One of the biggest complaints against rubber-stamping a levy placed on landed lobsters to fund a generic lobster promotion plan for Canadian lobsters has been the lack of any plans.
Harvesters and processors — especially in LFA 33-34 — are posing the question of planning as other sectors of the Maritimes were agreeing with the idea of a levy.
Until the industry in LFA 33-34 decides where to go on this issue, the Nova Scotia government has its hands tied because this area represents the most productive fishing sectors in Canada.
The plan, prepared for the Lobster Council of Canada, is now in the public domain.
Marketing Canadian Lobster to the World is a very comprehensive and well thought out road map to achieve this aim.
The main aorta of this map is the levy.
Produced by Argyle Communications of Toronto, it lays out a three-year outlook of what needs to be done and how it is to be funded.
It is a well-documented fact that generic marketing programs executed by food and agricultural commodity groups have shown positive returns on investment, the report states.
Remember that elderly lady screaming on the tv set; Where’s the beef? That was a form of it. The dairy industry and other a sectors of agriculture have had great success in generic promotional campaigns.
The goal, according to the plan, is three-fold. (1) Position Canadian lobster as the premiere lobster in the world, and a protein of choice, in order to motivate both higher consumption and trade/retail purchases of Canadian lobster.(2) Strengthen relationships with consumers and those who influence them, in order to increase their awareness, understanding and demand for premiere Canadian lobster and (3) help establish Canadian lobster’s value based on premiere quality and not solely on price.
Target audiences identified in the plan include trade audiences like food service — including chefs — higher-volume restauranteurs, cruise ships and casinos, grocery and seafood retailers, seafood brokers and distributors.
“The desired trade audience is not driven solely by price. They seek high-quality lobsters with sweet flavour and high meat yield. Some will seek live; others will prefer the convenience of processed.
A multi-faced campaign will be introduced to target consumers who enjoy lobsters but may not necessarily know how to prepare them.
Geographic regions are identified and prioritized based on industry priorities indicated by key stakeholders.
Canada: Focus on trade and consumer audiences. The authors of the plan feel there is room to grow both live and processed lobster consumption, especially in central and western Canada.
United States: Focus on trade audiences only. Opportunities were identified with U.S.-based trade and food service (casinos, cruises, chef education). Costs to convince consumer audiences to select Canadian lobster over Maine’s would be restrictively high, the authors say.
China: Focus on trade audiences; future focus on consumers. Stakeholders repeatedly noted China as a priority market. Cities that receive direct flights from Canada are feasible targets. Exports are growing. Primary focus to be on trade in year one, consumer-facing tactics to be considered in the future.
Hong Kong: Focus on trade audiences; future focus on consumers. Hong Kong represents a distinct population from mainland China and should be targeted. It is a compelling region due to relative ease of shipping. Current consumption of lobster and market disposition toward premiere goods.
South Korea: Focus on trade audiences; future focus on consumers. South Korea is a developed, high-income market with high seafood consumption, and appreciation of premiere items and brands. It represents a growing opportunity for Canadian lobster. Marketing efforts should focus on trade audiences initially.
Belgium, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain: Focus on trade audiences. These countries traditionally purchase live and processed lobster from Canada, and therefore should be exposed to new premiere marketing initiatives. They remain important industry sales regions, identified by stakeholder and based on exports.
Websites will be created and trade information packages will be produced.
“Reaching trade audiences with timely information is the purpose of creating and disseminating quarterly electronic newsletters targeting specialty retail and foodservice audiences,” the plan states.
The e-newsletter will contain industry news, updated industry statistics, facts about Canadian lobster, profile of a harvester or processor, messaging that reinforces the Canadian Lobster brand vision, mission, promise and values.
The Chef Ambassador Program is interesting.
The goal is to identify and train a roster of respected and engaging chefs who understand the benefits of Canadian lobster and are able to deliver compelling key messages about the industry and product to identified audiences. This group can include chef ambassadors who align with and are fluent in the language of target geographical regions.
The report also advises that international marketing consultants be hired to develop customized plans to best reach prioritized target audiences.
By funding these marketing initiatives through a levy, industry members will have a strong vested interest in the program’s success. Ongoing communications about program milestones, initiatives and measure results will be key to sustaining industry support and ensuring the funding continues — and grows — over time.
“It is recommended the Lobster Council of Canada undertake three initiatives to help keep the industry informed and clearly show the ‘what is in it for me’ benefits for the industry and its members, and to ensure the program continues to build and improve,” the plan states.
These include an industry e-newsletter containing news and information about the marketing program.
The Lobster Council of Canada could create an annual progress report outlining how the levy dollars have been directed and what specific results have been achieved. The report could then be presented at the annual general meeting and include the opportunity for industry to provide program feedback.
“Finally,” the plan states, “the Council should consider hiring a third party evaluator — a marketing expert who does not have a vested interest in Canada’s lobster industry — to review program execution and results. The evaluator would report on an annual basis and offer objective, neutral feedback on areas of success and recommended program refinement, to ensure a path of continued improvement.”
All of this is hinges on industry levies.
