Dive Brief:
- Frito-Lay's Cheetos and Betabrand have partnered for an Easter-themed "Spring Snack Line" available for perusal on the retail clothing and crowdfunding site. Items include a parasol with built-in pockets to store Cheetos and an ascot called a "Snackscot" that similarly doubles as a pouch for food.
- Users can vote and comment on which product concepts they enjoy most — along with following "designer" Chester Cheetah — though nothing appears available for purchase at the moment.
- The clothes and accessories are designed for wearers to be able to sneakily eat the notoriously messy snack and still keep their hands clean. This initiative isn't Cheetos' first foray into e-commerce: The brand opened a holiday e-store last November with a variety of branded luxury goods, including a $20,000 piece of jewelry.
Dive Insight:
Consumer brands have become much more active in combining awareness and marketing plays with e-commerce, especially around huge sales times like the holidays, as exemplified with the Easter partnership between Cheetos and Betabrand. While some scoffed at the sheer goofiness of Cheetos' last winter collection, the items — even some of the pricier ones — quickly sold out, showing that these types of efforts have value past generating media chatter.
Adding an e-commerce element to marketing strategies allows consumer brands to build more direct relationships with their customers while including more lifestyle-oriented elements to their messaging. The ability for Betabrand shoppers to vote on their favorite products also demonstrates Cheetos is invested in testing out what really engages their most dedicated fans, or at least those willing to shell out for "Lapkins" pants (currently the leader in terms of votes). Betabrand is focused on producing limited-edition products, helping Cheetos drive some excitement around the initiative.
Around the same time as Cheetos' last holiday catalog, Oreo also launched a branded e-commerce holiday website offering direct-to-consumer gifts. During the launch, parent company Mondelez International said the site was part of a global e-commerce strategy that is expected to grow the company's revenue by at least $1 billion over the next three years.
