Michael Moretti believes there’s no better time for U.S. seafood companies to refresh their online presence.
Moretti, the owner of Playa Del Rey, California-based American Taste, provides marketing services to promote U.S. food and agricultural exporters in Asia. Typically, at this time of year, he’s busy preparing his clients for the various trade shows focused on Asia’s seafood market, such as FOODEX Japan, which was scheduled for 10 to 13 March in Tokyo, Japan. However, that event was canceled, meeting a fate similar to that of many other seafood expos that have been either called off or postponed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
With the lack of in-person events around which to build a marketing campaign, Moretti is recommending that his clients focus on their digital efforts.
“U.S. suppliers need to keep up promotions to reach clients and potential customers. The best way is using web-based, social media, and e-mail applications to keep their message in the market,” he told SeafoodSource.
Moretti has been handling shows and events as a contractor for American Indian Foods (AIF), a program of the Intertribal Agricultural Council, which started the AIF program in 1998 under contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service. The partnership was developed as a platform for American Indian food businesses to showcase their products and share their tribal cultures with the world.
Additionally, Moretti had been working with Juri Noguchi, an agricultural marketing specialist with the Agricultural Trade Office, based out of the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, to complete a bilingual web directory for the USA Pavilion at FOODEX Japan 2020. However, when the expo was canceled, he and Noguchi pivoted and decided they could use the guide as a promotional tool to the buyers in Japan that might have gone to the show.
“At least they can get access to the U.S. companies that were going to exhibit,” Moretti said.
As he works with other trade offices for shows such as SIAL China in Shanghai, China, in September, and Gulfood in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in February 2021, Moretti said he is hoping to produce virtual guides for those shows as well.
“I’ve been inching myself to try and take more of these American companies online, and this presents a tremendous opportunity because I’ve already got the platform done. And when you take a look at the website and how the database works, it’s really easy. The work with Noguchi is the first step and then I may just bundle up with these other trade offices.”
According to Moretti, IAC is a participant in the Market Access Program (MAP), through which eligible organizations can request funding from USDA market development programs. Typically, the MAP program provides a dollar-for-dollar match for company export promotions. Fortunately for AIF, MAP grants for promoting exports can be moved from canceled shows to other events, or carried over to 2021.
