John Toaspern:
As a further evolution of the marketing programs at the USPB, Sarah Reece, Global Retail Marketing Manager, will manage and implement the retail program in the U.S. market in concert with Nielsen’s Perishables Group. For the past year, Reece oversaw Don Ladhoff’s work as a consultant to the Board as he implemented many of the USPB Retail Marketing programs. Ladhoff worked with the Board from 2010, making significant improvements in the management of the potato category at retail.
Going forward, the USPB Retail Marketing Program will focus on increasing the purchase of potatoes at retail by the Board’s new target audience, ‘Food Enthusiasts’. The retail marketing program will also increase the number of contacts with U.S. shippers, providing them with direct insight into the tools available from the USPB to help them better market at retail. The Board will also increase retailer outreach by providing more retailers with insights into their potato category performance and information on the Board’s marketing programs and the impact of retail potato sales.
Black Gold Farms names sales director
North Dakota potato grower-shipper Black Gold Farms has a new fresh sales and marketing director. Don Ladhoff will work with Grand Forks, N.D.-based Black Gold on a contract basis, according to a news release.
Ladhoff, president of FreshSmartSolutions Inc., a retail marketing consultancy, has worked since 2010 on contract for the Denver-based U.S. Potato Board as manager of its retail programs. Ladhoff’s contract with the board ended June 30.
Ladhoff has more than 25 years of commodity and branded food sales and marketing experience.
“Don will immediately help us dig deeper and bring our sales and marketing efforts to a new level, and is further evidence of our commitment to become the premier red potato grower-shipper in the United States,” Eric Halverson, Black Gold’s CEO, said in the release. “Nobody else in the potato industry has the knowledge that Don has gained from working with all of the country’s largest retailers on their fresh potato categories.”
Source: The Packer
