News

PepsiCo polls consumers

28 Apr 2016

PepsiCo brands Lay's and Mountain Dew have been busy polling consumers about their preferences, asking them their opinion as to which products should be retained in the line-up.

PepsiCo polls consumers

PepsiCo brands have been busy polling consumers about their preferences.

For the first time in brand history, the Lay's brand asked Americans to help decide which Lay's flavors stay and which flavours go. After receiving millions of consumer votes, Lay's fans expressed a preference for Lay's Flamin' Hot, Lay's Cheddar & Sour Cream, Lay's Honey Barbecue, and Lay's Kettle Cooked Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper.

"We heard our fans loud and clear and we are keeping the classic flavours around for them to enjoy," said Jeannie Cho, vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay North America. "From 'Do Us A Flavor' to 'Flavor Swap,' we have a history of engaging with our fans and providing new flavor choices. We will always continue to push flavor boundaries and keep asking our consumers for input."

Four all-new Lay's flavours designed to reflect America's changing flavour palette – Lay's Fiery Roasted Habanero, Lay's Smoked Gouda & Chive, Lay's Korean Barbecue, and Lay's Kettle Cooked Olive Oil & Herbs – competed against four American classics – Lay's Flamin' Hot, Lay's Cheddar & Sour Cream, Lay's Honey Barbecue, and Lay's Kettle Cooked Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper – to be retained in the Lay's potato chip line-up.

PepsiCo brand Mountain Dew ran what it called “DEWcision”, asking consumers to choose whether MTN DEW BAJA BLAST or MTN DEW PITCH BLACK – would retain its place in the DEW retail lineup at the end of DEWcision.

MTN DEW BAJA BLAST and MTN DEW PITCH BLACK are two specialty flavors that the company says have developed cult followings and it has received many requests to bring these two favourite flavours back permanently.

DEWcision comes to a close on July 9. Fans can vote for their favourite flavour on DEWcision.com or Twitter by including one of the following hashtags in their tweets: #VoteBajaBlast or #VotePitchBlack. Every hashtag will count as one vote.

MTN DEW BAJA BLAST is a blend of MTN DEW and tropical lime flavours, and has been in Taco Bell since 2004, where it is the No.2 beverage requested and one of the best performing fountain drinks. MTN DEW PITCH BLACK features a twist of citrus and dark fruit flavour, and was first released in October 2004 as a limited -edition Halloween flavour. It was resurrected in the summer of 2011 as part of the "Back by Popular DEWmand" program and, earlier this year, became exclusively available via fountain at Speedway stores throughout the USA for a limited time.

Related tags

Beverage Sustainability

Get more of our news on Google

Set Ingredients Network as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

Add us now

Related news

Skimpflation: An ‘unfair’ and risky approach to keeping prices low

Skimpflation: An ‘unfair’ and risky approach to keeping prices low

2 Sep 2026

Consumers see skimpflation – reducing the quality of ingredients due to rising costs – as more unfair than shrinkflation, making it a risky strategy according to recent research.

Read more 
NielsenIQ’s EU barometer shows Britain leading in grocery inflation

NielsenIQ’s EU barometer shows Britain leading in grocery inflation

31 Aug 2026

Britain was the only country to record grocery inflation above 2%, according to NielsenIQ data that compared Europe’s five biggest grocery markets from February to May 2026.

Read more 
‘Urgent gaps’ in achieving 2030 food system goals

‘Urgent gaps’ in achieving 2030 food system goals

27 Aug 2026

Global food systems are failing to meet 2030 targets across indicators including health, environment, and resilience, according to a report co-authored by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Read more 
China beverages: Is herbal innovation the future?

China beverages: Is herbal innovation the future?

20 Aug 2026

Herbal and botanical innovation in China's drinks market continues to grow, with ingredients like astragalus root, ginger, and ginseng in the spotlight – and focus shifting far beyond refreshment.

Read more 
Popular barbecue staples experience sharp price increases

Popular barbecue staples experience sharp price increases

19 Aug 2026

The typical cost of US shoppers’ barbecue baskets has risen by 12% over the past year – the fastest annual rise in a decade, figures from The Economist show.

Read more 
Beyond 'nice to have': A spotlight on US functional beverages

Beyond 'nice to have': A spotlight on US functional beverages

12 Aug 2026

Functional beverage interest in the US is gaining important ground as consumers now expect function rather than see it as "nice to have", and there are clear market gaps for growth, according to Spate.

Read more 
Manam Chocolate aims to bring premium Indian cacao to 'the world stage'

Manam Chocolate aims to bring premium Indian cacao to 'the world stage'

11 Aug 2026

Craft chocolate brand Manam Chocolate is investing in local expansion and supply chain innovation throughout India as it works to build out the premium reputation of its locally produced cacao products.

Read more 
Digital twin technology gains ground in food manufacturing

Digital twin technology gains ground in food manufacturing

6 Aug 2026

Food and beverage companies are increasingly turning to digital twins to optimise and automate manufacturing processes, but opportunities stretch far beyond this, say experts.

Read more 
How Secon Taste is putting upcycled snacks on shelves

How Secon Taste is putting upcycled snacks on shelves

4 Aug 2026

Hungarian zero-waste startup Secon Taste is turning surplus food into upcycled snacks such as fibre-packed granola, instant porridge, and a circular coffee-tasting box.

Read more 
Codex sets global thresholds for ‘may contain’ labels

Codex sets global thresholds for ‘may contain’ labels

3 Aug 2026

Codex Alimentarius has adopted its first global guidance on when to use “may contain” allergen warnings, setting thresholds intended to stop the label being used as blanket legal cover.

Read more