The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) has hired marketing expert Christine Durkin to help manage its partnership programs -- a project that has helped put innovative Alaska pollock products on the market.

Durkin will work part-time to manage the program's process for applying for funding, and help the group measure which marketing and product launches have the greatest impacts.

Since GAPP launched the partnership program in 2019, nearly $3.9 million (€3.3 million) has gone to North America campaigns and just over $1.2 million (€1 million) has gone to European campaigns. Among those have been partnerships with some of the largest seafood companies in Europe and the United States, including Young's Seafood, Gorton's, Cooke and Mowi.

The program most recently helped launch Trident Seafoods-supplied fish bites for this year's Lenten period.

GAPP has tightened application specifications and reporting requirements for the coming year and the next round of applications.

In addition to her partnership program work, Durkin will also work with GAPP Social Media and Membership Coordinator Lydia Moore on social media efforts and on special campaigns geared to foodservice as that segment continues to recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Durkin spent much of her career at multinational consumer goods group Unilever, where she worked as its digital foods marketing director for North America.