More tools for the trade in CPAC 2007 marketing
More tools for the trade in CPAC 2007 marketing
Although total crop yield may be down 10 percent or so, Colorado potato marketers are not trimming their efforts and in fact have voted to allocate additional support to help shippers sell more.
"In addition to our merchandising effort with retailers, we are also devoting part of our budget toward more category research and tools to help our local shippers," Linda Weyers, administrator of the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee, said in a statement.
In a meeting held last summer, CPAC's marketing committee voted to focus retail efforts on core customers, or chains in regions where Colorado has a shipping advantage. Rather than blanketing the country, the focus allows CPAC merchandisers to better reward those customers who rely on ensured supply during a short-crop season.
"Retailers have told us they value our strong service philosophy," Ms. Weyers said. "We offer a unique blend of top-quality product and customer service, and we want to continue that tradition."
One of the tools being applied to the marketing effort this season is advertising tracking, or looking at promotional activity in specific markets and comparing this activity to market size and all-commodity volume.
"This helps our shippers see what is being promoted when and where, and it also helps our merchandiser open a dialogue with the retailers," Ms. Weyers said.
As support for this activity, CPAC also contracts with merchandising analysts to check out display activity at key market retail stores.
The group is also using the quarterly potato category management data available on-line from the U.S. Potato Board. This service, exclusive to potato industry members, compares scanner data in key markets during specific periods.
"This is another tool we are looking to use more to help us and also as a retailer-interaction tool," Ms. Weyers said. "Armed with good information, we can all make better decisions."
(For more on San Luis Valley potatoes, see the Feb. 5 issue of The Produce News.)
"In addition to our merchandising effort with retailers, we are also devoting part of our budget toward more category research and tools to help our local shippers," Linda Weyers, administrator of the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee, said in a statement.
In a meeting held last summer, CPAC's marketing committee voted to focus retail efforts on core customers, or chains in regions where Colorado has a shipping advantage. Rather than blanketing the country, the focus allows CPAC merchandisers to better reward those customers who rely on ensured supply during a short-crop season.
"Retailers have told us they value our strong service philosophy," Ms. Weyers said. "We offer a unique blend of top-quality product and customer service, and we want to continue that tradition."
One of the tools being applied to the marketing effort this season is advertising tracking, or looking at promotional activity in specific markets and comparing this activity to market size and all-commodity volume.
"This helps our shippers see what is being promoted when and where, and it also helps our merchandiser open a dialogue with the retailers," Ms. Weyers said.
As support for this activity, CPAC also contracts with merchandising analysts to check out display activity at key market retail stores.
The group is also using the quarterly potato category management data available on-line from the U.S. Potato Board. This service, exclusive to potato industry members, compares scanner data in key markets during specific periods.
"This is another tool we are looking to use more to help us and also as a retailer-interaction tool," Ms. Weyers said. "Armed with good information, we can all make better decisions."
(For more on San Luis Valley potatoes, see the Feb. 5 issue of The Produce News.)
