New B2B Ad Campaign Markets Md. Seafood as Fresh and Fashionable to Restaurateurs and Retail Seafood Buyers
ANNAPOLIS - The Maryland Department of Agriculture's Seafood Marketing Advisory Commission is launching a provocative advertising campaign touting the freshness of Maryland seafood in the March issue of Seafood Business. The campaign, created by Marriner Marketing Communications of Columbia, MD, is in response to competitive pressure from foreign seafood.
"The campaign is integral to our mission of promoting increased consumption of Chesapeake Bay seafood," said Maryland Agriculture Secretary Roger L. Richardson. "With less expensive, lower quality alternatives available, this campaign reinforces what knowledgeable chefs and consumers already know - nothing beats fresh Maryland seafood."
The full-page ads feature Maryland seafood as fashionable "accessories." With headlines that include "Fresh gets noticed," and "Fresh turns heads," the campaign shows that the freshness of Maryland seafood defines the retail or foodservice establishment in which it is sold. The ads support key Maryland seafood categories; striped bass as a necktie, oysters as a necklace, and Maryland blue crab as a bracelet.
The national campaign kicks off in March in conjunction with the
International Boston Seafood Show, March 11-13. It will include insertions in
Seafood Business magazine.
MDA's Seafood Marketing Program promotes the increased sale and consumption of Maryland seafood and aquaculture products through education, promotion, and advertising. The total estimated value of the Maryland seafood industry is $700 million. There are 74 processing plants employing 1,391 people and over 6,600 watermen who work the Chesapeake Bay. Marketing activities are paid for by a $10 surcharge fee that is collected from commercial fishing and seafood processing licenses.