86% of Americans Want More Protein, PepsiCo Is Responding

Consumers are snacking more, but they’re also becoming more intentional about what they eat.

According to a 2026 RepData survey commissioned by PepsiCo Foods U.S., 86% of Americans are adding protein to their diet, and 70% want it in their salty snacks.

The Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee also found that only about 6% of American adults meet the recommended fiber intake.

This gap opens an opportunity to combine protein with other unmet nutritional needs.

For PepsiCo, these figures mean updating some of its most recognizable brands while keeping what people already like about them intact.

In a DesignRush interview, Chris Bellinger, Chief Creative Officer at PepsiCo Foods U.S., says that delivering snacks that balance taste and nutrition is now something brands are expected to get right.

"Transparency around ingredients and snacks with functional benefits is the new baseline, and we’re innovating across the portfolio to make sure we’re meeting those expectations."

Who Is Chris Bellinger?

Chris Bellinger is Chief Creative Officer at PepsiCo Foods U.S., where he leads creative strategy across brands including Cheetos, Doritos, and Tostitos.

In his role, Bellinger oversees creative campaigns and digital activations, working with internal teams and agency partners. He also leads a group of creatives and digital specialists developing ideas that connect brands with consumers across platforms.

So what exactly did PepsiCo do to innovate its snack offerings to address this consumer demand? It added more protein to one of its most recognizable brands.

"Doritos is known for its classic crunch and bold flavor, and we refused to compromise on those things," Bellinger explains.

"With 10 grams of protein per one ounce serving, we’re giving fans that added functional benefit without sacrificing taste."

PepsiCo Foods U.S. also introduced a new brand focused solely on protein-based snacking. 

"Good Warrior was created to unlock the full potential of the protein snack category by bringing together taste, convenience, and the benefits of protein with two new beef stick varieties," he adds.

Fiber remains an under-consumed nutrient in the U.S., despite its well-documented dietary benefits.

PepsiCo is addressing this through products like SunChips Fiber and Smartfood FiberPop, designed to deliver "great taste and real benefits" in formats that fit daily snacking.

Listen to the Fans, Then Go All In

Some launches start with data, while others come straight from the audience.

For Cheetos, the return of Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle came from overwhelming demand.

"The Cheetos cult (what we call our fans) would not let up about Cheetos Flamin' Hot Dill Pickle, the #1 most-requested Cheetos flavor in the brand's history," Bellinger shares. 

And it came back with a bang, backed by a full campaign anchored by the "Pickle’s Back" music video that brought together Megan Thee Stallion and Nickelback.

"At first, they might not make sense together, kind of like dill pickle and Flamin' Hot heat, but that tension is the point."

The idea is to connect with different audiences at once.

"'Pickle's Back' bridges the gap across our different Cheetos audiences — speaking to Gen Z fans who are into 'newstalgia,' while reaching Gen X'ers and Millennials who were jamming out to 'How You Remind Me' in 2001."

PepsiCo also partnered with auction house Goldin to let fans bid on items from the music video so they can "feel part of the experience."

"The lesson I'd share with other brand teams is to know what your brand actually stands for, then lean all the way into it.

For Cheetos, it's mischief, and we didn't lean in just a little. We took a big swing, and it paid off," Bellinger states.

Innovating brands to meet demand often starts with knowing what audiences are already asking for.

And this means reading the signals in the data and applying them in a way that fits what the brand is known for.

A clear and unique identity acts as a filter for decisions, helping teams stay consistent across campaigns and move faster without second-guessing where to take the idea.

Stay True to the Brand, Then Experiment

Working with legacy brands like Cheetos and Doritos comes with a different kind of challenge.

Staying fresh without alienating loyal consumers is part of it, and Bellinger says it starts with clarity.

"When you know who your brand is, you know exactly where it belongs in culture and where it doesn’t.

That clarity is what lets us move fast and swing big without losing the plot."

While Cheetos has an unpredictable identity, for instance, Doritos stays rooted in boldness.

And this can be seen clearly in campaigns like Walton Goggins’ "Spicy, But Not Too Spicy" film and the "Stranger Things" telethon.

The direction is different, but the principle stays the same, with each one sticking to what it does best.

"Each campaign is a new entry point, but it always comes back to what the fans already know and love about these brands."

This consistency gives teams a clear direction when experimenting with new ideas without drifting into territory that doesn’t fit.

Over time, this reinforces brand equity, making audiences more likely to stay loyal and choose the brand even when alternatives are available.

Get the Product Right, Then Let It Drive Performance

Some campaigns start with fixing the product itself, just like how PepsiCo added protein to Doritos.

This approach builds on what’s already there by adding a functional benefit.

This time, the focus shifts in the opposite direction, paring products down to meet growing demand for simpler, more natural ingredients.

"Simply NKD was a disruptive idea born out of a consumer desire for snacks with ingredients they could recognize," Bellinger shares.

The concept stripped products like Cheetos and Doritos down by removing artificial colors and flavors, while keeping their core appeal.

Bellinger reveals that the response to this initiative was stronger than expected.

"The response has been overwhelmingly positive as the launch generated an emotional index score of 112 which is ~30 points higher than our benchmark of 80, contributing to a lift in positive emotions such as trust, interest, and awe."

Because of this positive reaction, what started as a limited-time offering was extended into a full-year rollout, and the reason it worked is also simple:

"When innovation meets a genuine consumer need, and the product actually does what it says, fans respond.

The timing has to be right, but so does the product. You can't just market your way to a win if what's in the bag doesn't deliver."

Getting the product right sets the foundation, but what happens next depends on how people respond to it.

As Bellinger puts it, the metrics that matter go beyond what can be bought through ad spend.

"We’re always looking at figures like sales, views, and reach to measure the success of a campaign. But the real gold is engagement and shareability."

He also notes that word-of-mouth carries a level of authenticity that paid media can’t replicate, and it’s what ultimately drives purchase, loyalty, and what people expect next.

Be Transparent, Then Prove It

One trend that’s becoming harder to ignore is how closely people are looking at what’s in their food.

"76% of consumers want more product information, and 71% are reading labels more closely than before," Bellinger cited the 2025 consumer survey by GS1 US.

This is pushing brands to make ingredients easier to understand, so Tostitos focused on showing that a 1-ounce serving of its chips contains 8 grams of whole grains.

Packaging design becomes the starting point, breaking down how Tostitos are made, from whole corn kernels to traditional masa.

"That's why we’re leaning into the values always at the heart of Tostitos — craft, quality, and connection — to tell a simpler ingredients story, starting with packaging," he explained.

Lay’s also took a similar approach for its major rebrand last year.

The brand told its potato-to-chip story through updated packaging and extended it into campaigns like "The Last Harvest" and "The Lay’s Challenge," putting ingredients at the center.

"The brands that will win are the ones that can tell an honest, compelling story about what they're made of, and then back it up in the bag.

That's the work we're focused on, and we're just getting started," Bellinger noted.

What PepsiCo Gets Right

PepsiCo Foods U.S. connects product development, brand identity, and creative marketing to respond directly to changing consumer expectations.

Its approach focuses on three areas that consistently show up across its core brands.

• Product innovation: Data directly informs what gets developed and launched.
• Brand execution: Each update stays within clear boundaries to maintain recognition and trust.
• Campaign design: Launches are built to drive participation and sharing to extend product relevance.

PepsiCo’s approach shows that staying relevant at scale depends on how quickly and accurately brands adapt to consumer behavior and bring these changes to market.