This holiday season family gatherings will look a little different than past years.
A survey conducted by the research firm Morning Consult found that 47% of families say they will cancel holiday get-togethers. Almost half say they will shift from in-person celebrations to virtual.
Since this is the Idaho® potato industry’s busiest time of year, what does this mean for potato sales?
“We know that potatoes are the most popular side dish on the Thanksgiving table, and we don’t expect that to change,” explained Frank Muir, President & CEO, Idaho Potato Commission (IPC).
“We anticipate that Idaho® potatoes will remain at the top of shoppers’ lists, regardless of the number of people at their gatherings. We all know spuds can be prepared a variety of ways for one person or 25…and don’t forget the best part…the leftovers.”
The IPC’s priority this season is to keep Idaho® potatoes top of mind, make shopping for potatoes easier than ever before, provide new recipe suggestions for those who may be entertaining fewer friends and family and remind consumers that the best way to normalize this unusual holiday season is to embrace traditions including comfort foods like Idaho® potatoes.
A multi-tiered holiday campaign launched in early November and is designed to reach tens of millions of consumers across the country.
New National TV Commercial
The IPC begin airing its newest television commercial, called Side Dish, featuring Idaho® potatoes as anything but a side dish. The 30-, 15- and 10- second spots are airing on cable stations with extremely high viewership like Fox News, CNN, Headline News, History, Food Network, HGTV, Cooking Channel, Hallmark, NBC Sports, ESPN, Freeform, as well as streaming platforms Discovery Go and Hulu.
Digital Grocery
According to Supermarket News, nearly 80% of Americans have shopped for groceries online since the coronavirus outbreak. Experts believe this number will remain high for months to come, and through the holidays, Idaho® potatoes will be available to shoppers on three online grocery sites: Instacart, Albertsons and Kroger. Through targeted display ads and key word searches, boosted Idaho® potato searches, and digital aisle placements, the IPC will be able to increase Idaho’s share of online potato purchases during the busiest grocery shopping season of the year.
