The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) has canned its long-serving Japan marketing representative, R&L Associates Co. Ltd., notifying the company in April that its contract would not be renewed beyond July 2011.
Japanese inquiries were temporarily re-routed to Alexa Tonkovich at the Juneau office, who also manned the organization’s booth at the Japan International Seafood & Technology Expo in July.
On 2 May, ASMI issued a “request for proposals for a new in-country marketing representative (Japan).” Sixteen companies then offered written proposals in the first selection round, and six gave PowerPoint presentations in Tokyo in the second round of the process.
The on 7 September, a “notice of intent to award contract” was issued, with the tentative selection of Tokyo-based Aviareps Marketing Garden (Holdings) Ltd. ASMI’s bidding process is long and formal because it receives state and federal funding, which requires that it follow an open and competitive bidding process. The contract is expected to be finalized on 1 October.
Founded in Germany, Aviareps is a worldwide network of 40 independently owned offices that has specialized in representing airlines, airports and the tourism industry. The group already represents the Alaska Travel Industry Association in several countries, including Japan.
The firm is therefore familiar with promoting Alaska’s nature and wilderness, which is a big part of ASMI’s current marketing approach. But the firm’s lack of experience in promoting food products has led some unsuccessful applicants to complain about the fairness of the selection process in e-mails to the Japanese trade media and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, and to protest the decision to ASMI, which stands by its decision.
Aviareps is expected to hire staff with the required background to handle the account. In his personal blog, the company’s country manager, Tomo Shimada, wrote about the e-mail campaign: “I guess [this is] the price that we need to pay when we challenge new business opportunities.”
The Japan representative office, opened in 1987, was ASMI’s first overseas office. ASMI Japan conducts a variety of consumer and trade PR and promotional activities such as retail promotions, parent-child cooking classes, restaurant menu promotions, high school home-economics class collaborations, as well as trade shows, seminars and receptions. Japan has been Alaska’s largest and most stable seafood export market for more than 40 years.
