BALLARAT potato growers notched up an impressive win for the little guy, writes EMMA FIELD

How did 41 Ballarat potato growers force a stunning backdown by global giant McCain Food?

It appears the David-Goliath triumph came down to a combination of good timing, an excellent use of the media and some opportunistic political intervention.

Ballarat growers group chairman Dominic Prendergast put the win down good timing - withholding supply stopped processing at the factory - and the Canadian company's aversion to the media spotlight.

"We picked the right time to do it, they needed the potatoes as they are a hand-to-mouth operation," Mr Prendergast said of the McCain factory near Ballarat.

The growers held four days of protests blockading McCain's factory with 50 tractors and refusing to supply the food giant. A hectic media campaign attracted nationwide publicity and included independent MP Bob Katter and former AFL star Danny Frawley.

"They (McCain) don't like the media and we hired a PR company to target that," Mr Prendergast said.

RMIT University public relations lecturer Caroline van de Pol said the campaign was an excellent example of strategic communications as they successfully raised the profile of the issue and the protest had a clear outcome.

"Not only did they deliver a clear message, but they used clever media tactics," Ms van de Pol said.

McCain issued nothing but guarded media statements once the campaign began, but the potential damage to their brand and losses at the factory were obviously taken seriously.

McCain's Australian and New Zealand managing director, Steve Yung, joined the negotiations on the protest's second day, the same day the factory ran out of potatoes.

The supermarket milk price war debate assisted growers with a further message of support by Senator Nick Xenophon linking the two issues.

Pressure also came from competitor Simplot which recently offered Tasmanian growers $40 a tonne more than last year.