There may be no better way to gauge consumer temperament than to hold a contest. Let them tell you what they want, rather than taking the risk of guessing. Which is just what Lay’s did in its Do Us A Flavour showdown…
After narrowing the field to just three finalists, the ultimate winner in Lay’s ‘Do Us A Flavour’ contest has been revealed. And I predict it’s going to be a runaway fan fave.
And the winner is…
The three finalists, in no particular order, were: Valentina & Lime, Bacon Grilled Cheese, and Korean-Style Fried Chicken.
Lays had it’s test kitchen concoct actual versions of all three, and the company actually produced limited runs of them, which were offered to the public on actual store shelves.
You, the fans, spoke. And declared the overall winner to be… Bacon Grilled Cheese!
The suggestion, submitted by Paula George of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, wins her a cool (US)$1 million, in addition to the bragging rights attendant with becoming an instant member of the Lay’s ‘Hall of Fame’.
Back in the saddle
Lay’s brought back the contest last year, after a 7-year hiatus, to great fan acclaim. Under other circumstances, it looked as though it could have become an annual affair again. But, in light of its current sales and revenues slumps, I’m thinking Lay’s won’t be committing to another $1 million grand prize again so soon.
The runners-up…
I want to take a moment to make some observations on the two ‘runner-up’ flavours in this year’s contest…
Lay’s made a point of letting us know that the champion chip flavour suggestion, Bacon Grilled Cheese, was ‘inspired by’ contest winner Paula George’s Dad’s favourite Grilled Cheese sandwich recipe. Besides sounding like a classic combo (which my late birth Dad also swore by!) it’s got an indisputable ‘all-American’ feel to it. Something perfect for the Second Trump Era.
(Which begs the question: Will we soon see baseball caps festooned with the slogan: ‘Make Grilled Cheese Great Again”? But seriously…)
I thought the single weakness with a potato chip flavour called Valentina & Lime – unaccompanied by any further descriptive(s) – was a relatively weak expression of the concept. Whereas Bacon Grilled Cheese and the other runner-up, Korean-Style Fried Chicken, had a lot more going for them, based just on their names. Rich, bold ‘swavoury’ monikers the marketing department would instantly feel comfortable with and get behind.
On the other hand. Those fans who tried all three would instantly have realized that the runners-up were ultra-spicy (if created true to their names by the test kitchen staff). Maybe… The more middle-of-the-road Bacon + Grilled Cheese just naturally appealed to a broader audience…
Nevertheless…
Paula must have been thrilled, and must still feel special that her chip flavour suggestion beat out more than 700,000 other contest entries.
And she has every right to. Bravo, Paula!
~ Maggie J.