Promotions and events have generated significant awareness of Maine lobster leading up to today, the first ever National Lobster Day in the United States.
U.S. senators from Maine, Angus King and Susan Collins, along with the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC) pushed for approval of the legislation to get the national day designated in early August.
“If we can get someone in Chicago to think about Maine lobster, then National Lobster Day is a success,” said Matt Jacobson, executive director of the MLMC.
Leading up to National Lobster Day, the MLMC and its public relations agency, Weber Shandwick, set forth several national marketing and publicity initiatives around Maine Lobster.
“We’re reinforcing Maine Lobster’s extensive history of sustainability and traceability, as well as the impact the multi-generational family businesses have on Maine’s economy,” Jacobson said.
The MLMC is also sharing Maine lobster recipes and tips via its chef ambassadors, which include Ben Pollinger, Barton Seaver and Andrew Gruel. The chefs and MLMC are communicating with fellow chefs, retailers and others about what makes new shell Maine Lobster special, including its “tenderness, sweetness and seasonality,” Jacobson said.
In addition, MLMC hosted an immersion trip for chefs and media 16 to 18 September so they could get a first-hand account of what Maine lobstermen and processors do. The trip included a lobster boat tour and a tour of Maine lobster processors and dealers, including Cozy Harbor, Ready Seafood, Cape Seafood and Atlantic Edge. The immersion trip also included a tour of Oxbow Brewing Co., which makes a Maine lobster beer, and meals at restaurants such as Eventide and Street and Co.
“We’ve received very positive feedback from attendees and overall garnered 259,594 social media impressions from chefs and media,” Jacobson said. “We are very pleased with how each place the attendees visited reinforced the messages around new shells’ seasonality and taste, as well as the history of the industry and its sustainability practices.”
MLMC has also garnered national media coverage such as a Huffington Post article and has conducted social media campaigns such as a #25DaysOfLobstercountdown on Instagram. “We also expect additional media coverage later this week, including broadcast segments across the country showcasing dishes with Maine Lobster,” Jacobson said.
