The Alaska seafood industry is using sweeteners to grab sales among China’s gadget-mad middle classes, in a tie-up with one of China’s biggest restaurant chains.
Customers who purchase Alaskan salmon, flounder and crab meat at outlets of the Lu Yin Ge chain will be issued a scratch card which gives them the chance to win an iPhone 7. The offer began on 18 October and will run through 20 November.
Focused on southern China, the Lu Yin Ge claims to be China’s largest chain of restaurants serving Western-style food. Founded in 1989 with an outlet in the wealthy city of Guangzhou, Lu Yin Ge now has more than 100 outlets nationwide.
A comparative early starter in China, the Alaskan Seafood Marketing Institute has had an office in China since October 1997 and has been active in marketing, as well as bringing Chinese buyers on visits to Alaska. In recent years, ASMI has contracted with SMH International, a marketing agency with offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
At September’s Seafood Expo Asia in Hong Kong, SMH’s CEO Robin Wang explained to SeafoodSource how the firm organizes marketing campaigns on various Chinese e-commerce websites for its seafood clients. SMH also targets offline consumers, like those at Lu Yin Ge.
A florid advertorial illustrated with photos of dishes prepared by Lu Yin Ge describes “tranquil” Alaskan rivers and coastlines of pure, clean, cold water “pregnant” in Autumn with salmon, crab, black cod, Pacific cod, halibut and sole.
