Will Gen Z buy Doritos because they took the name off the advertising?

Just in time for the VMA awards, PepsiCo Inc launched a new campaign for Doritos.  Dubbed "Another Level" the key feature of the campaign is that it eliminates the brand logo and asks consumers to create content to replace it.

You can look at the ad here...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbwoKm5U0tM&feature=youtu.be

According to SVP of Marketing Rachel Ferdinando the idea is to appeal to Gen Z's desire for self expression and being authentic.  She goes on to say that Gen Z has a desire to "almost reject traditional advertising."

As you might expect the campaign has a heavier digital component than previous branding campaigns, including a Snapchat lens that lets users turn their faces into triangles. (Bruell, 2019)

Do you think that this will work?  Will Gen Z be engaged by the challenge?  Will they buy more Doritos?  If you don't think this will work, do you have an alternative suggestion?

Ms. Ferdinando goes on to say "The company believes the campaign will resonate not only with the Gen Z cohort but with a multigenerational audience."  (Ellwanger, 2019)

What do you think?  Will this campaign resonate with Boomers, Gen X, of Millennials?  Why or why not?

Bruell, A. (2019, August 26)  Doritos Bets Consumers Will Recognize the Brand in Its Logo-Free Ad.  wsj.com.  Retrieved September 10, 2019, from

https://www.wsj.com/articles/doritos-bets-consumers-will-recognize-the-brand-in-its-logo-free-ad-11566815400

Ellwanger, S. (2019, August 26)  Doritos Sheds Logo In New Campaign Targeting Gen Z.  mediapost.com.  Retrieved September 10, 2019, from

https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/339693/doritos-sheds-logo-in-new-campaign-targeting-gen-z.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=mostread&utm_campaign=115149&hashid=sLAHyO7POR-kvmHMPk1YNli2lIQ

 

 

If we are eating healthier, then why are sales of Alcopops up?

75% of Americans say that they eat healthy.  But more than 80% of Americans fail to eat the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables.   (Aubrey & Godoy, 2016)

Perhaps part of the problem is confusion about what is healthy.  71% of people think granola bars are healthy, but only 28% of nutritionists agree.  And, while 75% of nutritionists agree that sushi is healthy only 49% of the public agrees.  Definitely a disconnect. (Quealy & Sanger-Katz, 2016)

But where does that leave beverage marketers?  Should they be bringing out healthier choices, or just tastier ones?  Perhaps there is a clue in actual sales data.

Last year Diageo PLC launched Smirnoff Ice Smash.  It is fruit-flavored with 8% alcohol by volume.  It was their most successful launch ever in convenience stores - with 600% sales growth in the past six months.

On the other hand spiked seltzers, which are healthier than alcopops - sugar-free, with fewer calories - were up 169% last year. 

Right now it appears that alcopops are the bigger market, with $1.14 billion in sales last year, versus $488 million for spiked seltzers. (Chaudhuri, 2019)

Does that mean that we should not believe what people say in surveys?  Or it is possible that what they say is a leading indicator and eventually sales of healthier beverages will be stronger than those of unhealthy ones?  How would you know?

Is it possible that we are dealing with two different consumers?  What makes them different?  Could additional research shed more light on the issue?  How would you structure it?

If you worked for a beverage company, what would your next launch be?

Aubrey, A. & Godoy, M. (2016, August 3)  75 Percent of Americans Say They Eat Healthy - Despite Evidence To The Contrary.  npr.org.  Retrieved September 4, 2019, from

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/08/03/487640479/75-percent-of-americans-say-they-eat-healthy-despite-evidence-to-the-contrary

Quealy, K. & Sanger-Katz, M. (2016, July 5) Is Sushi 'Healthy'?  What About Granola? Where Americans And Nutritionists Disagree. nytimes.com.  Retrieved September 4, 2019, from

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/07/05/upshot/is-sushi-healthy-what-about-granola-where-americans-and-nutritionists-disagree.html?_r=0

Chaudhuri, S. (2019, April 3)  What Health Kick? Young Americans Still Thirst for Alcopops.  wsj.com.  Retrieved September 4, 2019, from

https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-health-kick-young-americans-still-thirst-for-alcopops-11554296401

You only need a 93 to get an A.

As a card carrying perfectionist, I tend to have difficulty with closure.  Since I want everything to be perfect I fall into the trap of thinking that I need to keep working in order to produce a result that I can be proud of, even when I have already done a terrific job.

Perhaps it's because when I brought home a 98 on a test, my mother always asked me - what happened to the other two points?

But, time has shown that I am the one who relishes perfection in an imperfect world.

That's where the concept of diminishing returns comes in.  Simply put, in every project you reach a tipping point.  From that point on more work yields fewer rewards.  So, you should wrap things up and move on.  The trick of course recognizing when you have reached that point.  Easier said than done.

But when I began teaching, I realized something significant.  You don't need to be perfect to be excellent.  You only need a 93 to get an A.  ;-)