On May 23rd, 2012, the Idaho Potato Commission was contacted through Imalinx with a special request for taking Idaho Potatoes to the presentation of chef Willow Benet (chef of the restaurant Pikayo in Puerto Rico), within the event Madrid Fusión, an international competition of gastronomy carried out for the first time in Mexico.
The key messages of versatility and quality of the product were reinforced during the presentation of the event. A pre-baked frozen potato was used, and a new presentation was exhibited to the market.
The participant chefs and distributors showed high interest on learning more about the different presentations of Idaho potatoes.
The Idaho Potato Commission elaborated a market research in frontier states with the United States in order to explore the positioning of Idaho as the main origin of potatoes and the use of Russet potatoes in comparison with other varieties.
The conclusion showed that there exists a big opportunity to communicate the presence of different varieties of potatoes other than the white potato, especially in the eastern region of Mexico; as well as communicating the high-quality standard of Idaho as an origin which is recognized in the United States.
A two-week promotion was undertaken in stores of Gigante in Reynosa and Matamoros. The program included a massive exhibition of potatoes in the produce department where a free potato and educational materials were given away to each client who visited the store. Sales increased to double digits.