Changing Perceptions and Increasing Marketshare

Changing Perceptions and Increasing Marketshare

I’m KayDee Gilkey with the U.S. Potato Update.?
The Why Buy US Program is very important to the U.S. potato industry as often USPB representatives have to distinguish or explain why foreign food companies should buy U.S. fries over other country’s competitor’s fries that are often much cheaper than U.S. product.
After extensive research was completed, the United States Potato Board compiled a set of recommendations for improved messaging and new promotional materials based on the factors foreign restaurant chains used in their purchasing decisions for frozen fries, as well the US frozen fries attributes that make them a more desirable choice.

Earlier in 2012, the Why Buy US program was launched in Southeast Asia and Latin America. USPB International Marketing Manager for the Frozen Program Susan Weller says seminar evaluations have been critical in learning how perceptions about U.S. frozen potatoes have been changed because of what was learned at the seminars.

Weller: “The seminars got rave reviews, in the 95 percentile and actually we did seminars in Central America and in those seminars we asked them what they think about the profitability or yields of U.S. Potatoes before the seminar and then after the seminar. Basically 90 percent or more completely agreed about the profitability or yield of U.S. Potatoes after the seminars.”

This was the U.S. Potato Update brought to you by the United States Potato Board, maximizing return on grower investment. I’m KayDee Gilkey on the Northwest Ag Information Network.