Trident, Sysco, and other companies submitted winning proposals to become 2025 program partners with the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) and have received funding to promote Alaska pollock.
The winning bids, selected among 34 partnership proposals, were announced recently at GAPP’s 2024 annual meeting in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
“This year’s partnership program was our most competitive yet, and we’re excited to work with all of our new and returning partners to continue building demand,” GAPP Partnerships Director Ron Rogness said in a release.
GAPP, a Seattle-based nonprofit that advocates for Alaska pollock in the global marketplace, recently awarded USD 4.4 million (EUR 4 million) in funding to U.S. companies to promote Alaska pollock.
One returning GAPP partner is Seattle-based Trident Seafoods, which aims to use the funding to continue building on promotion of pollock products at sports and entertainment venues and at Costco stores nationwide.
Gloucester, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based Gorton’s also received GAPP funding to support its core products through its “The Sea Belongs to Everyone” campaign.
Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A.-based seafood brand Trans-Ocean will continue its successful series of digital campaigns promoting its Crab Classic line of products, which feature pollock, to retail outlets.
King and Prince Seafood in Brunswick, Georgia, U.S.A., received funding to promote its Parmesan-Crusted Wild Alaska Pollock fillets.
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada, U.S.A.-based High Liner Foods will support Alaska pollock during Lent in early 2025 at an unnamed quick-service restaurant chain.
Houston, Texas, U.S.A.-based foodservice distributor Sysco is a new partner of GAPP’s and will promote pollock through targeted emails to customers and through its in-house publications, while quick-service chain White Castle will promote its Fish Nibblers and Fish Sliders made with Alaska pollock during the 2025 Lenten season.
Lacey, Washington, U.S.A.-based Harbor Foods’ will promote its Skippers line of breaded Alaska pollock in convenience stores throughout the Western United States.
Startup Mama Hu’s Sushi Bakes in Norwalk, Connecticut, U.S.A., will use partnership funds to expand its footprint in retail outlets, while Gourmet Fusion Foods will market its line of surimi seafood products at Los Mariscos stores throughout California.
International firms also received GAPP partnership funding.
Irura, Spain-based food and beverage firm Angulas Aguinaga aims to continue to build Spanish consumers interest in its Krissia brand of surimi made with Alaska pollock, GAPP said.
And returning partner Nissui will continue to promote its Spicy Wild Alaska Pollock roe products in Costco stores in Japan.
Colombia-based seafood processor and distributor Antillana will use funds to promote its line of surimi- and fillet-based pollock products in Colombian retail and foodservice channels.
Two new international partners for GAPP include Brazil's Noronha Pescados, which will market its Maritos line of pollock nuggets to children, and São Paulo, Brazil-based Notorious Fish, which will promote its pollock products to Brazilian consumers.
All of these efforts seem to be paying off, according to GAPP. Consumer awareness of Alaska pollock has soared since 2019, growing by 6 percent over that time, Ketchum Analysts experts shared at the annual meeting.
Referencing other whitefish as a benchmark for performance, Ketchum found consumers favored Alaska pollock over haddock on metrics including familiarity, positive opinion, and intent to eat for the first time last year. Alaska pollock closing the gap with both tilapia and cod on the same indicators, GAPP said.
“We see that the more people know about wild Alaska pollock, the more positive opinion they have of it,” Ketchum Data Analyst Melissa Kinch said. “Seventy-two percent of those who know a lot about wild Alaska pollock have an excellent or very good opinion of it versus 38 percent who know ‘some’ and 26 percent who know ‘a little.’”
Ketchum noted Alaska pollock enjoyed an uptick in familiarity among millennials, low-income consumers, and those who think sustainability is important, Ketchum Data Analyst Laure Hasse said.
“Consumers are becoming even more price-sensitive, and fish has an inherent connotation as expensive. Three-fourths of consumers have noticed a price increase in fish over the last year – with beef, dairy, and chicken the only animal products outpacing fish,” Kinch said. “Amid these rising prices, fish eaters are prioritizing affordability and value in their fish purchases and turning to frozen.”
