eat Lay's, eat local

It's interesting to see how the eat local/buy local movement continues to gain attention in the mainstream. Frito-Lay has latched on to the trend and positioned its potato chips akin to local fare made with simple ingredients. Their current spots star the actual farmers who grow potatoes for Lay's, and they emphasize the simplicity of Lay's chips made with, "just potatoes, all-natural oil, and a dash of salt." That brand's website is particularly interesting, and it features a "Chip Tracker" that urges consumers to enter the product code from their bag of Lay's to see where in the U.S their chips were made.

In light of the eat local/buy local trend, positioning the brand this way seems pretty smart. And there's likley some potential to change consumer perception about the brand. It was news to me that Lay's are made from just three ingredients. I just assumed the chips were filled with the preservatives and chemicals that are in most shelf-stable products. Lay's definitely gets a point for that.

While I think the campaign smartly taps into pervading social trends, I'm curious what consumers will think of a giant corporation like Frito-Lay associating itself with the local movement. And sure, Lay's potatoes might be grown on US farms, but the farms are probably large agribusinesses. I just have to wonder if this positioning isn't a bit too much of a stretch for the brand.

- posted by Hillary Hempstead

you are what you eat

Thanks to one of my favorite blogs, InfluxInsights, I learned that a new film called Food, Inc. will be hitting theaters this summer. The movie seems to follow the same muckraking style of its food-conscious predecessors like Fast Food Nation, King Corn, The Omnivore's Dilemma, and Supersize Me.

The interesting bit is that organics purveyor Stonyfield Farm has heavily aligned itself with a film that critiques our current food system of mega-processors. Pretty savvy move, I'd say.

- posted by Hillary Hempstead

jetblue digs your pet

Recently I've been thinking about taking my cat Fiona with me when I fly, so I've been looking into my options when it comes to pet travel. Most airlines allow pets on board and list their requirements on their websites. However, JetBlue goes above and beyond other airlines when it comes to pet travel with their program, JetPaws.

JetPaws is an extensive section on the JetBlue website dedicated to providing information on pet travel. The JetPaws program gives pet owners travel "Petiquette," a graphically-pleasing downloadable Pet Guide, pet travel merchandise, and other small perks when a pet is booked for flight. Last year they even held a pet look-alike contest.

JetBlue has gone out of their way to connect with pet owners (there are 88.3 million owned cats and 74.8 million owned dogs in the United States) with good reason; we humans love our furry little companions. As a pet owner, I appreciate JetBlue's attempt to make traveling with pets hassle-free. Now that I know about their program I'm more likely to consider flying JetBlue - even when Fiona isn't accompanying me.

- posted by Hillary Hempstead

top social media brands of 2008

iPhone, CNN, Apple, Disney, and Xbox. These brands were a few of the front runners in a list of the top 100 social media brands in 2008, according to social media marketing agency, Virtue.

The list was determined by an algorithm that gauges a brand’s share of voice on the social web (including a variety of social networking, blogging, micro-blogging, photo and video-sharing sites).

Now I defer to the professionals when it comes to algorithm writing, but one brand that seems to be missing from the list is Southwest Airlines. The airline has been a pioneer in social media with the introduction of a very active blog long before others, a formidable Twitter presence, and YouTube videos. I have to question the methodology just a little when a brand like Southwest isn't named.

Are there any other brands that seem to be sorely missing from the list?

- posted by Hillary Hempstead

food for gen Y

A recent post on YPulse tipped me off to Food2.com, a hipper version of FoodNetwork.com, aimed toward the twenty-something Gen Y audience.

Personally, I'm thrilled; I'm a Food Network TV show devotee. And while the network has been updating its image with new programming, the content on Food2 definitely speaks to a younger set whose interests skew to budget cooking and cocktail recipes.

The site's content includes smart webisodes, recipes on a budget, tips ("The Magic of Braising" - why yes, it IS magical!) and other useful info. My fingers are crossed that this new site will be built out even more.

- posted by Hillary Hempstead