IRVINE, Calif. -- Some Taco Bell fans are angry after they couldn't get their hands on the chain's new Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos (DLTs) a day early, reported the Associated Press
The quick-serve restaurant (QSR) chain announced on Facebook earlier this week that fans would be able to buy its highly anticipated Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos on Wednesday, a day earlier than planned. But then some fans began posting on the Facebook page complaining that their local restaurants didn't have them yet. They said they were told by local employees that the tacos wouldn't be available until Thursday.
Taco Bell, which is owned by Yum Brands Inc. of Louisville, Ky., apologized in a statement and said it was humbled by the overwhelming response. The chain said it wanted to assure fans that Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos will be available nationwide Thursday. It also said it was working to have all participating restaurants honor the early release for the remainder of Wednesday.
Taco Bell plans to support the Cool Ranch DLT launch with its largest marketing campaign in history, topping that of the original Nacho Cheese DLT a year ago. The company plans on an integrated marketing and consumer engagement effort that includes advertising (TV, radio, outdoor, digital and cinema), as well as social and public relations support.
The company said that the early marketing of Cool Ranch DLT was centered on giving insiders and social fanatics opportunities to try the new flavor first. Over the last three weeks, Taco Bell has given select fans a speakeasy-like sneak peek at the new taco, holding password-only events in New York, Dallas and Los Angeles.
Taco Bell also listened to real-time social conversations and rewarded passionate fans asking for Cool Ranch DLT daily by providing "epic deliveries" to give them an early taste. A few examples included a New York delivery to a woman who asked Taco Bell to be her Valentine; in Minneapolis, a university student brought together enough friends and family to finish 1,000 Cool Ranch DLTs; and, in Seattle, a YouTube personality got a surprise delivery of Cool Ranch DLTs after an exchange on Twitter with Taco Bell and her posting a special request video on her channel.
In addition, on all Cool Ranch DLT wrappers, cups and $5 Big Boxes, Taco Bell will be inviting fans to post to Instagram or Tweet their best #wow or #duh face (leveraging the themes from new TV commercials)--using those specific hashtags, followed by #CoolRanchDLT--for the chance to see their photo reactions on a big screen billboard in Times Square.
Cool Ranch DLT features a shell made out of Doritos Cool Ranch chips on the outside, filled with the classic tastes of the Taco Bell crunchy taco on the inside: seasoned beef with lettuce and cheddar cheese. Available exclusively at participating Taco Bell restaurants nationwide beginning March 7, the suggested retail price for the Cool Ranch DLT is $1.39 (160 calories; 10g total fat) and $1.69 for a Cool Ranch DLT Supreme (200 calories; 12g total fat) with reduced-fat sour cream and diced tomatoes. A Cool Ranch DLT $5 Buck Box will include a DLT Supreme, Burrito Supreme, Crunchy Taco and a medium fountain drink. For people looking for lower-calorie, lower-fat options, Cool Ranch DLT will be available Fresco Style with 140 calories and 7g total fat.
Doritos tortilla chips is one of the billion-dollar brands that make up Plano, Texas-based Frito-Lay North America, the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo, Purchase, N.Y. PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Its main businesses are Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola.
Irvine, Calif.-based Taco Bell Corp., a subsidiary of Yum! Brands Inc., Louisville, Ky., is the nation's leading Mexican-inspired QSR. Taco Bell and its more than 350 franchise organizations have nearly 6,000 restaurants across the United States that serve more than 36 million customers every week.
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