PepsiCo faced recent backlash after comments made by CEO Indra Nooyi on a podcast interview went sideways.
During the Freakonomics podcast on 31 January, Nooyi commented that women did not eat Doritos in the same way as men. “They don’t like to crunch too loudly in public,” she said. “And they don’t lick their fingers generously, and they don’t like to pour the little broken pieces and flavor [sic] into their mouth.”
The interviewer then posed the question of whether PepsiCo was playing with the concept of “male and female version of chips”.
Nooyi responded: “It’s not a male and female as much as, ‘Are there snacks for women that can be designed and packaged differently?’ And yes, we are looking at it, and we’re getting ready to launch a bunch of them soon. For women, low-crunch, the full taste profile, not have so much of the flavor stick on the fingers, and how can you put it in a purse? Because women love to carry a snack in their purse.”
A number of news outlets picked up the story and it seemed like a female line of Doritos were a sure thing — until Doritos responded to the claims.
“The reporting on a specific Doritos product for female consumers is inaccurate,” the company said in a statement. “We already have Doritos for women — they’re called Doritos, and they’re enjoyed by millions of people every day. At the same time, we know needs and preferences continue to evolve, and we’re always looking for new ways to engage and delight our consumers.”
Lady Doritos gained significant attention on social media, with many voicing their outrage at gender-specific snacks.
Image credit: Washington Post