Potato Grower

36 POTATO GROWER | JUNE 2018 REAL FOOD. REAL PERFORMANCE. New campaign highlights potatoes' ability to enhance athletic performance Potatoes USA By Sarah Reese Global Marketing Manager It is time to shift the conversation from giving people permission to eat potatoes to telling them why they should eat potatoes. What are you eating? That's what Potatoes USA will be asking consumers when it launches its new campaign designed to reach athletes. Talking to athletes represents a huge opportunity for the potato industry. Sixteen percent of the population in the U.S.—some 30 million people— exercise at least two times per week and participate in competitive events. That performance athlete segment of the population will be the initial target audience as Potatoes USA embarks on this new approach. Future efforts will drive to expand the audience from performance athletes to athletically active consumers, to everyday hardworking individuals looking to fuel their activities. It is time to shift the conversation from giving people permission to eat potatoes to telling them why they should eat potatoes. No more apologizing! Through a process of analyzing potato characteristics and their implications, athletic performance was identified as the one lifestyle benefit that could strengthen the potato industry's position in the marketplace. To learn more about the exercise and nutrition habits of American adults, Potatoes USA conducted a full segmentation of the U.S. Some of the top findings include: • America's favorite methods of exercise include fitness walking, running, weight training and cycling. • Athletes most often try to incorporate protein, fiber and vitamin—into their diets. • Thirty-eight percent of active people use potatoes in relation to exercise. • Potatoes rank fourth as a top-of-mind source of carbohydrates for fuel. • Active people prefer eating naturally grown food over MOSES LAKE 1429 Pioneer Way 509-765-0988 OTHELLO 1415 S 1st Ave 509-488-5222 PASCO 5806 N Industrial Way 509-543-7166 Evergreen Implement is now RDO Equipment Co. The same great people and equipment you know and rely on— from a family owned business celebrating 50 years of experience. www.rdoequipment.com Commitment to you and your land. RDO does that. 172732RDOEqu13h.indd 1 3/19/18 4:01 PM processed. Potatoes are real food that will help athletes drive their performance as they strive to reach their goals. The "What Are You Eating?" campaign reintroduces potatoes as performance food and will highlight the way athletes fuel. The campaign will celebrate moments of personal achievement and respond to the question, "What Are You Eating?" with the response, "Potatoes. Real food. Real performance. The "What Are You Eating?" campaign will launch in July 2018, will be integrated across all of Potatoes USA's marketing programs, and will include social media advertising, nutrition and athletic performance influencer education, media relations, recipe and content development, consumer and influencer events, and strategic partnerships. Potatoes USA has already started engaging with athletes online, in the media and by aligning with key events like Ironman and runDisney. Athletes have loved learning about potatoes and performance. Athlete perceptions of potatoes are already changing; athletes love including potatoes in their pre-, during and post-workout diets. So, the question is, what are you eating?

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