The logo and marketing materials, designed by Ethos Marketing in Portland, Maine, are intended to emphasise the fishery’s sustainability and community-based fishing fleet. They will mainly be used to promote the product on European and domestic markets, with a focus on the natural foods sector.

Peter Moore, an independent consultant hired by BBEDC to work on sales and marketing projects, said that the reaction from BBEDC’s board of directors – made up mainly of area commercial fishermen – was overwhelming when presented with the marketing materials last Thursday (September 26) in King Salmon. “The entire board of directors was really stoked,” he said. “They really felt that Ethos was able to represent their story – they were very, very happy.”

Moore explained the promotion was a culmination of collaborative work that he and consultant Greg Fisk have been working on for several years now. Heidi Love, a principal with Ethos, said that the logo - designed by Kiyo Tabery - would resonate with the growing group of environmentally-conscious consumer groups in the US and abroad.

“It was really important to capture the authenticity behind the communities in Bristol Bay,” said Love. “We wanted to make sure consumers understood how they differed from other wild producers around the state, as well as farmed producers.”

Along with the logo, the Ethos developed a seal for general use on product, booth materials for trade show presentations and a website, www.bristolbaywildsalmon.com.

Harvester-led effort BBEDC, one of the state’s community development quota groups, has been focusing its efforts on promoting wild salmon. This had particularly involved increasing the value of landed catch to community fishermen and increasing economic opportunities for area residents.

Moore said one of the unique aspects of the Bristol Bay branding project was that it was essentially harvester-led. The idea, he added, was that harvesters delivered a higher-quality product, processors would pay higher per pound prices because of the added margin they could receive from retailers.

“The extra efforts will be worth it,” Moore said. He pointed out that some processors in Bristol Bay paid up to 20 cents over the average 40 cent per pound price paid for sockeye this season. “That shows that they’re willing to pay a premium,” Moore added. “As fishermen move towards delivering quality fish, all the processors are going to have to start competing – which is good for the fishermen.”

Brand dependent on quality Moore said getting fishermen and processors to commit on quality standards to back up the logo was next. “The brand is dependent on a certain level of quality,” he said. “Buyers that purchase this branded product have to know what they’re getting.”

To address the quality issue in the traditionally high-volume Bristol Bay salmon fishery, the group is in the process of adopting the Alaska Manufacturers Association (AKMA) quality standards, which were used by Leader Creek Fisheries in Naknek this season to much industry praise. “When fishermen that were initially sceptical saw the fish that were coming in [under the AKMA standards], they said, ‘I’ve got to do this next year’. The number ones under the AKMA programme are incredible fish.”

Leader Creek Fisheries, along with Togiak Fisheries Inc (TFI) and Peter Pan Seafoods, have all signed onto the marketing campaign. Along with three fishermen, they make up an advisory board for the promotion that will make decisions over the coming year on how to implement the program.

Search for alternative markets Bristol Bay is coming off its worst season in nearly three decades – low ex-vessel prices and low harvest levels conspired to drive the value of the sockeye harvest down to a mere $31 million. Randy Roessler, plant superintendent at Togiak Fisheries Inc (TFI), one of three processors that has signed on to BBEDC’s marketing campaign, said that the industry had begun to realise the need for alternative markets – a need that never arose in the past.

“All our product went to Japan,” Roessler said. “We weren’t looking for any other markets – there was no need to sell domestically.”

Times have changed. But can the new campaign really develop new markets? It depends on the industry’s commitment, Moore said. “If the fishermen and processors really commit to this, it will work,” he said. “If they don’t take it on and take on quality improvements, it won’t.”

Roessler said that targeted marketing, and a shift of focus towards high-end niche markets is just what Bristol Bay needs. In addition, it's a model that has proved successful in other parts of the state.

“Anything we can do to promote Bristol Bay will help,” said Roessler. “When you look at what it has done for Copper River, it’s amazing.”

BBEDC will have four Bristol Bay fishermen in attendance at the Natural Products Expo East 2002 this week to present the materials and unveil the logo.

Bristol Bay unveils new salmon marketing campaign