29 Aug The Art of Asking
This week, our local grocery store was sampling some of the newer flavors of Lay’s potato chips: crispy taco and fried pickles with ranch. The woman preparing little cups filled with chips cheerfully offered Emma a sample, but when Emma heard the flavors, she scrunched her face and politely declined. The woman laughed and asked, “What kind would you create if you were in charge of the new flavors?” Emma smiled and said, “I don’t know…but I could definitely come up with better ones than that!” She spent the rest of our grocery trip suggesting ideas for new potato chip flavors.
Emma’s brainstorming reminded me of a clever campaign Lay’s began in 2012. Instead of relying on fancy chefs or flavor experts, Lay’s asked their customers to share their ideas in a campaign called “Do Us a Flavor.” In its first installment, millions of submissions were received from potato chip fans willing to help Lay’s come up with the next big thing. In the first year alone, the winning flavor—Cheesy Garlic Bread—boosted sales by 8%, and over five years, sales climbed by 12%.
How did the request for a simple favor make such a big impact? The answer lies in a psychological phenomenon known as the Benjamin Franklin Effect.
Benjamin Franklin, born into a large family with limited means, faced tough odds of becoming a man of significant political power because of his position in society. But Franklin was clever, especially when it came to people. He knew that building strong relationships would help him achieve his goals. His trick? He asked people for a favor.
When Franklin was serving his second term as a clerk in the Pennsylvania Assembly, he found himself at odds with a peer, who delivered a long election speech tarnishing Franklin’s reputation. Though Franklin won the election, he knew that someone holding a grudge could spell trouble down the road. Franklin decided he must find a way to turn his opponent into a friend. But rather than confronting the rival or trying to win him over by flattery, Franklin did something unexpected. He asked to borrow a rare book from the man’s library.
Surprisingly, the man obliged. Franklin returned the book promptly with a handwritten thank-you note, and when they met again, something had changed. The man, who had once been an adversary, became an ally.
This is the Benjamin Franklin Effect in action. It turns out that we don’t just do favors for people we like; we come to like people for whom we do favors. When Franklin’s rival lent him that rare book, he had to justify to himself why he did it. The most plausible reason? He must have liked Franklin after all.
As we move through the world, we observe our own actions and then make sense of them by constructing stories. If we do something nice for someone, we reason that it must be because we like them. Over time, these actions shape our beliefs and feelings.
Lay’s brilliantly taps into the power of this effect with their annual “Do Us a Flavor” campaign. By asking customers to create new chip flavors, they aren’t just engaging their audience—they are making them feel part of the brand’s success. And when customers see their ideas come to life on store shelves, they feel a deeper connection to Lay’s, which translates into increased loyalty and sales.
The Benjamin Franklin Effect reminds us that our actions often shape our attitudes, not the other way around. By doing a favor or engaging in an act of kindness, we might just find ourselves liking someone—or something—a little bit more. And in the world of relationships, both personal and professional, that’s all that…and a bag of chips!