Photo: SunChips Canada Facebook

Score one for the Frito Lay Canada Sun Chips team.

After their US cousins abandoned most of the compostable packaging because of consumer complaints about noise (consumers really want to go green, huh?), the marketing team up north got creative to stay the course.

The clever marketing campaign leverages social media (YouTube, Facebook) to engage consumers directly in a friendly, easy conversational tone.

Check out this “public service announcement” from Helmi Ansari, Sustainability Leader, at Frito Lay Canada.

I’m a fan of using employees in customer communications.  Done properly, it’s a terrific communications tool that can differentiate in a big way.  A huge key, though, is selecting the right employee.  Let’s face it.  Not everyone is ready for prime time.  You need someone who’s really comfortable, can smile when needed, and who can credibly project enthusiasm, sincerity and believability.  Mr. Ansari takes home an A.

Photo: SunChips Canada Facebook

In conjunction with the video, the SunChips team has a cool noise test promotion via Facebook, giving consumers the chance to get a free pair of ear plugs:

“Frito Lay Canada wants Canadians to decide for themselves how they feel about the new compostable bag and are challenging people to go out and test the noise levels for themselves. Touch it, squeeze it and tell them what you really think.”

Headline For Marketers

Engage your customers directly and honestly.  This doesn’t have to be boring, though.  When possible and appropriate, be creative, engage in an interesting, fun way, and utilize communication mediums that your customers embrace.  And keep in mind that marketing change sometimes means manufacturers need to lead the customer forward.  Acknowledge and address this challenge in your planning, but don’t be afraid to bring new benefits to market.

Harvey Chimoff is a hands-on marketing leader and business-wide collaborator who builds marketing capabilities in B2B/B2C organizations that drive customer success.