Wild Alaska Pollock Industry to Pursue Ambitious National ‘Always On’ Marketing Campaign for U.S. Consumers Focused on the Most Compelling Attributes of the Fish to U.S. Consumers

SEATTLE, Wash.— At their March 4, 2022, meeting, the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) Board of Directors approved an ambitious strategic plan and associated budget to undertake the association’s first-ever national sustained marketing program that will highlight the wild caught, sustainability and nutritional attributes of Wild Alaska Pollock to U.S. consumers, launch a comprehensive research agenda to better understand opportunities and barriers to consumption, and ensure GAPP’s hugely successful Partnership Program continues to thrive globally, GAPP announced today. As part of its March quarterly Board of Directors meeting, Board members signed off on the bold strategic plan for the coming fiscal year and sat Inge Andreassen of American Seafoods as a new Board Member representing the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BS/AI) Catcher Processor sector.

“I’m inspired by the confidence the Wild Alaska Pollock industry leaders that comprise our Board have in the organization and the passion they show in continuing to advance the fishery by building demand for our fish,” said Craig Morris, GAPP CEO. “During our Board meeting there was robust discussion and debate about the initiatives and levels of investment and that demonstrates a Board who are engaged and committed to ensuring the organization continues to deliver a high return on investment to the entire industry.”

As part of the plan, GAPP will devote over $1.5 million to its global Partnership Program, which is dedicated to spurring investment in innovation to put more Wild Alaska Pollock in front of more consumers in more ways, around the world, every day. The GAPP 2022-23 Strategic Plan also includes funding for an ambitious national “always on” U.S. marketing campaign which will focus on the wild-caught aspect of Wild Alaska Pollock, its unmatched sustainability story, and its nutrition proposition, utilizing social media influencers, traditional media, and other methods to drive additional awareness and familiarity of Wild Alaska Pollock and its attributes. Those three factors, wild-caught, sustainability, and nutrition, after taste and cost, have risen in GAPP’s annual nationwide consumer surveys as the three most compelling attributes of Wild Alaska Pollock and the most likely to convert consumers into “evangelists” of what GAPP believes to be the “perfect protein”, Wild Alaska Pollock.

“With our first-ever national year-long marketing program, we’re excited to focus not only on the periods of high consumption—like Lent—but also on the periods where seafood and Wild Alaska Pollock are not top of mind for consumers,” said Morris. “This GAPP campaign is meant to constantly re-introduce the consumer to the most sustainable, nutritious, wild-caught whitefish on the planet.”

The Board also welcomed Inge Andreassen, Chief Operating Officers of American Seafoods as its newest Board member representing the BS/AI Catcher Processor sector. Andreassen replaces Mikel Durham who served as GAPP’s Chair of the Board for the last three years. The Board will form a Nominating Committee to identify a new Chair of the Board. In the interim, Doug Christensen, current GAPP Vice-Chair, will serve as acting-Chair of the Board. The Board also approved a new GAPP Committee structure comprised of a Steering Committee to set the strategy for the organization and measure return on investment, and three standing committees that follow the GAPP priority workstreams: Marketing, Research and Partnerships.

“We are excited to welcome Inge to the GAPP Board and look forward to him continuing to help GAPP drive Wild Alaska Pollock forward, boldly, into the future and driving value for the fishery,” said Morris.

You can access the new GAPP 2022-23 Strategic Plan here.