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Speed Dial: 60-Second Marketing Insight Newsletter
“I’ll be honest- - I love the fact that they were trying to
go green…
– Danielle Scott,
one of 50,516 members of the Facebook group
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In April 2009, Frito-Lay proudly introduced “the world’s first 100% compostable chip
package” on its line of Sun Chips multi-grain snacks. Fast-forward 18 months later,
and the environmentally-friendly Sun Chips bag is being pulled from grocery shelves across the
US: five of the six Sun Chips flavors are now back in their original packaging.
If you’re wondering why Frito-Lay is packing it in, it’s because the bottom has fallen out: Sun Chips sales have plummeted 11% over the past year (per SymphonyIRI). The compostable, biodegradable Sun Chips bag had a lot to offer. It was:
By all accounts, Sun Chips' new bag should have been a hit instead of taking one. But there was just one problem: the new Sun Chips package was simply too loud.
The Sun Chips packaging snafu reminds us that consumers, customers, & clients are smart
cookies. When we’ve got a big idea that may have a big weakness, we can’t just ignore it & hope
it’ll go away: we need to address it head on, neutralize it, and turn it to our advantage if we can.
Usually, that’s not a particularly difficult task. The classic example is what Avis did with
its “we try harder” marketing message, leveraging its friendly customer service against car-rental giant Hertz.
It’s what I do as a marketing research consultant, explaining how my personalized attention and
customization is an advantage that often eludes larger firms. But what about
Sun Chips?
Instead of weakly noting that “this bag is louder because it’s compostable” on the back of
its package, Frito-Lay could have created a fun ad campaign that linked the noise of the “green” Sun Chips
bag to its environmentally-friendly message, making the loudness of the packaging a non-issue
(or even a badge of honor).
Here's the lesson we can learn from the Sun Chips bag: no matter what industry we’re
in, it’s our job to actively manage customer expectations by showcasing our strengths & neutralizing our
shortcomings. When we present the whole story with logic, emotion, or humor, we allow people to decide
for themselves whether our premise is valid & worthwhile.
More often that not, they do. Have a great week, and I'll see you next Tuesday on Speed
Dial! - Marie
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