 |
| HEADLINES (Click on headline for full story): | June 29 , 2007 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
SPOTLIGHTING THE GOAL OF BUILDING A POSITIVE IMAGE FOR POTATOES
This feature spotlights the USPB’s Public Relations department 2007-2011 Long Range Plan goal of “building a positive image for potatoes, while also dealing with issues of concern to the industry…” Further, “…In order to project a total image of potatoes as a wholesome, nutritious food, we are increasing our monitoring and, when appropriate, proactively responding to issues that could negatively impact the potato industry…” In the “USPB Ensures Consumers Know the ‘Positive Potato’ Story”, monthly feature, the US potato industry will clearly see those efforts are both extensive and successful. We hope you enjoy “USPB Ensures Consumers Know the ‘Positive Potato’ Story” brought to you monthly here in Industry Update. For more information on any of these ‘Positive Potato” stories, please contact USPB Vice President of Public Relations, Linda McCashion, at 303-369-7783 or lindam@uspotatoes.com. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USPB ENSURES CONSUMERS KNOWS THE “POSITIVE POTATO” STORY! USPB Public Relations staff scored a successful June with a wide variety of stories in popular cooking and lifestyle magazines, showing consumers the multitude of healthy potato recipes for today’s active lifestyle:
Attached also is USPB’s media tracking report of stories, by publication, year-to-date. These are direct results of USPB programs and are also grouped under program goals such as “Position potatoes as healthy, non-fat, and low in calories.” While a lengthy document, it does demonstrate excellent pick-up of the USPB program copy points. As an example, year-to-date:
For more information on any of these ‘Positive Potato” stories, please contact USPB Vice President of Public Relations, Linda McCashion, at 303-369-7783 or lindam@uspotatoes.com. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
POTATOES FEATURED IN MAJOR NATIONAL COOKING MAGAZINE The July issue of Cooking Light, page l13, carried a feature story, “Color Your Palate, Bright and Vibrant Produce Boasts a Rich Array of Beneficial Antioxidants and Nutrients”. Divided into red, orange/yellow, purple/blue, white/tan, and green sections to illustrate the theme of the story, the white & tan section features a potato salad picture and discusses the benefits of potatoes, cauliflower, turnips, and onions. On page 142, the Lemon-Chive Potato Salad recipe starts with “White-fleshed potatoes and onions offer at least two types of antioxidants, which may enhance immune function.” |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2006 USPB BURKINA FASO DEHY TRAINING MISSION YIELDS SALES SUCCESS!! USDA announced the purchase of 70 MT (1,003,275 lbs/fwe) of dehydrated potato flakes, Friday, June 15th. The flakes will be sent to and utilized by Africare, a private voluntary organization (PVO), in Burkina Faso. The flakes will be part of their program working with severely malnourished children and people living with HIV/AIDS. As a result of a USPB dehy training for private voluntary organizations in October 2005, Africare decided to amend their request to the US government to include dehydrated potato flakes. An in-country USPB training in September 2006 followed with USPB International Marketing Committee Co-Chair, Cheryl Koompin, participating and presenting at the training. USPB staff also played a key role in getting the purchase to take place due to the complexity of the bidding process and the need to match bids with shipping destinations. Teresa (T.K.) Kuwahara, USPB International Marketing Manager/Dehy, expressed, “This sale represents what is hoped to be just the beginning of increased sales of US dehy into food aid programs as the result of grower-directed USPB funded research, education, training and market development efforts.”
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
US DEHY FEATURED AT BAKERY SEMINARS IN MEXICO In partnership with the national baker association in Mexico, CANAINPA, and the US Cranberry Marketing Committee, the USPB recently held a seminar for 50 bakers at the CANAINPA facility in Mexico City. Following presentations on the featured products, US dehy and cranberries, the participants tested the various dehy products mixed with water to observe the different textures and consistencies. Participants then went into the kitchen where they got to use dehy and cranberries to create different traditional and more experimental Mexican baked goods. While very informational and useful for the participants, the seminars showed them, first-hand, the versatility, advantages and ease of incorporating dehydrated potatoes into their recipes. By featuring two ingredients in one seminar, costs are lowered for both groups, and bakers are more interested in attending as they gain more knowledge. Two more joint seminars will be held in Torreon in Coahuila and Aguascalientes.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NEW NIELSEN HOMESCAN RESEARCH STRENGTHENS USPB SALES ANALYSIS The USPB recently purchased and received 2006 HomeScan data, a product of the AC Nielsen Company consisting of a pre-screened panel of 125,000 consumers. Each home is actually given a handheld scanner so that when they come home from a shopping trip, they scan their groceries UPC’s – but more importantly – where they bought them. “It will enable us to get a better handle on Supercenter, Club Store and Dollar Store potato sales, key retail groups that do not release their sales to any syndicated service,” notes Mac Johnson, USPB Vice President, Domestic Marketing. “The data was received in 12 ‘incredibly large excel spreadsheets’, and we’re analyzing the data now. We hope to have top-lines available within the next 8 weeks,” added Johnson.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NEW “MICROWAVE COOKING BAG” ABOUT TO BE INTRODUCED ACROSS THE COUNTRY!! Exciting news!!! A major US consumer goods resource company is preparing to launch a microwave designed steamer bag. The product is designed specifically for vegetables, and the microwave does an incredible job of steaming vegetables, and more importantly potatoes, in the microwave in as little as eight minutes. The USPB has been working with this company for over eight months, and the new product will be demo’ed in over 5,000 retail locations across the country – and they will be demo’ing potatoes exclusively. Demonstrators will also be handing out quick potato recipes and potato nutritional information. This is a $780,000 program on behalf of the resource company and USPB’s only investment was to supply the potatoes and the recipe card handouts. We are still under a confidentiality agreement – but as soon as we’re allowed to release the details, we’ll get the word out. This is a great opportunity to help make potatoes more convenient for today’s time starved consumer!!
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| RECONNECTING WITH TODAY’S CONSUMER Following recent meetings with the USPB Domestic Marketing Committee and the Fresh Demand Working Group where Sterling Brands presented five consumer concept themes, the industry messaging project gone into step four of a nine-step process. With input from the two groups, the theme’s were refined and are now in quantitative consumer research to further refine potato messages that are relevant, contemporary and compelling for today’s consumer. Following consumer input, the theme’s will be further refined, and the creative process really gets underway. The goal is to have the final output late fall of this year. The output will be a “tag-line and graphic icon” the industry can use to support a cohesive and compelling message to and for the consumer. Sterling Brands is a nationally recognized image and positioning group headquartered in New York City and retained by the USPB to help the industry to effectively communicate to the consumer.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CONVENIENT POTATO RECIPES NEARLY READY FOR CONSUMER LAUNCH
USPB Board Members saw first-hand the 21 quick n’ easy potatoes recipes developed by the Turover Straus Group for the USPB during the Annual Meeting in March. The recipes tasted great and were well received. USPB recently completed professional photography and had the recipes professionally rewritten for consumers. Within the next 60 days, they will be ready for web site use and other applications. Watch for details – another great way to respond to the consumer and get potatoes back on the dinner table!!
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CHIP COMMITTEE TO MEET DURING NPC SUMMER MEETING
The USPB Chip Committee will meet on the front-end of the NPC Summer Meeting in Gaylord, MI, Tuesday, July 10, 2007, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Key items on the agenda include a review of current research projects, including Zebra Chip, long term storage and sugars and 2007/2008 variety trials. Development of the March 2008 Chip Seminar agenda will also be discussed.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
©2007 United States Potato Board |
