News & Events

Industry in Action: Oregon Potato Commission goes big with the OSU Beavers

October 18, 2022

There is a lot to brag about potatoes. They are more energy-packed than any other popular vegetable, naturally fat-free, cholesterol-free, and sodium-free, with only 110 calories per 5.3-ounce serving, and that is scraping the surface.

Recently, Potatoes USA interviewed Gary Roth, Executive Director of the Oregon Potato Commission (OPC), to learn more about the robust efforts the organization is taking to promote potato performance with Oregon State University (OSU).

OPC is in its second year of conducting a highly integrated campaign with OSU to educate consumers about potatoes’ nutritional and sports performance value. This campaign covers a sports calendar year from football to baseball. It has many touchpoints, including radio spots, in-venue LED signage and email blasts to the OSU database of 250,000 subscribers. One of the key components of this campaign is the involvement and support of OSU’s Head Sports Nutritionist for the entire athletic student body, who has a lot of influence on the athletes’ diets and will make an impact far beyond the campaign. It was a highlight when the Nutritionist went on statewide radio for five minutes to talk about how and why potatoes are such a vital part of an athlete’s diet across all sports at the university.

Another aspect of the campaign includes having an in-person presence at OSU’s first football game of the season. To help support efforts, OPC used Potatoes USA’s complimentary materials from the potato performance event toolkit to set up a booth near the football stadium entrance, which was a tremendous hit! With over 2,500 people stopping at the booth, there was plenty of opportunity to spark conversations – and the responses were very positive and receptive.

“The performance messaging produced for the industry gives existing potato lovers reasons to like them even more and teaches them how and why to consume them more in healthy ways. It also gives the skeptics information to reevaluate their thinking,” said Roth.

How to promote potato performance in your community

There are many ways everyone in the potato industry can do their part in spreading awareness of the nutrient-dense profile of potatoes and promoting the benefits of fueling with potatoes to reach the masses. No matter the avenue, Potatoes USA has resources and tools to help support, from event materials to creative assets to science-based messaging that can help shape your story.

Ideas on How to Get Involved:

Share content on social media.
Have a booth at a local event, such as a 5K.
Form a relationship with the land grant university in your state.
Join Team Potato and actively participate in the team’s community conversations and events.
Challenge the biased and inaccurate claims published on traditional and social media channels.
Wear apparel that promotes potato performance.

Please reach out to Media@PotatoesUSA.com with any questions.

Radio Clip

Listen to what Toni Longhand, OSU’s Director for Sports Nutrition, said about potatoes in a radio interview broadcast statewide. Additionally, hear more from Roth about what inspired OPC’s partnership with OSU.