Once You Pop, the Fun Might Stop: Pringles in Singapore

I'm sitting cross-legged on my red sofa, listening to thunder from another Singaporean storm rolling through, and munching on soft-shell crab Pringles.

You really did read that correctly. Soft-shell crab Pringles! Although original, sour cream & onion, and barbecue varieties are here, there are also many unusual kinds too, such as Lemon & Sesame, Grilled Shrimp, Blueberry & Hazelnut, Wild Spice, and everyone's favorite: SEAWEED!! The seaweed-flavored chips themselves are even green! I'm convinced the barbecue variety contains curry seasoning.

Final verdict on the soft-shelled crab chips: they taste surprisingly like your amazing crab dip on crackers, Aunt Mary!

What makes these different tastes so appealing to people from different cultures? The curiosity of marketers demands answers.

The Procter & Gamble marketing folks here have really spent time and fortunes delving into where Asian and Western tastes diverge for Pringles. Not only are the flavors different, but smaller chips are easier for smaller mouths, lighter seasoning makes for a more subtle flavor, and the can itself is narrower. I cannot even get my hand into the can!

When we visited Procter & Gamble on a company visit for class, the marketing and finance directors sent us on a brand scavenger-hunt. We took the metro to grocery stores, convenience stores and pharmacies to compare how brands were displayed, packaged, priced, promoted and positioned next to competitors.

For this entire trip, my responsibility is Head & Shoulders, the anti-dandruff shampoo/conditioner typically geared toward men. We noticed that H&S is typically bottom shelf, not necessarily the eye-level desired position. We're going to do further research to see what matters to Asian consumers. So far though, it seems that poor Head&Shoulders for men is always placed in the women's section. Asian retailers have a beauty section or a men's grooming section, and shampoo is not considered grooming. So, men's shampoo gets stuck with the women's products. This will likely be a point of recommendation for us.

I continue to try new products and foods at an alarming rate. For food, I go for half-familiar, half-crazy, always with a healthy dose of Pepto Bismol later! The soda I have liked best is called "Qoo," a Coca-Cola variety that is white grape-flavored. It reminds me of sparkling grape juice at New Year's, Virginia! Plus the character on the can is really cute.



More on food later! We're off to dinner at the Blue Ginger restaurant!