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Diving overview:
- PepsiCo Foods has teamed up with Madison Beer, iShowSpeed and Dude Perfect to launch its first creator-led product line, according to details shared with Marketing Dive.
- Each Flavor Swap product is a mashup of flavors and chips from across the CPG giant’s portfolio and is paired with a creator. The items are currently available for purchase through the TikTok Shop and are scheduled to launch nationwide in March.
- The collaboration aims to bridge the gap between creator content, cultural moments and online payments by engaging Gen Z on social platforms where the cohort discovers products like Instagram and TikTok.
Dive Insights:
PepsiCo Foods’ Flavor Swap platform demonstrates how social-first campaigns inform product innovation and represents the company’s first product launch on TikTok Shop, the e-commerce platform that has transformed the way brands engage with Gen Z consumers.
“Flavor Swap is a campaign full of ‘firsts.’ For the first time, we’ve remixed these iconic flavors into unexpected chips. For the first time, we’ve teamed up with some of today’s biggest tastemakers to help launch PepsiCo’s legendary brands and put their own spin on them,” Chris Bellinger, chief creative officer of PepsiCo Foods US, said in a statement.
New products combine an influencer or persona with a new flavor combination. singer-songwriter Madison Beer and Lay’s Sweet Southern Heat Barbecue on Cheetos Crunchy; Streamer iShowSpeed Features Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream at Doritos; There’s also Dude Perfect, a sports comedy group with Ruffles’ Doritos Cool Ranch.
The new marketing push comes as the company recently announced plans to cut prices by nearly 15% on many of its snacks, including Lay’s, Doritos and Cheetos. The move is aimed at reinvigorating growth among consumers who have cut back on spending due to economic pressures.
Likewise, Flavor Swap seeks to meet consumers where they are, leveraging how Gen Z discovers and shops through a platform that connects creators with cultural moments and payments. According to data shared by PepsiCo, more than two-thirds (68%) of Gen Z have already made purchases directly from social platforms, while nearly three-quarters (74%) of U.S. consumers have purchased products based on recommendations from influencers.
Flavor mashups are also informed by customer insights. Doritos Cool Ranch is the second most popular Doritos flavor. Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream are the best Ruffles flavors. Lay’s Sweet Southern Heat Barbeque capitalizes on the “spicy” flavor trend.
Flavor Swaps is the first time PepsiCo has introduced a flavor through a social-first campaign, but the company is increasingly orienting its marketing around social-first efforts. PepsiCo’s U.S. beverage division deepened its relationship with VaynerMedia last year by integrating the social-first organization more closely with its own team. Also this month, PepsiCo’s Poppi utilized a social-first approach in its Super Bowl ad.
