Doritos in China: What’s in a (re)brand name?

The above two viral videos showcase some of the online marketing efforts of Doritos in China. The first represents a campus promotion carried out in 2007 before a rebranding effort as seen the proceeding video. The first was a more simple on site marketing promotion at universities in Shanghai aswell as Beijing. This helped establish doritos initially establish itself amongst China’s young and hungry student population.

In an effort to rebrand due to an increasingly competitive snack market, 2008 saw Doritos appropriate a more rebelious edge. This rebranding has included redesigned flavors, packaging, television spots and live events.
They have used multiple online platforms such as xiaonei and popular forum’s such as MOP to launch the campaign and enlisted the services of renegade eighties generation spokesperson Han Han as their spokesperson.

Despite elaborate campaigns both online and offline, Doritos could be facing a simpler problem in successfully establishing themselves within the young Chinese psyche. A quick fire survey as to what resounded with young Chinese upon hearing the name “duo-li-duo-ci”, were met with blank stares. Upon briefly explaining packaging and the chip itself, only then was a connection made. Although these results only reflect a small sample group, it still shows what could be a fundamental and longstanding issue in the continued branding of Doritos.

We feel that while multi-platform, strategic marketing plans can be effective in deepening brand connection when used in the right way, if fundamentals (e.g. brand name) aren’t rock solid then effective branding, regardless of format, becomes difficult.

While credit must be paid to this campaign for its vigourous and no doubt expensive push, future marketing must pay closer attention to asssociate greater meaning with product and product name. After all, if a product can’t be named, why bother having a xiaonei site to promote it?!