DENVER – The United States Potato Board (USPB) recently debuted an exciting new video series titled “Potato Types and Tips”, hosted by celebrity nutritionist Katie Cavuto Boyle, RD. Boyle writes weekly for “Healthy Eats,” a national nutrition blog on foodnetwork.com and is a former finalist on The Next Food Network Star—a reality television series produced by and aired on the Food Network which awards the winner his or her own series on the Food Network.
The video series focuses on the seven most common potato types: russets, reds, whites, yellows, purples, fingerlings and petites. In each video, Boyle starts out by going shopping for her potatoes, explaining what to look for and how one potato type differs from another. In the segment on yellow potatoes, for instance, she clears up the confusion shoppers commonly have between yellow and white potatoes. She describes their appearance, differing taste profiles and popular ways of preparing them.
Then it’s off to the kitchen where Boyle continues to educate consumers while preparing a signature dish for each potato type, showing off that potato’s best qualities. For example, the segment on reds captures her preparing a delicious pesto potato-salad made from roasted red potatoes, while she lists the reasons to love serving reds. Along the way, Boyle dispenses useful information about potato nutrition, storage and where consumers can go to download the signature recipe and hundreds more.
“USPB research shows shoppers who use more potato types purchase and consume more potatoes,” said USPB Public Relations Manager Meredith Myers. “Yet, consumers often lack the confidence to try new types or the inspiration for how they should serve them.
“Another recent study shows one-in-five of ‘Linda’s’ would be most motivated to use potatoes more often if she were provided with recipes for different types of potatoes.” “Linda” is the personification of the US potato industry’s core consumer as identified by USPB research—women between the ages of 25-54 with children under 18 at home purchase over half of the fresh potatoes in the United States. “That is the objective of the Potato Types and Tips video series,” Myers continues, “increasing potato category sales by educating shoppers about potato types, and giving them ideas about how to prepare them.”
The video series is a large element in the overall “Potato Types Marketing” initiative. At the core is information about differentiating each potato type based on their unique attributes and characteristics. Communications are aimed at equipping retailers, chefs, media and, ultimately, “Linda,” with a clearer vision of how to enjoy russets, reds, whites, yellows, fingerlings, purples and petites.
The industry has the opportunity to grow the potato category and increase sales by highlighting popular uses for each basic type of potato. If the target consumer, “Linda,” is offered usage ideas and recipes to help dispel the mystery surrounding potato types with which she is unfamiliar, she is much more likely to expand the selection of potatoes in her pantry.
These seven videos are available for industry use, FREE! Take advantage of their sales-inducing powers by linking to the video series hosted on the USPB’s consumer site, www.potatogoodness.com, or download the video files from the USPB’s retail site at www.potatoretailer.com and post them on your own website as value-added content for consumers. They are also found posted on the Potatoes, Taters and Spuds Facebook page. The short, snappy videos are a great tool for social media efforts, or even to use as a training tool for educating your retail partners.
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David Fairbourn is Manager, Industry Communications & Policy, at the United States Potato Board in Denver. The mission of the USPB is to increase demand for potatoes and potato products through an integrated promotion program, thereby providing US producers with expanding markets for their production. David can be contacted at 303-369-7783 or david.fairbourn@uspotatoes.com. For complete information about the programs, ROI results, resources and tools available to all members of the industry through the USPB, please visit www.uspotatoes.com. The United States Potato Board—Maximizing Return on Grower Investment.
Source: United States Potato Board