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.
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