TV money expert Jasmine Birtles has held up the internet as a crucial platform on which the potato industry can communicate with young people and boost consumption among the under-30s.
She picked out a “two-year window of opportunity” brought on by the financial crisis, for the sector to use to its own advantage, but she insisted that marketing and promotional campaigns would have to use the right tactics if they are to catch on.
Birtles has her own money-saving column in the Daily Express and her own website, Moneymagpie.com, as well as a string of TV appearances under her belt. She shared her tips at the Potato Council conference SMashing the Credit Crunch.
She said: “The majority are fascinated by everyday products and this is where potatoes come in. The way I see it, you have a two-year window of opportunity here.
“There will be two solid years in which you can promote potatoes as a value product and one that will help feed the British family.
“There is a lot more that can be done this year and you should be able to have a really good push - independent producers, manufacturers and suppliers will all have a part to play, as well as the Potato Council.”
She singled out the buzzwords that will appeal to consumers -‘cheap’, ‘easy’, ‘quick’ and ‘healthy’ - in that order.
But Birtles insisted that online activity was the best way to home in on younger groups. She said: “You cannot underestimate the importance of YouTube and social networking sites Facebook, Bebo and Twitter in targeting younger audiences. There are plenty of opportunities for low-cost ads put out virally on YouTube. If it’s good enough, people will forward it to their friends and do your marketing for you. Make it funny, make it daft - this is what gets the message across, as we saw with Keith Chegwin and his chip tune.
“UK consumers hate to feel like they are being sold to.”
Kathryn Race, marketing manager at the Potato Council, agreed that the battle was on to engage young and pre-family groups, in order to tackle the potential long-term decline in potato consumption and fend off carbohydrate rivals rice and pasta.
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