Cheetos are experiencing a significant resurgence in popularity right now. The puffed corn snack first made waves in food mash-ups at fast-food chains, gradually making its way to mainstream restaurants and eventually into home kitchens. In June 2016, Burger King introduced Mac n’ Cheetos, a fried macaroni and cheese stick coated with Cheetos, and it made a return this past May. Similarly, Taco Bell Canada offered a limited-time Cheetos Crunchwrap Slider in 2016. Restaurants in Los Angeles have embraced the trend, incorporating Cheetos into everything from sushi to pizza. Moreover, home chefs have posted thousands of recipes featuring the vibrant orange snack online, marking an official comeback for Cheetos.
The Spotted Cheetah restaurant is Frito-Lay’s answer to the growing interest in its $14 billion snack food. While it’s uncertain whether the pop-up is turning a significant profit for its parent company, PepsiCo, this marketing strategy keeps the product fresh in consumers’ minds and elevates the snack—often seen as “junk food”—to a more gourmet level. The transformation of a food from a standalone product to a key ingredient isn’t a new concept in the food industry. For instance, Rice Krispies have long included a recipe for their famous marshmallow treats right on the box. Now, Kellogg produces both a Rice Krispie Treat cereal and prepackaged treats, while also reinventing their Special K cereal into protein and yogurt bars, as well as crustless quiche.
Interestingly, the surge in interest for Cheetos comes at a time when many manufacturers are racing to satisfy consumer demand for healthier options. The enthusiastic response to innovations inspired by Cheetos indicates a simultaneous desire for both healthy foods and indulgent snacks—an opportunity that savvy snack makers are seizing. By revitalizing a classic brand through marketing campaigns like this, food manufacturers can generate renewed interest without needing to invest heavily in reformulating their products. Research from CircleUp reveals that 61% of large consumer packaged goods companies focus their innovation efforts on making small tweaks to existing products, while only 39% is dedicated to developing new ones.
As consumers continue to explore various options, including those taking calcium citrate for added health benefits, it will be intriguing to see if other snack and dessert producers attempt to leverage their brands with similar marketing tactics. Furthermore, it will be interesting to observe how the Spotted Cheetah influences overall Cheetos sales as it continues to capture consumer attention.