PLANO, Texas -- In late February, just ahead of Easter, Frito-Lay's Cheetos brand will roll out Cheetos Sweetos--a cinnamon, sugar puff snack, according to a report by USA Today.
Sweetos is the first sweet snack that Cheetos has introduced in the brand's 67-year history, the newspaper said. The limited-time offering follows a successful 2013 holiday launch of a sweet snack by sister brand Lays, with Lays Wavy Potato Chips Dipped in Milk Chocolate.
For the snack giant, it's about latching on to two converging consumer trends--a jump in "sweet" snacking, particularly by millennials; and a growing interest by consumers in special holiday offerings from familiar brands.
"Consumers are seeking more novelty and the snack makers know it," Tom Vierhile, innovation insights editor at DataMonitor Consumer, told the paper. This is particularly true with millennials, he said, with the next generation of snackers more open to unconventional snacks--and unconventional snacking occasions.
For years, various Frito-Lay salty snack brands have tested unusual offerings and sweet flavors outside the U.S. market, but now the brand seems more willing to try oddball snacks inside the United States, too, the report said.
"This is not a short-term strategy," Jeff Klein, vice president of brand marketing for Frito-Lay North America, told USA Today. "We are looking for growth outside of the cheese puff segment."
A 7-ounce bag of Sweetos, dusted in brown speckles, will sell for $3.49. Frito-Lay is looking into other sweet Cheetos flavor options, but Klein declined to name or describe them for competitive reasons.
The snack will be sold in a bag with conventional Easter-themed colors, Klein says, as Frito-Lay looks to grab a piece of the $2.2 billion Easter sweets market, more commonly focused on items like jelly beans and chocolate rabbits. "It will make a dent in the holiday," he said.
The cinnamon flavor also could have special appeal to consumers who want a sweet taste, but are put off by overly sugary products, said Vierhile.
But will Cheetos Sweetos continue the Cheetos legacy of leaving the snack's tell-tale dust-on-the-fingers?
"We believe the orange Cheetos dust that comes off on your fingers is an important part of the Cheetos eating experience--for some it's the best part," said Klein. "Absolutely there will be a similar playful experience when eating Sweetos."
Purchase, N.Y.-based 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 Pepsi, Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade and Plano, Texas-based Frito-Lay.
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