BRAND STORY
Grown in Idaho®
Launching a new brand. Reviving an entire category.
Before you can disrupt a category, you have to fully understand it.
With a 5-year, $300 mm history of declining category sales, the frozen potato section was not a happy place in the grocery store. Lamb Weston, a recent spin off from Conagra, came up with an exciting product idea – the first line of frozen potatoes made exclusively from genuine grown in Idaho® potatoes. The goal wasn’t just to launch a new brand, but also disrupt and revitalize the entire category.
As AOR for the Idaho Potato Commission for nearly 20 years, we were well equipped to handle the assignment.
80 Years of Brand Building Available Day 1.
As a result of decades of consistent advertising, extensive research indicates shoppers generally feel that Idaho® Potatoes are superior to those from other growing areas. The strategic challenge was how to leverage Idaho® Potatoes brand equity to introduce and support the new Grown in Idaho® brand.
By adopting the messaging strategy currently in use by the Idaho Potato Commission, Grown in Idaho® fries generated immediate brand awareness and effectively co-opted millions of dollars in consumer spending that the Idaho Potato Commission (of which Lamb Weston is a member) had used over the years to communicate the superiority of Idaho® potatoes.
But the Idaho Potato Commission’s effort is focused on fresh potatoes in the Produce Department. We had to make sure that consumers would go to the Frozen aisle to pick up the product. And once they got there, that they would understand the unique product benefit.
A Seasoned Spokesperson for a Brand New Product.
The Idaho® Potato Farmer also sells Grown in Idaho® frozen potatoes.
As part of a multi-channel marketing strategy, we used Idaho® Potatoes’ well established spokes-farmer to introduce the new brand on television and digital video, and as part of Grown in Idaho® ‘s social outreach.
In addition to the Idaho heritage messaging, all broadcast and print stressed a tangible, key consumer benefit: they bake up Super Crispy on the outside while remaining soft and tender on the inside.
In the First 52 Weeks
+4.5%
Market Share
+2.5%
Category Growth
As a result of the successful launch, Grown in Idaho® has established itself as a significant player in the now-growing frozen potato category. And happily for us, earned EHY a shot at developing campaigns for other innovative Lamb Weston products.
