Cheetos is a crunchy corn puff snack produced by Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of PepsiCo. The company sells Cheetos in over 35 countries and is one of the most popular snack food brands in the world.
Cheetos come in numerous forms, textures and flavors like crunchy, puffs, popcorn, mac and cheese, and others. The Cheetos brand has been able to maintain a loyal customer base by coming out with new flavors that cater to different taste buds.
In this article, we will review the Cheetos target market and understand some of the reasons why people are so attracted to this brand of delicious snacks.
Who is the Cheetos Target Market?
To best understand the Cheetos target market, we need to understand the motivation that people have to grab a bag of Cheetos rather than another snack like Pringles or Doritos or a package of Lays potato chips.
By understanding this consumer motivation, we can divide the Cheetos target market into the following segments:
- People who love Cheetos
- People looking for a quick snack
- Parents looking for a snack for their children
- Emotional eaters
- People buying snacks for a party
- People going on a picnic or a trek or hike
- People who use Cheetos as an ingredient in a recipe
Let’s look closely at each of these market segments for Cheetos.
#1. People who love Cheetos
By far the biggest segment of the Cheetos target market includes people who just plain love Cheetos! They are attracted to the taste, the crunch and the convenience of this snack. For many people, Cheetos is their go-to snack when they want something tasty but not too filling (though that depends on how much they eat!).
People in this segment tend to be heavy consumers of Cheetos, buying them regularly and often in large quantities. They are also the most loyal to the brand, rarely straying to try other brands.
If you love Cheetos, then you are part of this segment and there is nothing wrong with that! After all, Cheetos are delicious and offer a lot of value for the price.
#2. People looking for a quick snack
When people are looking for a quick snack, they often turn to a bag of Cheetos as a convenient and tasty option. Cheetos are easy to eat on the go and can be found in most convenience stores.
Unlike people in the previous segment, those in this segment are not necessarily looking for Cheetos. They are simply looking for a snack. And so they are just as likely to grab a bag of potato chips or popcorn instead.
Or if they don’t mind a sweet snack they may go for a chocolate bar, a cupcake, or even something they could buy in a convenience store like ice cream or frozen yogurt.
This makes Cheetos an impulse purchase and so to reach this type of customer, stores often place bags of Cheetos near the register where people can easily grab them on their way out.
This strategy makes a Cheetos target market out of even those people who are not pre-disposed to buying them.
#3. Parents looking for a snack for their children
Parents are always looking for snacks for their children that are also affordable and tasty. And so Cheetos often find their way into lunchboxes and after-school snacks.
While many parents may not consider Cheetos to be a healthy snack, sometimes convenience and acceptability by kids outweigh health concerns.
#4. Emotional eaters
Cheetos can be the ultimate comfort food for some emotional eaters. Often when people are feeling down or stressed, they turn to a bag of Cheetos as a way to make themselves feel better.
For emotional eaters, Cheetos offers both the comfort of a familiar food as well as the satisfaction of eating something salty and crunchy. And so emotional eaters are often some of the heaviest consumers of Cheetos making them a prime segment of the Cheetos target market.
#5. People buying snacks for a party
When throwing a party, people often want to have a variety of snacks on hand for their guests. And so Cheetos often find their way onto party snack tables.
Cheetos are a good option for party snacks because they are easy to eat and come in a variety of flavors that will please most guests. And because Cheetos are so affordable, people often buy them in bulk for parties.
#6. People going on a picnic or a trek or hike
Just as in the previous segment, people often want to have a variety of snacks on hand when going on a picnic or hike. And so bags of Cheetos are often included in these types of outings.
Cheetos are especially popular for picnics because they do not need to be refrigerated and can be eaten without utensils. For hikers, Cheetos are a good option because they are lightweight and easy to carry.
And if a family with kids is out for a picnic or a walk, Cheetos can be a great choice as most kids will eat them without making a fuss.
#7. People using Cheetos as an ingredient in a recipe
A growing trend is to use Cheetos as an ingredient in a recipe. This is often done because Cheetos add a crunchy texture to a dish that would otherwise be soft. Home chefs inventing new recipes using Cheetos are another segment of the Cheetos target market.
Cheetos can be used as an ingredient in both savory and sweet dishes. For example, they can be used as a topping on a salad, or broken into pieces and put in a salad. In fact, the Cheetos website offers recipes ranging from Gingerbread cooking, Bacon ranch cheeseballs, and tamales, all using Cheetos.
Conclusion
The Cheetos target market is very vast and people buy and consume Cheetos for a variety of reasons.
One of the simplest reasons why people eat Cheetos is because they love them. These people are the most loyal to the brand and often buy Cheetos regularly.
For other people, Cheetos are simply a convenient and affordable snack option. Parents buy Cheetos for the children and so they often find their way into lunchboxes or as an after-school snack.
Sometimes, Cheetos seem to be made for emotional eaters. When people are feeling down, they often turn to a bag of Cheetos as a way to make themselves feel better.
Cheetos often end up on party snack tables because they are easy to eat and come in a variety of flavors. And almost everyone loves them. For the same reason, Cheetos often find their way into backpacks and picnic baskets.
Finally, the Cheetos target market also includes people who use Cheetos as an ingredient in recipes. Cheetos are popular in many recipes for the crunchy and salty taste that they bring.
