2024 - Your Commission at Work

Consumer Survey & Retail Workshop

This past year our team embarked on a survey targeting consumers in our chosen demographics via an “Attitudes & Usage” consumer survey which allowed us to learn more about the current sweetpotato shopper and consumer. Through this five-month process, we learned key insights and behaviors that have better allowed us to market to consumers. After the process was completed we dissected the findings into a day long workshop in February, led by FullTilt Marketing and our retail consultant, Don Ladhoff to help our growers and members better understand the findings and apply them to their everyday business. This member outreach program ended with a summary guide and a Zoom in August 2024, delivered in a manner to accommodate grower conflicts or who desired a refresher from February’s workshop. FullTilt recommends revisiting this endeavor every few years to keep a tight watch on changing consumer trends. These resources are available to you in your Member Portal . For assistance accessing your account, please call our office at (919) 894-1067.

Instacart We explored working with Instacart ads to increase awareness and sales for members of the platform. We utilized Instacart’s tools and insights to target consumers using the app and put sweetpotatoes front and center during their virtual shopping trips. Millions of high-intent consumers eager to discover and purchase items they might not be thinking of, use Instacart every day. Before the campaign started, we provided their team with SKUs from all growers who were willing to provide them with a chance to better target their items in the right target market. Almost $46,000 in sales was attributed to this campaign, which ran from January 1 to June 30 in the post-holiday/spring and summer period.

Nielsen/Byzzer

Also, as part of our retail program, we secured a year-long membership of Byzzer, a data and insights platform designed to provide sales data and insights to businesses. This platform has been instrumental in understanding consumers’ buying habits when it comes to sweetpotatoes and has helped our team share these insights with buyers when discussing the pilot programs being led by our retail consultant consultant, Don Ladhoff.

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