May the Crowd be Ever in Your Flavor

In the summer of 2012, Frito Lay began a never done before contest. They invited people from around the country to submit and create a flavor of Lay's chips that they thought would be popular within the country. The contest encouraged not just chefs to join the contest, but average people like you and I to contribute. The flavors would be put up on Lay's Facebook page and people would be able to vote on the flavor using the "like" button. Coincidentally, Facebook changed the "like" button to a "I'd Eat That" button just for this contest.

The creator of the winning flavor of Lay's chips received a 1 million dollar prize. The two runner-ups each received a $50,000 prize.

This contest was a great way for the public to participate in the creation of a new flavor of chip. Frito Lay used the concept of crowdsourcing to make the public feel that they were an important part of this decision. They took all the information from Facebook and compiled it into the final results of the winners.What a great way to make a company open to the innovation of a new product. More and more companies are using crowdsourcing to involve customers in important choices. This allows the customer to feel that their voice is being heard, however, at the same time, it leaves the company vulnerable to the fact that the public has an inside look at some new innovations.

The final three flavors that made it to the Facebook vote were "Waffles and Chicken", "Sriracha" and "Cheesy Garlic Bread". The bags can be seen in the picture above. Some odd flavors, but obviously the public thought they would taste good. So my question to you is, what flavor do you think would make a good chip? Would you consider submitting that flavor to Frito Lay if they had another contest? Who knows, the crowds may like your flavor and pick it as a winner.

Lay's Use of Crowdsourcing