BIG STEPS 9: An example of Leadership, Courage, and New Trends

Leadership, courage, change, breaking the rules, and GIVING BACK, are THE way to get ahead of the curve. This is also an example of a major new trend: getting behind a social cause that is right, and not being afraid of the opposition.

It has been a while since we looked at a company who has the courage to take a bold BIG STEP in their packaging design, and the Doritos brand from the Frito-Lay company is an excellent example of a brand that has developed a corporate culture of courage, which allows them to ride the wave of change right at the crest, and be leaders in their field.

Doritos is no newcomer to change, they have been changing constantly since their release in 1968, to their global redesign in 2013.

Their latest redesign is their boldest, Doritos Rainbows. For this Doritos partnered with the It Gets Better Project, to design a new, limited-edition product to celebrate and support the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

Among other things, the It Gets Better Project seeks to prevent suicide in young LGBT people.

In addition, this redesign is taking part in another major trend: GIVING BACK. When consumers donate $10 or more in support to the It Gets Better Project a bag of Doritos Rainbows chips will be mailed to them.

Look around the web, this trend of publicly supporting a cause by contributions tied to purchases, is massive right now. And smart on so many levels.

The bold step here is that LGBT rights in the united states have been a huge issue in the mass media in the United States, which often causes great public debate and divide.

But fear of losing market share did not stop them from doing what is right, and at the same time strengthened the image of the brand and its self-confidence in its staying power. And confidence, when backed with a loved product and great design, sells.

Furthermore, this is an example of customer-centric design:

"Time and again, our consumers have shown us, there really is nothing bolder than being true to yourself and living life to the fullest." - Ram Krishnan, chief marketing officer, Frito-Lay.

Customer-centric research is telling us that people are ready and willing to GIVE BACK. Helping is the best feel-good product on the market, so if your product, design or good works, helps people to help others, then your product will make them feel good and be doing good at the same time.

This is the essence of Sustainability-Thinking.*

In this case, Frito-Lay shows a commitment to doing what is right, not merely what is profitable:

"With Doritos Rainbows chips, we're bringing an entirely new product experience to our consumers to show our commitment toward equal rights for the LGBT community and celebrate humanity without exception." - Ram Krishnan.

See the original post on thedieline.

The Point: Courage does not mean a lack of fear, or even ignoring fear. It means not being controlled by fear. The top brands, and the new brands who are most likely to survive this century, now see that RESPONSIBILITY, COURAGE and GIVING BACK in the form of aiding good causes, adds value on many levels, and is rapidly becoming necessary to sustain a brand.

*Note: We are still waiting for their "commitment to 100% sustainable palm oil in 2015 and to zero deforestation in [their] activities and sourcing" to prove itself true through action.