San Francisco, CA – Side Delights® potatoes, the creator of Steamables, America’s #1 selling line of microwaveable potato bags, announced today a food blogger influencer marketing program targeted to Millennial consumers. Side Delights® potatoes is building a food blogger collective to share unique branded potato recipes just in time for the holidays. The program, “Mash It or Smash It Tonight – What Do You Do?” will encourage food bloggers to post original recipes during the 30 days leading up to Thanksgiving with an emphasis on weeknight mashed or smashed potatoes. The blogger posts and photos will link to the Side Delights® website and will use the hashtag #MashItOrSmashIt.
The program will engage relationships with food bloggers, home cooks and influencers who are using potatoes and sharing their recipes through the bloggers’ social media channels, building brand awareness. The #MashItOrSmashIt program will be amplified with social media posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, increasing the impressions and awareness.
Side Delights® sees Millennials as an increasingly important consumer base, and is increasing their brand awareness efforts to the segment by utilizing the media channels they spend the most time on.
According to Phil Lempert, Supermarket Guru, at the 2016 Potato Expo* on consumer views and shopping in January, Millennial consumers are passionate about food, but only 56% are confident in the kitchen. Nearly three out of four millennial consumers want to be a better cook. In addition, Millennials shop at more retail outlets than the baby boomer generation, which is good news for retailers.
“Millennial consumers are becoming an even more important to reach, and Side Delights® Steamables are the perfect, quick to cook potato product as they explore cooking,“ noted Kathleen Triou, President and CEO of Fresh Solutions Network. “The blogger challenge and Side Delights® Steamables provide a fun and easy way for millennials to experiment in the kitchen while creating brand awareness.”
In addition, retailers stocking the Side Delights® product will benefit from the impact the brand has on their transaction averages. Shopping baskets that include a Steamables purchase average nearly twice the register ring of a basket with any produce, $108 versus $56 respectively. Retailers can accelerate sales even more by locating Side Delights® Steamables potatoes in high traffic areas near complementary meal items such as rotisserie chicken and fresh prepared entrées as well as adjacent to the fresh meat, poultry and seafood sections.
“We know how important it is to evolve with our consumers. As an organization, we are engaging the millennial shopper in store and at home, raising awareness while creating demand and pull through which helps our retailers increase sales,” added Triou.
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About Fresh Solutions Network, LLC: Fresh Solutions Network is a group of family-owned growers & shippers who choose to work together to make the potato and onion industry better for everyone. FSN helps potato and onion buyers grow their categories, maximize category investment, and increase sales. We deliver competitive insights, collaborative innovation and customized assortment. Fresh Solutions Network, LLC partners are: Sterman Masser, Inc. (Masser Potato Farms and Keystone Potato Products in Sacramento and Hegins, PA), Michael Family Farms, Inc. (Urbana, OH), Basin Gold Cooperative, Inc. (Pasco, WA), Green Thumb Farms, Inc. (Fryeburg, ME), Red Isle Potato Growers, Ltd. (Prince Edward Island, Canada), NoKota Packers, Inc. (Buxton, ND), Sun-Glo of Idaho, Inc. (Sugar City, ID) and Mack Farms (Lake Wales, FL).
Source: Fresh Solutions Network, LLC
