The curious case of Lays:

The New Upmarket Lays in India

While munching a pack of Lays Maxx and gulping down a glass of ice cold 7up, I got a thought about this company called PepsiCo and more specifically Frito-Lays. For the uninitiated, Lays Maxx is a little up market version of Lays, which is designed carefully to be thicker than normal lays (including baked) and ITC Bingo Mad angles, which are actually as thick as Nachos.

I have been a great fan of Lays and the way they market their product across the globe. The way they show a clean cut packet, without any wrinkle or crease and how beautifully one takes out a piece and puts in one’s mouth, while one’s eyes are closed and is lost in the world of flavours. I tried the same; while I was able to close my eyes but couldn’t keep the crease clean (n number of times).

I also like the way in which they have applied physics to keep their fragile chips intact by pumping air in the packet. If you have so much of ideal air to pump, why don’t you make some fresh air bottles like Vitality Air and sell them to China and India. I give you a marketing campaign too, buy one bottle of Lays Air and get one packet of Lays Maxx free. Punch line: Get the air, get the taste.

Jokes apart, I am still getting broken chips in my packet. Though they taste good and have carefully booked shelves in various departmental stores here to showcase their new variety. The after taste is good so is the lingering sensation of having one last potato chip, but they miss on one thing in India-the standards.

They have a policy of no burnt or “brown”chip in any pack, yet when you open your packet, you can find some chips having spots. Though, the taste doesn’t differ much but if the policy can be applied to the US, then why not in India; which is by far one of the biggest consumer of Frito-Lays in the world.

Regional Marketing Technique

All puns and complaints apart, I admire the size of this company, which has always found ways to amuse us with new flavours and new techniques to market themselves. Whether bringing new flavours in market and testing them as Beta Version and then selecting one, which consumers liked, or by bringing the regional flavours to the bowls, which can be enjoyed while watching a cricket match or a movie.

I don’t know, whether it will be an over statement or not, but Frito-Lays is the Apple of consumable goods in the world, who knows how to attract people, through its innovative ideas of flavours and regional marketing programs.

Keep eating and keep #DiscoveringNewInYou, till we meet again.
Happy New Year :-)