UK Baked potato campaign will use consumer specific targeted messages

A new marketing campaign to promote the benefits of the baked potato in the United Kindom by the AHDB will use in-depth consumer analysis to pick the right spud selling point for each segment of the market.

The campaign will launch in February 2021 with a budget of GBP 150,000. It follows a GBP 100,000 burst in the summer that promoted potatoes during the lockdown.

The health-conscious will be told about the nutritional benefits of the potato, while those who need to feed a growing family on a budget will be reminded of the convenience baked potatoes can provide at a pocket-friendly price.

Nicola Dodd, Senior Marketing Manager at AHDB:

“The potato is blessed by a fantastic range of selling points and is enjoyed in 94% of British households. People in these homes range from marathon runners to those juggling the school run – which shows there really is a baked spud for everyone.”

“We've invested in a new detailed analysis that shows not only what benefits will suit different groups of people, but also how these people behave online – so we can bring them the right baked potato-based inspiration, at the right time, in the right place.”

The campaign will be executed across social media channels, where we already have over 250,000 followers across specific consumer-focussed accounts on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. The additional budget will be allocated to reaching new people on digital channels.

Hello new designs, bye-bye 'Bud'

The campaign will feature a new suite of designs that will be available to share with levy payers in the New Year. This means that our summer campaign was likely the last to feature 'Bud the Spud' the cheeky sunglass-wearing potato that originally featured in 2015 as part of a GBP 4m four year campaign joint with Bord Bia in Ireland.

Nicola Dodd:

“We are excited about putting what we have learned from our consumer analysis, as well as our experiences of handling press inquiries on behalf of the industry.”

“Our targeting plan will deliver a campaign that promotes all of our key messages and ensures the correct messages land with the relevant groups of people.”

AHDB's summer campaign was seen five million times by British shoppers.