Eat the chips, not the bag please

Were they caught unawares? I suppose they were. A 11% fall in Sales would never have shown up in the pre-launch research. Frito Lay was certainly in the dark. Or they got carried away by the green proposition. It happens often. But, after a year and a half, they have come over and above it. The compostable Sun Chips bag which was once a green marketing fiasco is today a successful category pioneer.

Green marketing is not dead. Its here to stay. But, to say the least, green marketers must be thick skinned. Failure may be the first logical step as proven by many pioneers. Like how BCIL, the ZED builder from Bangalore struggled and fought all odds to find takers for their green homes! To put on a strong face even as initial attempts fail, and to go on the path of research and trials tirelessly is a true leader's trait.

About a year and a half ago, Frito Lay introduced their Sun Chips in Compostable bags. Well, it sounds unbelievable to eat Chips from a bag that can very well be part of your garden compost! But, it is a reality today. The first bags that were introduced were way too noisy for the average chip-consumer to accept. You Tube swarmed with funny videos of the Sun Chips bag. Sales dipped. Company withdrew the Compostable bags.

A year and a half later, they made a come back. With less noisy bags. And their website says that they listened to the consumer feedback. Well and good. Sales went up. Customers are happy.

I was amused to see the video of the Sun Chips bag decomposing.Must be pretty exaggerated, but here is the link: http://www.sunchips.com/healthier_planet.shtml


Why should Frito Lay shed so much sweat over a Chips bag?  I think its just the most obvious step for a Company that churns out thousands of Chips packets by the hour. They may have garnered so much press coverage with the launch of the bags. That's what Google says. Well, they also got a lot of bad publicity in the bargain, but as someone said, any publicity is good publicity!

While Frito Lay basks in the glory of the compostable bag, I am trying to convince myself that it is indeed an attempt to reduce their carbon footprint. I am not for a second blind to the damage a company like Frito Lay does to the environment with its many plants across the globe. But, just like their California plant which runs on Solar Energy, I fervently hope the Compostable bag is just the beginning of many more to come.