Snack Chat

Remembering Mary Kathryn Doolin

Last week, Mary Kathryn "Kitty" Doolin, wife of C.E. “Elmer” Doolin, one of the co-founders of Frito-Lay, passed away in her home in Dallas at age 89.      

C.E. Doolin, who founded the Frito Company in 1932, married Kitty in 1941. For their honeymoon they traveled to Los Angeles, where the Frito Company was opening its first West Coast manufacturing plant. 

It was Kitty's first trip outside of Texas, and she immediately jumped into the family business.  She helped her husband figure out store-door delivery routes by stringing yarn along a map of pins stuck in the carpet of their temporary home in Los Angeles. 

Throughout her life, she remained dedicated to helping the company grow. From their home in Texas, she developed recipes for Fritos.  And for many years she served on the Frito-Lay Board of Directors, helping to shape the company’s future.

She was a devoted mother and grandmother and an active church supporter, quiet philanthropist and avid gardener.  In the mid-1980s, Kitty shared her passion for gardening with Frito-Lay employees by donating money to help build a garden at Frito-Lay headquarters in Plano, Texas -– a garden we still enjoy today.

Kitty’s life was filled with personal and community accomplishments, and she will be missed.  You can read more about her life in last week’s Dallas Morning News.

'Lay's Across America' Connects with Consumers and Farmers

Last month, I blogged about the Lay’s Across America campaign, which celebrates the more than 40,000 people across the country who help bring Lay's Potato Chips to stores across the United States -- from the farmers who grow our potatoes to our employees who make and deliver the snacks.  At the center of the campaign is a series of TV ads that put the spotlight on farmers from California, Florida, Maine, Michigan and Texas who grow some of the potatoes we use to make Lay’s Potato Chips.

While a quick Google search shows the campaign has some detractors, for the most part, the campaign has been well received by our consumers, employees and farmers. 

"Our potato farmers, their families and the other people in their communities are very proud that they have been recognized for their contribution to our business," says Jim Cleary, Vice President of Frito-Lay's Agro Operations. In fact, Cyndie Sirekis, writing for the American Farm Bureau, recently referenced the Lay's Local campaign in an article called "Farmers Joining the Food Conversation in Many Ways," where she acknowledges the recent, "hunger among consumers (who are on average, three generations removed from farming) for information about the food they eat, where it comes from and who produces it."

Consumers are also showing their support for the campaign. For instance, they are going online to the Lay's Chip Tracker to find out where their bags of chips were made. And, Cathy Dial, Director of Frito-Lay Consumer Affairs, tells me consumers have called our toll-free hotline to compliment us on the program.

I believe one reason people connect with the Lay's Local campaign is because of our country's focus on rebuilding America's manufacturing infrastructure. Parade magazine recently cited the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis: "America still produces more goods than any other country . . . 20% of all manufacturing output." The article also states that the food industry continues to be a leading employer in the U.S., growing, in fact, from 2006 to 2007 (most recent data available).

If you haven't already done so, check out the Lay's Chip Tracker and see where your bag of Lay's was made.

Doritos Flavor Shots Now in Stores

Someone once told me that baby boomers believe that anyone older than them is, well, old -- while anyone younger than them is “their age.” This attitude definitely describes me, but occasionally I get jolted back into reality.

Case in point: The other day I was talking to Michael Fox, Brand Manager for the Doritos team, about the launch last week of Doritos Flavor Shots. He said to get the word out about Flavor Shots, his team was doing a mobile product promotion.   

I figured he was talking about driving mobile vans adorned with big Flavor Shots signs around the country -- a common marketing tactic I used about 15 years ago. But as we talked further, I realized he was referring to reaching consumers through their mobile devices -- like cell phones -- a much more recent marketing development. So much for me being hip.

Doritos Flavor Shots is a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos with an intense-flavored seasoning packet inside. You can find them at convenience stores in two flavors –- Blazin' Buffalo Rush and Atomic Chile Limon.

"Flavor Shots targets 19-year-old males, who shop convenience stores," Michael told me. "They crave intense flavor experiences to spice up their day.  Some people sprinkle the powder packet into the bag, shake it up and then eat the chips.  But others are bolder -– they pour the powder seasoning directly on a chip, getting a more explosive taste experience."   

You can register for the Doritos Flavor Shots mobile promotion by texting "BLAST" to shortcode CHIPS (24477) from your cell phone.  Or, you can go to DoritosFlavorShots.com and register online.  Either way, you’ll receive blast text messages, and by responding, you’ll have the chance to win intense prizes -- like a race car driving school experience or flying in an MIG aircraft.  Be sure to read the official rules on the Web site, and keep in mind that to win, you have to respond quickly. 

The mobile promotion will also be supported by fun radio commercials and in-store marketing materials.  But the one thing you won't see any time soon is a mobile van driving around the country with Doritos Flavor Shots painted on the side.  Unfortunately.  How will you eat Flavor Shots?

 

A Perfect Father's Day . . . Almost!

With four healthy children and their spouses and four grandsons in our family, my wife, Janis, and I are very blessed. (Janis and I and our grandsons are pictured at left at a family reunion two weeks ago). 

And yesterday was a picture-perfect Father's Day. Yet I felt a twinge of melancholy. Janis and I spent the early morning walking in our neighborhood and listening to the birds.  When we got home, our daughter, Kristen, called from Phoenix to wish me a happy Father's Day. Kristen is our oldest child and was born on Father's Day 33 years ago (quite the Father's Day present).  Our son, Dave, called next from Santa Barbara.  He was born 30 years ago on Mother's Day (what a coincidence!) during the year I started working as a lawyer at Frito-Lay.

Dave is a new father, and told me he had been thinking about the legacy I've passed to him.  He reminded me of the time years ago that we were on our boat and he and his siblings were arguing with each other.  He said I told them to calm down because their argument was not important in the grand scheme of life, but what was important is that we were able to be together as a family on a beautiful summer day.  I felt honored that this was an important memory for him and has helped shaped this “legacy” I've given him.

Then, to top off Father's Day, Janis and I had a great dinner with our fraternal twins who live in Dallas, Brett and Matt, Matt's wife, Lorraine, and their 6-month-old son, Nathan.

So on such a wonderful day, why was I feeling a bit melancholy? In part because Kristen and Dave and their families live so far away.  But also because Father's Day brings back sweet memories of our children growing up -- and I miss those days. 

It's a cliché, but it's so true: Time passes by way too quickly.  It seems like all those years that our children were growing up and I was working at Frito-Lay passed by in the blink of an eye.  And so, this Father's Day reminded me again how important it is to appreciate the small moments and value the family and friends in our lives.  How did you spend Father's Day?

Good Morning America Highlights SunChips Packaging

This week, Good Morning America showed our SunChips brand for its progress and innovation with packaging for its 10.5-ounce bag, which is now made with 33 percent renewable, plant-based materials and will be made with 100 percent renewable materials by 2010.

GMA emphasized that Polylactic acid (PLA), the compostable material we use in the new SunChips packaging, is an environmentally-friendly alternative to petroleum-based plastics used in some packaging.  Though some petroleum-based plastic materials are biodegradable, the PLA-based material breaks down into the earth in a fraction of the time it takes for traditional plastic. 

Check out the video of the full story as featured on GMA.

- Kristin H, Snack Chat team