Making A Name For Wild Alaska Pollock

What makes a new song a major chart-topping hit? Is it the catchy lyrics? The emotional appeal? The relevant subject matter or current event that forms the inspiration for the song? What makes a band like The Beatles' popularity span generations or allows for songs like Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” to be played at even the most millennial weddings? There’s countless songs that have stood the test of time and those new releases that get stuck in your head and you just can’t stop singing no matter how hard you try.

The “secret sauce” that makes a song a hit is the same secret sauce we’re going to try and capture as we attempt to make Wild Alaska Pollock a household name. The GAPP Board of Directors, at its April 2nd meeting approved the GAPP Strategic Plan—and a major facet of this plan for the next year involves crafting a compelling narrative for Wild Alaska Pollock that we can all tap into and use. This consistent, enigmatic narrative is critical for our industry’s success—we need to create a surround sound, or amplifying effect, all using a narrative that we know resonates with our consumers both here and abroad.

This component of the strategic plan directly builds on the component of the plan that focuses on research—once we know what consumers are seeking and where we can connect with them—we can create a narrative that has emotional appeal, that’s relevant to our target audience, and that has that special “hook” that keeps folks coming back for more.

We’re hoping to bring sexy back for Wild Alaska Pollock—looking to have some fun and to craft messages that share the facts behind our fish, but also that share those facts with our customers and consumers in a way that’s fun and flirty. We’re going to rigorously test these messages to make sure that they’re hitting the mark and then we’re going to engage with all of our members and food industry partners to ensure that we’re all using these tested messages consistently—just like a radio station playing a new song over and over…we need to do the same with our narrative.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Wild Alaska Pollock has a great story to tell; the foundation we need is there. We don’t have any of the proverbial baggage that other traditional animal proteins have—we’re clean, natural, harvested fresh from the ocean by American fishermen, and we’re a nutritious, delicious source of protein and essential vitamins and minerals. In short, we’re the perfect protein. But we’re also the perfect protein that everybody eats and loves—but no one can name. That’s what we have to change.

We’re on a mission to create a name brand for this perfect fish—our perfect fish. Last week we announced that we brought on Ketchum, a renowned PR agency to help us craft the narrative that captures hearts and minds. Ketchum will help analyze the research we collect and see where the opportunities are to reach consumers and motivate them to know and love Wild Alaska Pollock.

I have a feeling it’s only a matter of time before Wild Alaska Pollock is a chart-topping hit with consumers, and that its popularity will reign for years to come, spanning generations like the best classic rock ballad.