Idaho Potato Commission President and CEO Frank Muir plans to retire in mid-September.
He prioritized national branding and marketing since leaving a well-established corporate career in those disciplines in 2003 to join IPC.
“I was hired as an outside hired gun to do real marketing, and that’s what we’ve tried to do the past 18 years — to re-establish the Idaho potato brand and to make it relevant in a society that’s constantly changing,” Muir said.
Idaho produces nearly one-third of all U.S. potatoes and is the nation’s top producer.
Muir “could stretch a marketing dollar farther than any person I’ve ever known,” said commission board Chairman Todd Cornelison of High Country Potato, a shipper in Rexburg. “He always used the term ‘leverage,’ and he was a master at it.”
For example, separate recent television commercials by IPC and a national potato processor benefited the commission’s Idaho potato brand.
Cornelison said the commission is yet to establish the process it will use to pick a successor.
“We are going to be hard-pressed to fill Frank Muir’s shoes,” he said. “The search will be broad, to include all industries outside the potato industry.”
Muir said the board will have to decide what background and skill set it wants — a traditional executive director versus a marketing specialist, for example. If it were up to him, the board would “keep the pedal to the metal” in national advertising and promotion.
“It’s a complex industry with lots of opinions,” he said.
Muir arrived as low-carbohydrate diets dragged demand. He and the commission went on to advertise nationally, helped by the American Heart Association in 2011 certifying the state’s fresh potatoes as heart-healthy.
Farm-gate revenue roughly doubled during his tenure, boosted by national marketing as well as yield gains. The commission has several high-profile sponsorships and continues to develop national retail, foodservice and online promotions. It also helped redirect potatoes between customer sectors where needed amid various COVID-19 impacts.
A 2006-2007 Pale Cyst Nematode outbreak led to some field quarantines and lasting regulatory impacts that left some growers feeling the commission didn’t advocate for them.
Recently, some growers in the state’s high-volume east sought more representation on the board. And branding-fueled price premiums don’t always filter down to the grower, due to supply-and-demand factors and other market dynamics.
“We appreciate his service, but we look forward to ushering in a new era with new vision and new leadership,” said Stephanie Mickelsen, a PCN-impacted grower near Idaho Falls.
“Some marketing and promotion does need to happen,” she said. A question has been “if some promotion programs are really returning the value of what they are spending.”
IPC answers yes, citing the farm-gate revenue jump and the consumer “impressions” national advertising and sponsorships generate. It says it spends much less than many national consumer brands.
Muir, 65, said that in retirement, he plans to spend more time with grandchildren and on church-related service. He has also had some inquiries about doing consulting.
March 30, 2021 at 07:45AM
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Idaho Potato Commission CEO Muir sets retirement - Capital Press
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