Brand Management Emotionally, not Financially

A strong focus on corporate social responsibility in the past decade has drastically changed the face of business and communications in the global world. Companies no longer worry about just getting the product onto shelves or increasing market share. They now worry about how consumers view their brands and their image as a whole, which directly correlates to increased sales and market share. Deanna McKinley, the Public Relations Coordinator for Frito-Lay North America, spoke with us about her role in getting the word out about the great things Frito-Lay is doing to better our community and our individual lives.

The idea of connecting emotionally with consumers has pressured companies to come up with creative events, contests, fundraisers and anything else you can think of in order to say "We care about you!" While some companies may not come out with plans that work, Frito-Lay has come out with successful ways to relate the audience to their products and ideas. Deanna will tell you this is true for the following reasons:

All natural Sun Chips, Tostitos and Lay's chips














Frito-Lay understands the needs of its consumers

Whether you are a mother worried about healthy snacks for her children or a sports fan wanting to enjoy fun snacks for the game, Frito-Lay has a brand and a campaign directed towards you. For example, "A Woman's World" targeted women by creating animated webisodes depicting funny and relatable situations with a group of women. Specific to a brand, Doritos came out with the "Crash the Superbowl" campaign where people could submit videos about Doritos for a chance to win tickets to the game in February. While this campaign is aimed more towards men and sports fan, it nontheless provides entertaining videos for all viewers. Even for the general consumer, the “Made for Each Other” campaign highlights the perfect complement of salsa with Tostitos chips through cute and animated characters. The campaigns can range from lighthearted to comical, but they are always enjoyable and relatable in some way.


Deanna McKinley with Michelle "Mickey" Wynn



Frito-Lay reaches out to the community

Deanna described helping a woman who was fighting with Lupus to rebuild her roof as one of the most rewarding experiences in her career. To keep Mickey Wynn from being evicted from her home, Deanna helped put together a team of 15 Frito-Lay employees to fix her roof and provide her with a shopping spree at Costco. Simply knowing the right thing to do completely changed a woman’s life. Frito-Lay also put together bigger projects to help rebuilt Greensburg, Kansas in 2008 after a devastating tornado as well as Galveston after Hurricane Ike and New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. There may be a heavy importance placed on social responsibility, but not many companies go above and beyond to do the right thing and help out communities in need.  


The 100% electric Frito-Lay delivery truck














Frito-Lay focuses on eco-friendly solutions and alternatives

Although the biodegradable Sun Chips bags weren't completely successful with consumers because of the noise, Frito-Lay has not stopped trying to come up with new and innovative solutions for sustainability. Currently, they are working on a new Sun Chips bag design to decrease the level of noise while keeping the bag biodegradable. Frito-Lay is also running a campaign that focuses on the natural ingredients and local farming of its products. Not only is Frito-Lay focusing on individual products, but they are working on mastering an eco-friendly production process as well. Just several months ago in October of 2010, Frito-Lay released ten all-electric delivery trucks in the city of Columbus to help reduce emissions and increase fuel efficiency. If there is a way to reduce an impact on the environment, I believe Frito-Lay will be one of the first to find and master it.

These are just some of the biggest reasons why Frito-Lay is making such an emotional impact with its audience. Consumers love knowing what a company is doing to help better their world and Frito-Lay is certainly making a great impression.

"My job is to talk about what our associates are doing in the community", said McKinley. Even if the story does not get a lot of media attention, there is an emotional value that has no price. Touching your consumer's hearts with a kind gesture gives your reputation so much more worth than higher profits.

What makes a great company stand out from its competitors is not only worrying about what consumers are worried about, but also presenting solutions to those problems. That kind of trust and emotional connection will build lifelong and loyal consumers. Frito-Lay already knows that the best way to anyone's heart is through their stomach, but now their products come with an extra ingredient of compassion.

The Future in Communications

The world is changing so quickly and drastically that it becomes difficult to predict the future for any career or job. Thankfully we have learned ways to adapt to new technologies in order to keep up with everything and communicating is one of the best assets to have.

Studying communications has been an important tool in adjusting to the changing scheme of the world. So many companies and businesses struggle to maintain public perception of products and ideas because they do not know how to approach and relate to the new consumer. Whether it be selling electronics or lobbying political bills, I want to be able to use my degree to better connect the population with products, tools and ideas that can produce positive change.

I am by no means a visionary, but I do see the potential of what the world can become instead of what it currently is. I may not end up working directly with third world countries and developing nations, but I will try to work with corporations that make it a priority to extend their aide to countries that desperately need the assistance. In developing and executing plans for change, communication becomes the most important step in the process. If I can help with any part of that process then I will be satisfied knowing that I was able to bring a company's idea for change to life.