Frito-Lay's new Classic Hot Wings Ruffles potato chips — emblazoned with the Buffalo Wild Wings label — arrived in grocery stores this month.
At some point, look for a Doritos- or Fritos-encrusted chicken dish to surface on Wild Wings' menu.
The cross-pollination is part of a partnership unveiled earlier this year between Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. and New York-based PepsiCo, parent of Frito-Lay. For Wild Wings, the alliance also opens a new marketing channel, as the company gets access to Pepsi's valuable marketing rights with the National Football League.
One possibility: NFL content tailored to Buffalo Wild Wings' new "B-Dubs" TV, an internal channel the company plans to roll out in all of its restaurants.
"We have exclusive content in our restaurants right now, and we are building our content library," said Sally Smith, Buffalo Wild Wings' CEO. "We would love to work through Pepsi with the NFL to get exclusive content. … Maybe we could interview players and show it on B-Dubs TV."
Pepsi's agreement with the NFL allows it to "pass through" some marketing rights to one casual dining company, Smith said. Wild Wings is that company. In tandem with Pepsi, it will be able to use the NFL shield logo, a potential marketing bonanza. Wild Wings will also be able to use NFL player appearances in restaurants.
The partnership with Pepsi is long-term, though Smith declined to say how long. PepsiCo will become Wild Wings' main soft drink supplier, replacing Coca-Cola. And the two companies will work together on cross-marketing and new product opportunities.
With the new Ruffles wing-flavored chips, Wild Wings gets a prominent place for its brand on the packaging. Future Frito-Lay snack products could include what would be essentially ads for Wild Wings.
Conversely, new menu items at Wild Wings made with Frito-Lay products would serve as a marketing tool for the snack giant. Plus, Wild Wings would be buying Frito-Lay products for those new menu items.
"What if we had a chicken tender coated with a Pepsi snack product?" Smith said.
