Positioning Strategies of Lay’s and Doritos

by Darbinyan Perch · Published December 17, 2020 · Updated March 31, 2023

Lay’s and Doritos are American snack brands that are widely distributed and popular. On the one hand, Lay’s is a brand of potato chip varieties with 200 classical flavors. Doritos, on the other hand, is a brand of flavored tortilla chips that proposes more than 100 tastes. Both of them taste and smell great, that addict almost all of their consumers. You can find these chips snacks in over 100 countries globally, almost in every supermarket or store. How did they become so powerful and famous? Undoubtedly, applying well-designed positioning strategies is the key to success.

Let’s discuss the targeting strategies of Lay’s.

To do so I suggest to look at the commercial example below.

The commercial aimed to transmit the hero’s desire to purchase an enormous amount of Lay’s chips from the supermarket. As he tried all flavor varieties of chips, he became more absorbed by their mouthwatering taste. Other consumers, like a mother with a daughter, were simply astonished by his behavior.

And lastly, we see a scene where the young man was sitting near his trolley full of different types of Lay’s chips. He also did not cease to enjoy them when the security guy approached him. It seemed he was constrained, but whenever he devoured several slices of chips, the tension vanished up within a moment.

The advertisement showed the target market of Lays. As they are positive people who like enjoying relaxation and are prone to value the tastes of food is something resembling the segment of Floaters.

Who are Floaters, and what do we know about them.

Values and Beliefs

Floaters value much the sense of home and family. Their focus is on housing issues. The most beloved part of the house is the kitchen because there are preparing a bunch of different meals for family members. They do not care much about themselves, but they like to take care of their children and favorite ones. Pursuing a career path is not something pledged by Floaters.

They perceive a career only as a job. In other words, they measure the position and success relation within the money. The target segment respects traditional values and customs and usually makes decisions according to that values. Team ups with friends on the weekend is also a point from traditions.

Shopping Attitudes

Floaters do not usually pay much attention to their appearance. They think people need to admit them as they feel, and there is nothing to appear to be. The target segment is used to buy clothes that match their comfortability and not for style or the latest trends.

Floaters purchase from down-markets and are prone to buy cheaper products. There is a vast mass of quantity driven consumers among them. Special offers and discounts always trigger their curiosity towards a particular item or brand.

Other Interesting Facts about the user persona

TV is the number one reliable information source whenever they need some news.
Reading job ads, recipes, news, or small stories is their favorite thing to deal with when they have available time.
Floaters are a lien on a peaceful life, where they can enjoy evenings with family members watching a movie or having an in-depth and curious discussion.

Marketing Strategy

One of the easygoing and beneficial for both sides’ marketing strategy of Lay’s is their applied pricing strategies. The company frequently uses new ads and posters to attract customers’ attention and make them loyal. This is done by virtue of decreasing prices from time to time to enlarge their sales volume and increase brand recognition. The frequent discounts are prone to compete with real competitors and maintain their trustworthiness. The opportunity of broadening the target of new consumers is also widely used by Lays.

Problem Removal

The company of Lay’s frequently make donations. However, something is outstanding that was intended to donate specifically for kids in need. The program was called Operation Smile where Lay’s donated 1 million US Dollars through making huge sales. The sales volume was increased due to the new designation of packages. The half-smiles of people’s faces were depicted where the purchaser could mix the other half. It was a gesture of giving much worth to smiles and happiness. Thus, as the overall turnout ascended considerably, donations were sent to kids in need.

Social Recognition

There are a bunch of vital things that people do pay much attention to. Such significant issues are energy maintenance, air pollution, human rights, etc. The company of Lay’s has passed a long time since it introduced a green energy system that could gain energy to aid solar panels. Avoiding emission from the factories is another must for the company, which does its best to evite them as much as it is possible. Finally, protecting human rights in terms of desegregation is a cornerstone in Lay’s company’s working staff.

Message Strategy

Here we see images from the official account of Instagram of Lay’s. It depicts a new version of packaging design. It is mostly funny where a “monster” tried to scare or make a jock to its consumers. This joyful design impacts their mood and attracts potential customers’ to purchase the product and at least to try who has not done so. The post of the social platform indicates the brand archetype of Jester.

It is about living life fully and not to miss any moment that can transmit positive emotions. Lightening up the world and having a great time by making jokes and exerting a sense of humor are the cornerstones of the brand archetype. The brand functions so that it could provide people with a sense of belongingness.

Let’s refer to the next brand. Targeting Strategies of Doritos.

Let’s watch the commercial example of Doritos first before discussing the applied strategies.

The advertisement displays a scene where two men are competing for a pack of Doritos. One of them is a young man and the other an older one. They are competing through making dance movements and sending challenges to each other.

The process is hilarious and alluring when you are looking at them and decide which one makes a better gesture or who will lose the game. Finally, we witness the finish. It lasts with the winning of the young man who makes the final dance movement in aid of his horse. It was really unique and astonishing how they could dance accordingly together.

So, what did this joyful and curious commercial intend to convey? The heroes were depictions of the people who are among the target segment of Doritos. More specifically, we can understand those people’s characteristics by virtue of watching and analyzing the men. The most noteworthy points are their enthusiasm, positivity, and challenges. We can assume that the points as mentioned above are prone to resemble the segment of Hedonists.

Who are Hedonists, and what do we know about them?

Values and Beliefs

Hedonists adore life. They want to live and enjoy all the moments fully. They prefer frequent assemblies and parties, where they are with friends or a large group of people. Dancing and drinking at clubs, pubs, or bars is from their favorite list. It also allows them to deal with their hobby that is playing the lottery.

The target segment usually has the “macho” attitude, which means their primary focus is on themselves. The family does not really play an essential role for them. Hedonists like changes and challenges where they have a chance to get ahead or show their capabilities thoroughly.

Shopping Attitude

Hedonists like to purchase the latest brands or items that are considered to be trendy or stylish. People from this group of target segment believes that the label of a brand or store is important because it tells more about their levels. They will buy domestic brands but only if it is a perfect one. However, this all does not mean that they do not appreciate the quantity compared to quality. This comes from the fact that they are impulse purchasers.

Other Interesting Facts

Hedonists rarely watch TV or listen to Radio. They prefer The Internet and social platforms above those mentioned before.
The target segment is fond of smaller shops where they can easily find items of their need because they never organize shopping routines.
Visiting exhibitions of their interest allures them highly: car, motor shows are their favorite ones.