The other day when I read that Doritos was planning a new line of low crunch snacks specifically to attract female snackers, I thought, "What a stupid idea." Turns out I wasn't alone.
The story hit the news after Pepsico CEO Indra Nooyi said the company soon would be launching a “low-crunch” line of Doritos, designed to fit into women’s handbags, and one that wouldn't leave snack residue on their fingers.
However, the reaction to that story has not exactly been wonderful for the brand.
The company already has shot down those rumors in the wake of consumer tracking data that showed negative opinions of the brand had shot up 138 percent. The data was based on 118,000 mentions of Doritos on social media, radio and TV after the Super Bowl.
According to Pepsico, the story was never entirely accurate anyway. Here's what they told the news media:
“The reporting on a specific Doritos product for female consumers is inaccurate. We already have Doritos for women – they’re called Doritos, and they’re enjoyed by millions of people every day. At the same time, we know needs and preferences continue to evolve and we’re always looking for new ways to engage and delight our consumers.”
it just seemed odd to me that Doritos would develop a snack brand that wouldn't crunch or wouldn't leave sticky residue on fingers on the premise that women are too ladylike for crunchy snacks or to lick their fingers.
That may be the case in some circles, but my bet is that any female who likes Doritos isn't that prissy. I just thought it was a ridiculous idea. A lot of women found the concept sexist, as the video above illustrates.
But, as my wife, Jackie, said when she heard about the idea, "You're kidding me, right? What's the purpose of that? You might as well eat mashed potatoes."