Retailers Hook Seafood Shoppers With Alaska Promotions

After a successful year of seasonal promotions with dozens of grocery partners—such as Walmart, H-E-B, Kroger, Hy-Vee, Whole Foods and Albertsons—the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) is launching two promotions on Ibotta, an app-based digital coupon platform, for fiscal year 2018.

The first promotion, “Feed Your Fitness,” will launch in January, featuring frozen Alaska cod and salmon as well as functional nutrition messaging with New Year's resolution seekers in mind. ASMI’s second promotion will occur over the Lenten season in partnership with Columbia Crest H3 wine brand, highlighting Alaska pollock products in a joint bonus offer with select wines, including new recipes and wine pairings by chef Garrett Berdan.

The Juneau, Alaska-based company will also continue its program with Alaskan Brewing Co., featuring Cook it Frozen in-store demos of Alaska seafood with select retail partners after its success last summer with the installation of more than 80 displays with food samplings and over 70 grocery stores.

“ASMI has worked with almost every one of the 20 largest retailers in the U.S. to promote the Cook it Frozen techniques,” says Victoria Parr, domestic marketing director for ASMI. “We have a network of personal chefs we use to execute the in-store demos for many retail partners; other retailers have their own demo staff [or] teams.”

Related:ASMI Announces Responsible Fisheries Management Program Improvements

The company collaborates with retailers and food companies nationwide to increase awareness of the Alaska Seafood brand. In 2017, the company partnered with dozens of retailers for holiday and seasonal promotions, including October’s Cook it Frozen campaign, celebrating National Seafood Month with more than 1,000 demos across 10 grocery chains.

The 2017 promotions have proven successful, based on proprietary research conducted on behalf of ASMI, which found that branding with either the Alaska seafood logo or the name “Alaska” are both positive influencers of purchase behavior and create a positive consumer impression of the retailer; 72% of consumers surveyed said seeing the Alaska Seafood logo would increase their likelihood to purchase, and 78% of consumers equate retailers that display the Alaska seafood logo with caring about offering high-quality seafood.

Last year’s Alaska Pollock Lenten promotion featured a coupon for frozen Alaska pollock launched on the Ibotta platform, which was valid at 158 grocery retailers, resulting in over 22 million impressions, 118,000 coupon unlocks and 37,000 packages sold.