Taco Bell’s popular nacho fries are the company’s most successful product launch ever. Customers have bought more than 53 million orders of the spicy cheesy concoction since it hit the menu in January.
But the dollar-item isn’t the only big hit for the company. The Mexican fast food chain is known for churning out innovative food products such as its quesalupa, quesarito, or the naked egg taco.
Cheddar got an exclusive bite of some of the new menu items in the pipeline at Taco Bell’s test kitchen in Los Angeles, including a “toasted cheese chalupa,” a taco made of aged cheddar cheese, scheduled to roll out next year.
The company launches about 10 to 11 new menu items a year, according to Product Development Manager Rene Pisciotti.
“We’ll start with the...prototypes. We’ll vet them, [then] we’ll start to put them through to guests,” explained Pisciotti.
If an idea does well in the initial testing rounds with small groups of consumers, Taco Bell then eventually rolls the product out to test markets.
“We run about 40 to 50 test markets a year.”
But a strong product is only one ingredient for Taco Bell’s overall success. Another is smart, buzzy marketing that stays authentic to the brand.
For example, the launch campaign for the nacho fries ran in the style of a movie trailer that asked the question on everyone’s mind: “Why doesn’t Taco Bell do fries?”
“When we’re going to do anything from a food innovation standpoint, it has to feel uniquely and appropriately Taco Bell,” said Chief Marketing Officer Marisa Thalberg.
“I think you have to be very careful that you don’t think you’re doing something for the sake of buzz. [If] an idea itself is exciting, it touches people, it makes people want to talk, it makes people want to share.”
And the proof is in the...fries.
Former CEO Brian Niccol recently left the company to take over at struggling rival Chipotle after successfully turning around Taco Bell. Same store sales grew by two percent in Q4 and its parent company, Yum Brands, posted profit that beat expectations.
Sēkr, a mobile app that aims to improve and digitize the outdoor travel experience, announced this week that it raised a $2.25 million seed round. In the Sēkr app, users can get access to more than 50,000 campsites throughout the U.S. including the nation's largest database of free campsites. The company is saying it is on a mission to make every step of the planning experience for outdoor travel easier, safer, and more social. Breanne Acio, co-founder and CEO of Sēkr, and Jess Shisler, co-founder and COO, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
In a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed for a controversial new version of the Alabama congressional map to remain in place. The lower court had previously ordered that the state must redraw that congressional map because it violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting the political power of Black voters. Redistricting expert Yurij Rudensky joins Cheddar News to weigh in.
The Winter Olympics are in full swing and athletes from around the globe are showcasing their elite skills at a wide variety of events. There's a lot of excitement but also a lot of pressure for these athletes. Former NFL defensive tackle and Super Bowl champion Dominique Easley joined Cheddar News to weigh in.
American freestyle skier Jaelin Kauf joins Cheddar News to talk about taking home the silver medal in the Women's Moguls Final at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
This episode of ChedHER is all about helping women thrive in their careers and rise up in the ranks. Guests include female leaders from across industries including sports, advertising, and so much more.
Sonja Stills, Commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, joins ChedHER to discuss her experience being the first female leader in this role, and how she plans on carrying on the legacy of the MEAC.
Sheri Bachstein, CEO of The Weather Company and GM of IBM Watson Advertising, joins ChedHER to discuss her successes in this role, and how she's helping women thrive in the c-suite.
