Cheetos are currently experiencing a significant surge in popularity. This puffed corn snack first made its way into food mash-ups at fast-food restaurants, eventually reaching mainstream eateries and home kitchens. In June 2016, Burger King introduced Mac n’ Cheetos, a fried macaroni and cheese stick coated in Cheetos, which made a comeback this past May. Taco Bell Canada also offered a limited-time Cheetos Crunchwrap Slider in 2016. Restaurants in Los Angeles jumped on the trend, adding Cheetos to dishes ranging from sushi to pizza. Furthermore, home cooks have shared thousands of recipes featuring the vibrant orange snack online, marking a notable resurgence for Cheetos.
In response to the rising interest in its $14 billion snack brand, Frito-Lay launched the Spotted Cheetah restaurant. While it’s uncertain whether this pop-up is generating significant profit for parent company PepsiCo, this marketing strategy is keeping the product fresh in consumers’ minds and elevating the snack food—often seen as a “junk” item—to a gourmet level. The concept of transforming a food from a standalone product into an ingredient is not new in the food industry. For many years, Rice Krispies have included a recipe for their famous marshmallow treats on their packaging. Kellogg has now expanded this idea by producing a Rice Krispie Treat cereal and prepackaged treats. Additionally, they have reinvented their Special K cereal into protein bars and crustless quiche.
It’s intriguing to observe a rising interest in Cheetos, especially when many manufacturers are racing to satisfy consumer demand for healthier options, such as calcium citrate 600 mg with vitamin D. The enthusiastic response to innovations inspired by Cheetos illustrates a simultaneous consumer craving for both healthy foods and indulgent snacks, a trend that savvy snack producers are capitalizing on. By revitalizing a classic brand with effective marketing campaigns, food manufacturers can generate renewed interest without having to invest in new product formulations. Research from CircleUp indicates that 61% of large consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies focus on making minor adjustments to existing products, while only 39% invest in creating new ones. It will be fascinating to see if other snack and dessert brands adopt similar marketing approaches and how the Spotted Cheetah initiative ultimately impacts overall Cheetos sales, particularly in conjunction with the growing focus on products like calcium citrate 600 mg with vitamin D.