guests: Millennials (61 percent) are the most eager to try new snack flavors, followed by Gen Z (57 percent) and Gen X (52 percent). On the other hand, baby boomers prefer to stick with tried-and-true classic flavors (38 percent).

Snack Lineup Perfection

·         Though loyal to their favorites, Americans are equally open to new flavor varieties. Half (50 percent) like to try new flavors rather than just keeping to their classics.

·         Gen Z notes a love for flavor "dust," with nearly three in five (59 percent) preferring snacks that leave remnants on their fingers vs. 40 percent overall.

·         A whopping 95 percent of Americans say at least some of their Super Bowl dishes will feature snacks served with the dish or as part of the recipe.

Snacks are Icebreakers

·         Fifty-nine percent of Americans have bonded over snack preferences with people they have struggled to make conversation with, including a partner's friends or family (27 percent), coworkers (24 percent) and even strangers in the checkout line (18 percent).

·         Gen Z (79 percent) and millennials (72 percent) are the most likely consumers to have connected with another person over snacks, followed by Gen X (61 percent) and baby boomers (42 percent).

·         Only three in 10 Americans have gotten into an argument over snack flavors.

What snacks are you selling?  Where and when are you selling them? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideas look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how our Grocerant Guru® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit: us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

Mix & Match Meal Components

Drive Top-Line Sales

Bottom-line Profits

Buffalo Wild Wings Partnerships are Hot, Hot, Hot

 

While food discovery is key for Gen Z and Millennials, garnering Gen Z and Millennial customers is key for Buffalo Wild Wings.  According to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®, “Buffalo Wild Wings is leveraging flavor to garner Gen Z and Millennial customers into convenient mix & match meal participation, with differentiation and individualization.”

This has been a good year for Buffalo Wild Wings, remember the Flamin’ Hot ad breakout moment at the 2022 Super Bowl, with Megan Three Stallion promoting the flavor in Frito-Lay’s commercial. The last Monday, Buffalo Wild Wings capitalized on another national sporting event—the NCAA basketball championship game—to introduce heat-seeking customers to its new Doritos Flamin’ Hot Nacho Wings.

The fiery wings, developed in partnership with Frito-Lay’s Flamin’ Hot Doritos tortilla chips, make their official debut at BWW Wednesday and they will drive new electricity into the Buffalo Wild Wings brand specifically with Millennials and Gen Z consumers looking for food discovery according to Johnson.

So, the wings are spun in the proprietary flamin’ hot nacho sauce and topped with crumbles of the spicy tortilla chips. The menu addition offers another blazing option at BWW, this time, coupled with crunch.

Jamie Carawan, VP of brand menu and culinary at Buffalo Wild Wings, stated, “At Buffalo Wild Wings, we have built our reputation on delicious and unique flavor experiences that only we can deliver, and the new Doritos Flamin’ Hot Nacho Flavored Sauce is a slam dunk,”... “Our partnership with Doritos expands on our rich heritage of signature sauces as we continue to innovate and create unexpected, one-of-a-kind bold flavors for our fans.”

This partnership works as Buffalo Wild Wings also teamed up with Frito Lay last fall to launch Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Flavored Sauce. The limited-time Doritos Flamin’ Hot Nacho Flavored Sauce brings another new flavor profile to the fiery sauce lineup at BWW, which also includes Nashville Hot, Asian Zing, Mango Habanero, Blazin’ Carolina Reaper and Jammin’ Jalapeno.

There is flavor enough for all, remember that Frito-Lay popularized the flavor profile with its Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and Doritos snacks, it’s since gained considerable traction in menu items and consumer products. The company previously teamed up with Taco Bell for the fan favorite Flamin’ Hot Doritos Locos Tacos, and the QSR expanded on that success with a flamin’ hot frozen slushie.

Once again, treats chain Marble Slab launched Flamin’ Hot Cheetos ice cream and milkshakes last summer, and Mountain Dew embraced the flavor in a limited-edition soft drink.

Buffalo Wild Wings is also partnering with Frito-Lay parent company Pepsi Co. on an exclusive beverage flavor—MTN DEW Legend—with notes of blackberry, ginger and citrus. The bubbly drink debuted in March at the sports bar chain and is rolling out nationally next month.

According to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new food products in combination with new avenues of distribution all of which are the platform for the new electricity.” 

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh foods, developing brands, unique urban clothing, grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  Remember differentiation does not mean different it means familiar but with a twist.

Don’t over reach. Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit us on our social media sites by clicking the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

In a Battle for Share of Stomach

The Consumer is Dynamic not Static

Brands must be Dynamic 

Then you Can Win

Foodservice from Shelf Life to Popping Fresh

Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru®, has been curating how consumers are migrating from legacy CPG foods to fresh and how consumers are migrating from traditional restaurants to new non-traditional fresh food outlets the ilk of IKEA, Nordstrom’s, and Tommy Bahama’s since 1991. 

Many CPG manufactures are now taking legacy shelf stable CPG products from the self to fresh and planning them not on a shelf but in a retail foodservice outlet.  One such product is Cheetos.  Snacking giant PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division is evolving the Cheetos brand as Cheetos will be the star of the show at Regal theater concession stands.

Cheetos Popcorn, featuring Cheetos-flavored popcorn mixed with Crunchy Cheetos, is now at least 15 at participating Regal Cinemas nationwide. Sean Mathews, director of marketing, Frito-Lay North America stated  “We’re excited to give moviegoers a chance to experience Cheetos in an unexpected and delicious new way through our first national theater partnership,”

Mathews continued  “Cheetos and popcorn are the ultimate movie snack combination, and Regal Cinemas is the perfect partner to launch Cheetos Popcorn nationally.”  While Regal Cinemas is the first national cinema chain to offer Cheetos Popcorn don’t for a minute thing that it will not be at a theater venue near you soon. 

John Curry, senior vice-president of foodservice, Regal Cinemas  stated “Cheetos Popcorn is our gift to Regal fans enjoying their favorite movie this holiday season,” .. “We are thrilled to partner with an iconic brand like Cheetos to deliver blockbuster snack choices to moviegoers.”

Cheetos Popcorn features light, airy Regal popcorn that has been puffed to perfection and paired with warm, cheesy Cheetos flavor and Crunchy Cheetos to create the perfect cinema snack.  The team at Foodservice Solutions® once again asks where are you selling your food?  Has your customer moved?

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Grocerant Program Assessment, Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®.  Since 1991 www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869