PepsiCo India has launched Kurkure Chatpata Cheese with the flavours of cheddar cheese, jalapenos and the all-time favourite chatpata masala. This new flavour is inspired by the Cheddar Jalapeño flavour of its international flavours, Lay’s and Cheetos. It will be available at the price points of Rs. 5, Rs. 10, and Rs. 20.
Kurkure is a leading player in India’s packaged snacks segment, which is estimated to be worth around Rs. 45,000 crores. Within the snacks segment, Kurkure is part of the sub-category of extruded snacks where the PepsiCo India brand competes with the likes of Balaji Wafers, Bikanervala Foods, and ITC Limited, Parle Food.
But now it has been observed that the globalisation of flavour seems to have touched these snack brands in the past few years. Like Kurkure, it has launched a new western flavour this year, and rival Bikanervala Foods’ Bikano, in 2021, launched Mexican Crunch (Peri Peri) and Fun Sticks (Cream n’ Onion, Tangy Tomato).
Fusion is the new idea in flavour launches. While PepsiCo wanted to get into the flavour bucket of cheese, they knew fusion was something that would click with the target audience. For PepsiCo India, it was a lot of research papers and social listening that made the beverage and snack giant decide to dole out a new permanent flavour.
The makers of Kurkure acknowledged that this dairy bucket (cheese) is something which is not present in this category and it has only been about masala, be it Kurkure or other rival competitors.
Rigorous research happened with Indian consumers in this category of salty and the brand does not want consumers only from this category but wants to pull consumers who are interested in dairy but have not seen it happen with cereal snacks.