King Frederick II of Prussia introduced potatoes to Prussia in the 18th century to diversify their food supply beyond just wheat. Since potatoes were an unfamiliar vegetable, the king had to use creative marketing tactics to encourage the Prussian people to grow and eat them. He planted a royal potato garden with around-the-clock guards to pique people's curiosity. When the guards were not watching at night, townspeople began stealing the potatoes. This led more Prussians to plant their own potato crops, ensuring food security and popularizing the vegetable. Through persistence and innovative promotion, Frederick was ultimately able to change perceptions and introduce a new food source to his kingdom.

1. I heard this story some months ago and found King Frederick
the Great of Prussia, 1712-1786, a revolutionary master in the
field of marketing. He was a great statistician who greatly
expanded his kingdom. However the part of his life that
amazed me was how he introduced potatoes to Prussia.
Wheat was one of the primary food sources and King Freder-
ick II knew that reliance on one crop left his kingdom vulnera-
ble. He came across potatoes and he decided to introduce
them to his people given their nutritional content. The potato
is a delicious vegetable nevertheless it is lacking in the beauty,
appealing category. Prussians were not buying the potato
story and the king had to get inventive. So he enthusiastically
smacked his lips during state dinners to demonstrate the pota-
to’s appeal. Still, the majority of the kingdom’s population did
not see his delight and was not prepared to try the odd look-
ing vegetable.
The king ordered a plot of potatoes to be planted at the royal
gardens and he placed around the clock guards to protect the
crop. The town started talking about the vegetable plot and
wondered what was so precious that their king safeguarded so
much. The guards stopped looking over the plot in the eve-
nings and people started stealing the potatoes. Soon, the
Prussians were planting potatoes and the rest is a tasty and
nutritious history. The king was tenacious and did not give up
when his initial efforts did not produce desired results.
Perceptions is reality. Does your logo, promotion, employees,
yourself, pricing, storefront, website, reflect your reality? And
more importantly does this reality match your customer’s per-
ception of you and your business.
Your business is unique and so will be your perception and
reality situation. Call us at (520)515-5478 or e-mail Mrs. Cecil-
ia V. Rivas Schürmann at schuermannc@cochise.edu to set-
up an appointment to develop strategies to maximize your
profits.
How do your customers perceive your company?
Perception vs Reality
September’15
Marketing Tip