The Potato Council has launched a new PR offensive aimed at getting consumers to trade up from generic white spuds to named varieties.
The levy company is hoping to reach almost 7 million families via ads in a range of lifestyle and foodie magazines from Grazia, Hello, Heat and Closer to BBC Good Food, Delicious, Easy Cook and Weightwatchers. The push is being backed by banner ads on high-traffic websites such as Google Search, as well as various food networks.
Intiatially focusing on Maris Pipers, in the longer term the campaign aims to encourage mums to consider the many different varieties available and inspire them to select one which will work best for the meal in question instead of a generic bag of whites for the whole week.
The Potato Council is continuing its association with author, food expert and mum Jo Pratt, who has developed a new series of Maris Piper recipes that show named varieties are 'worth paying a little bit more for'.
Consumers will also be encouraged to share their own Maris Piper recipes via social media, with special events including a 'Twitter Party' on 9 October and a 'Linky Challenge' on Brit Mums, which aims to encourage mums to tell others about their favourite Maris Piper recipes.
'Autumn is a crucial time for potato consumption and our campaign is deliberately timed to coincide with maincrop harvesting,' said Potato Council marketing manager Kate Cox. 'Building shopper awareness around the importance of using named varieties for more consistent results will not only improve their dining experience, but will deliver a real boost to the sector.'
Cox said a similar campaign last year encouraging mums to trade up had helped achieve a five percentage point uplift in mums agreeing that Maris Pipers are 'worth paying a bit more for', with even more impressive results for younger and older families' groups.
Potato Week takes place this year from 6-12 October.
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