ust before 10am on day two at the World Potato Congress, hosted by the Potato Council, things really started to get interesting. Yes, there had been the usual buzz, the networking in the basement where the presentation stands were and a host of experienced speakers from around the globe. But there was a feeling that everyone was waiting for something dramatic to happen.
It came from an unexpected source - an environmentalist. Mark Lynas’s presentation directly followed that of the Scottish government’s secretary for rural affairs and environment. Richard Lochhead had begun his speech with a quip that he was ‘minister for potatoes’, highlighting the value of the industry to the country. Indeed, exports of seed potatoes from Scotland to non-EU countries, he explained, had already hit an all-time high of over 77,000 tonnes - up 70 per cent on a decade ago. Great news.
But for all the talk of Scotland’s “strong tradition” in agricultural sciences and references to The Enlightenment (a period of scientific accomplishment in the 18th century), there was no mention of the government’s controversial decision to implement a GM-free policy.
The subject of genetic modification is nothing new at conferences like this. However, interest has been heightened this year following the goings on at Rothamsted Research, which is trialling an aphid-repelling GM wheat; the comments that DEFRA farming minister Jim Paice has made in support of the technology; and BASF’s decision to move its GM research arm out of Europe. The topic is hot.
John Beddington, the UK government’s chief scientific adviser had, in his speech on day one, warmed the congress, voicing his support for the technology and suggesting that GM crops “can be used to solve a problem”. A potato modified to be resistant to blight could “significantly cut chemical use”, he added.
Speaking to FPJ afterwards, he also felt that the public might soon be more willing to accept GM: “My hunch is that consumers will have a rather different attitude to GM in the future.”
But it was left to Lynas to really bring things to the boil. “If you try to stop technological innovation you betray the fine tradition of The Enlightenment. This [policy of being GM free] must go if Scotland is to lead in the future,” he said. The minister had already hurried off for his next appointment, but there is a chance he heard the applause as he jumped into his car outside the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
Lynas had certainly created a buzz - especially given that he is a former anti-GM protestor and ‘crop trasher’. His comments seemed to transform not only those speaking in the larger auditoriums, but also those presenting in the diverse range of ancillary meetings and workshops. These covered everything from Waitrose’s programme to cut waste in the potato supply chain to how the sector can best use digital marketing like QR codes.
One of the most thought-provoking involved Lynas, alongside Angus Armstrong, Greenvale AP chief executive and Linda Eatherton, a US director at global marketing specialists Ketchum.
Theirs was a fascinating insight into what consumers in 2020 will expect from their food and the companies who provide it. Eatherton talked through the results from the Ketchum global consumer survey, which showed that “brands really do matter. A brand is a symbol and a signal of trust.” There was also great news for potatoes, she said, with 73 per cent of consumers wanting foods that help reduce health risks and 40 per cent wanting foods made with as few ingredients as possible. “Potatoes are uniquely poised to be part of that movement.”
Armstrong agreed, but warned that there was work to be done on getting the important messages across to consumers. Speaking to FPJ afterwards, he said: “The consumer perception is that potatoes are fattening, but as we’ve heard over the past couple of days here, that simply isn’t true. One of the problems is what people eat potatoes with.”
He also called for a repositioning of the potato as one of a “six a day”. “That would create a huge opportunity for the whole industry to step forward,” he said. And so too, many are arguing, would GM.
THE NEXT LEVEL
The World Potato Congress provided a unique insight into every aspect of the potato industry - from the challenges facing growers to consumer acceptance of GM foods. There were also some quite staggering statistics and research presented by a host of top speakers from around the world. Here are some of the highlights.
CHANGE IN ATTITUDES
Global research from Ketchum showed that when it comes to buying food, attitudes have changed. The purchase hierarchy is now ‘quality, price and taste’ rather than ‘taste, quality and price’. Linda Eatherton, a US director at the global marketing specialist, explained the switch. “Consumers expect all products to be high in taste as a standard. Quality is a code, worldwide, for foods that are good for me, my family and the planet.” As such, the issues of nutrition and health were also “rising towards the top” of the decision-making process, she added.
6 A DAY
There was a huge amount of research and information presented on the health benefits of potatoes. In the UK, work is ongoing to encourage the Department of Health to reposition potatoes as part of a ‘six a day’ message. Greenvale AP chief executive Angus Armstrong said it would be “a long road” but, if successful, it could “move the whole industry forward”.
In the US, where the potato is classified as a vegetable, the Alliance for Potato Research and Education has been formed to unite the potato industry and educate consumers about the role of potatoes - and French fries - as part of a balanced diet. “Somewhere along the way, starchy vegetables have become vegetables to avoid and synonymous with ‘bad’,” said APRE president Dr Maureen Storey. “But don’t let that fool you.”
E-POTATOES
Though there was plenty at the congress for agronomists and growers to get their teeth into, one of the more interesting technical workshops focused on the ‘e-potato’. Iwan Pauwels, digital director at marketing specialists Darwin BBDO in Belgium, described the potential for using everything from Facebook to QR codes in the potato industry. “Food lends itself very well to this kind of marketing,” he said. “The important thing is to have products that people are passionate about [because] people are willing to get involved.” Pauwels also offered some ‘top tips’ for those wanting to engage with consumers and customers in the world of social media:
LISTEN:
Understand what the consumers are saying before wading into their conversations online.
BRING REAL VALUE:
Establish what connects people and how you can bring them real value with what you say.
AMPLIFY:
Encourage people to discuss and talk about your content. Make it a two-way conversation and eventually you’ll have some brand advocates.
MEASURE:
There are a variety of ways to measure what you are doing, but make sure you do. -
BRANDS MATTER:
Brands really do matter, according to the research by Ketchum. While the UK potato aisles are by no means replete with brands, those at the congress from overseas were notably keen to hear the likes of Ronnie Bartlett speak. Barlett is managing director of Albert Bartlett, the company that has backed its Rooster brand of potatoes with big marketing budgets.
Tim O’Connor, president and CEO of the US Potato Board has admitted that “there’s nobody in the US doing anything of that magnitude to market”. The irony, of course, is that the Rooster ads involve an American actress made famous by an American series.
Many in the congress would have been inspired by Bartlett’s presentation, which took delegates from the early days (the first company to pack carrots in plastic bags) to the Marcia Cross advertising campaign and how to successfully brand potatoes.
“The process has to start with the consumer, what are they looking for and what can we learn from the food trends,” he explained. “Fresh potatoes are a sleeping giant of a category and have a connection with consumers that other categories could only dream of. The versatility of our products would also turn other category managers green with envy.”
The ‘they do more’ strapline in the campaign is testament to that. McCain Foods regional CEO, Nick Vermont, also described how his company, as well as others, has allowed the process of making potato products get in the way of the emotional connection that people have with potatoes. He described McCain’s move to “go on the front foot” with its ‘It’s all good’ marketing campaign. After implementing a number of changes, including saturated fat and salt reductions, the products “started to be seen as part of the health debate solution rather than the problem”, he said. “You need confidence in your product to dispel the myths.”
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