A significant part of any brand’s identity is its origin story. Consumers like to know a product’s background and history. Sure, we want to be more familiar with where our shopping dollars go, but we’re also curious about how the things we enjoy came into existence. A relatable, hardworking, ambitious, and intelligent founder who came up with a concept and brought it to market is almost always a strong sales hook. Obviously, the more compelling and exciting the origin story, the more likely it is to convert shoppers into customers and make for good headlines.
Especially enthralling are underdog stories, where a founder overcomes adversity and beats all the odds to start their business and bring to market their nonna’s amazing pasta sauce or whatever.
Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, a spicy flavor introduced by our snack overlord Frito-Lay back in 1992, seemingly had a perfect origin story. Many people know the story of Flamin’ Hot, in which a Frito-Lay plant janitor and dropout, Richard Montañez, conceived of the concept of adding a spicy kick to potato chips, Cheetos, and other snack items. Montañez, so the story goes, was inspired by his Mexican-American heritage and, after successfully pitching the idea to a team of executives, rose through the corporate ranks and launched the snack phenomenon.
