IN MAY 2009, the United States Potato Board received official notice that "Potatoes.Goodness Unearthed" had successfully completed the trademark registration process. It is now a registered U.S. patent and trademark owned by the U.S. Potato Industry.
In 2007, this new round of message development revealed the positive potato nutrition message remained the most effective way to reach consumers. "Potatoes.Goodness Unearthed" was developed after several months of in-depth consumer research by Sterling Brands, a leading New York City-based international branding agency. This industry-wide campaign signature is the new way to deliver the potato nutrition message that is breaking through and repositioning potatoes in consumers' minds.
"Potatoes.Goodness Unearthed" is becoming a long-term, comprehensive, industry-wide effort to establish a lasting consumer identity for potatoes. Just as "Pork. The Other White Meat," "Cotton. The Fabric of Our Lives" and other commodity promotion programs have sought to create strong bonds with consumers, this campaign signature helps consumers connect with the core nutrition message "potatoes are good for you." This message empowers consumers to view potatoes in a way to which they have always related-potatoes are a healthy, nutritious, good-tasting, nurturing food.
Industry members across the country are rallying behind "Potatoes.Goodness Unearthed." Shippers are including the campaign signature on their bags, boxes, bins and other in-store promotion materials. Growers, like George Cariveau of Angus, Minn., have even placed the campaign signature on their farm trucks.
How effective has the "Peel Back the Truth" ad series been? The ads appeared in the fall 2008 and the winter and spring 2009 issues of Cooking Light, Redbook, Southern Living, Taste of Home, Weight Watchers, Parents, Family Circle and Woman's Day.
The VISTA Print Effectiveness Rating Survey, a reader survey measuring reader involvement and advertising effectiveness, 21 percent of readers reported a more favorable opinion of potatoes after seeing the ad, and 53 percent reported purchasing or planning to purchase potatoes.
The USPB's ad ranked third (out of 73 total ads) on percentage of respondents who reported purchasing the product as a direct result of viewing the ad. The USPB's ad scored 39 percent. The top ad, by Subway Restaurants, scored 44 percent-only a five percentage point difference.
The USPB ad handily outperformed the issue average score for readers who remembered a specific ad, and took or planned to take one of the actions listed as a direct result (USPB 70 percent, issue average 57 percent).
"Potatoes.Goodness Unearthed" is owned by the U.S. Potato Industry, and is available for growers, shippers, packers, retailers and allied industry members in all regions of the United States. Growers and shippers who have previously incorporated "Potatoes.Goodness Unearthed" are encouraged to use their remaining stock of packaging and retail materials. Once these materials have been depleted, contact USPB Industry Communications & Policy Manager David Fairbourn by phone at (303) 873-2331, or by email at david.fairbourn@uspotatoes.com, to receive the updated artwork files so you will have the most current version of "Potatoes.Goodness Unearthed" for your future marketing needs.