IPC's Retailer Handbook is Available

After one of its busiest years in terms of marketing initiatives, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is distributing hundreds of comprehensive Retailer Support Guides to interested retailers nationwide. The guide highlights the IPC's retail marketing programs as well as consumer pull programs that retailers can leverage to help boost Idaho potato sales. "As a leader in the potato industry, retailers often come to use throughout the year wanting to know how they can increase potato sales and margins—either through promotions, advertising or pricing," says Seth Pemsler, vice president of retail and international. "We developed this guide five years ago so that retailers, in seconds, have access to POS materials, clip art and the consumer media plan, as well as our category management presentation and details on upcoming IPC promotions." The binder includes a consumer media plan, national public relations examples, a category management presentation, February Potato Lover's Month Display Contest, tie-in promotions, trade ads, POS materials and retail promotion directors, in addition to two DVDs with IPC clip art, logos and video clips. According to the Eagle, Idaho-based commodity board, the purpose to the guide is to serve as a roadmap for retailers, offering a year-long glimpse at the extensive consumer and retail initiatives that are taking place every month to drive consumers to their local grocery store to buy Idaho potatoes. It helps retailers with long-term planning and forecasting, as well as organizes all IPC information POS materials and other marketing tools in one place. "The most important aspect of the guide is that it is presented by the IPC's Retail Promotion Directors who 'walk' each retailer through the manual and highlight the most pertinent information," says Pemsler.