I am intrigued by Frito-Lay. Having not eaten a Frito for years, I must say that the endeavors of this brand compel me to once again munch a bunch.

Two recent activities in particular are brilliant. Yes, of course, for the actions, but most importantly for the intent and motivation that guide their decisions.

First; parent company PepsiCo‘s commitment to sustainable growth, defined as Performance with Purpose. TrueNorth, their Frito-Lay divison’s 100% natural nut snacks is recognizing people who pursue their life’s passion. Their “True North.” In June, Nancy Miller was recognized for her passion in forming the Jimmy Miller Foundation, which hastens healing of individuals through the therapeutic power of the ocean through honoring the memory of their son whom they lost.

Second, this past month, I began to hear radio ads about how Frito-lay has begun adding more of their snack foods into the bags. A small gesture to help in the tough economy. More for your money. Sure, one could argue that eating chips isn’t earth shattering. Again, what’s important here is the intent and motivation behind this decision. The intent: to help families. The motivation: they have families too, they connect.

What Pepsi-co and this brand extension Frito-Lay accomplish is the personalization, they connect commerce with humanity. I am a huge fan of Indra Nooyi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo, who, in the way that she leads enables and heralds this connection.

As a consumer, so often these types of efforts can frequently come off as plastic, or obviously cloying and artificial. What sets these efforts apart in how they come across and out of Frito-lay is what is behind their decisions. It’s the intent to help and the motivation that inspire these uncommon acts of kindness.

What do you think? Do these efforts sound genuine to you? Do they compel you to buy snack products from this company knowing that behind it is a beating heart considering the life of its customers?