Cheetos, Doritos face off in 'Flamin' Hot' social media contest

Dive Brief:

PepsiCo's Frito-Lay unit is offering people a chance to win branded merchandise by showing their love of Cheetos or Doritos through voting on social media for their favorite snack brand. The "Flamin' Hot Face-Off" is part of the rollout of the new Doritos Xxtra Flamin' Hot Nacho flavor and the return of Cheetos Flamin' Hot Spicy Pepper Puffs, per a press release.
Frito-Lay enlisted model Winnie Harlow and YouTube star Denzel Dion to support #TeamCheetos, while rapper Jack Harlow and skateboarder Lizzie Armanto are rallying for #TeamDoritos. The brands are giving away items from the Flamin' Hot capsule collections that include branded jackets, hoodies, sweatpants and other clothing.
The snack brands are asking fans to vote by following @Doritos and @Cheetos on Instagram and commenting on the brands' weekly posts about merchandise giveaways, using the #FlaminHotFaceOff and #sweepstakes hashtags. They also can use the #TeamCheetos, #TeamDoritos and #FlaminHotFaceOff tags on Instagram and Twitter for a chance to win.

Dive Insight:

Frito-Lay is looking to reach its target market of younger consumers through the "Flamin' Hot Face-Off" with the introduction of the Doritos flavor, its latest entry to the "Flamin' Hot" lineup that encompasses its other snack brands including Fritos, Lay's, Ruffles and Smartfood popcorn. By offering Instagram and Twitter users a chance to branded swag, the snack marketer is urging people to show their enthusiasm for their favorite brands among their friends and followers. As people participate in the debate over which snack is better, Frito-Lay has a greater chance of seeing the campaign expand organically on social media.

The "Flamin' Hot Face-Off" utilizes two tactics that have remained popular with marketers looking to engage younger consumers: branded merchandise and influencer partnerships. Almost half (44%) of Generation Z has made a purchase based on a recommendation from an influencer, compared with 26% of the general population, per researcher Kantar.

The campaign comes as Frito-Lay sees stronger demand for its snack brands among consumers who are eating more meals at home during the pandemic. Frito-Lay North America’s organic revenue climbed 3% from a year earlier with the introduction of new products such as Doritos 3D Crunch and Cheetos Crunch Pop Mix, executives of parent company PepsiCo said in prepared remarks about Q1 results. The growth marked a slowdown from the 5% gain in the prior quarter, but Q1 marked the first comparison to a jump in sales last year as consumers stocked up their pantries during the pandemic's onset.

Seeking to maintain the momentum of snack sales, Frito-Lay has been active this year with a variety of campaigns for its brands. Among the more recent efforts, Tostitos last month began promoting its spicy habanero pepper flavor with a multichannel campaign starring comedic actors Kate McKinnon and Dan Levy. The campaign included a branded augmented reality (AR) lens on Snapchat. In February, Frito-Lay launched the first TV campaign for Ruffles in almost a decade, partnering with Boston Celtics all-star Jayson Tatum on the release of Ruffles Flamin' Hot BBQ. The same month, Frito-Lay for the first time ran three commercials during the Super Bowl to highlight Doritos, Cheetos and its portfolio of snack brands.