Ocean Brands is hoping to stand out in shelf stable seafood this summer with punchy visuals promoting its Gold Seal wild pink salmon.

The brand is activating its shopper program in Real Canadian Superstores, Save On Foods and No Frills, chosen because of product availability and the support it gets from those banners, according to Nola Martin, VP of marketing for Ocean Brands.

Gold Seal is running shopper assets that are heavy on appetite appeal – showing a full-to-the-brim sandwich – as well as conspicuous blocky gold font and a prominent Marine Stewardship Council badge, amplified on pack as well.

“Communicating with the consumer at POS is key, especially in a category that is more of a routine purchase,” Martin explains. “This vehicle is a great incentive for consumers to reconsider their intended purchase or to stock up on a pantry staple [and] it also provides a way to differentiate that is outside packaging, which in the case of tinned fish, is very small and already crowded.”

Martin tells strategy salmon is not a very seasonal item and that Ocean Brands hasn’t communicated on shelf for a few months, so this timing seemed right with families finishing the school year and heading into summer vacations. According to Martin, over the past few years, it’s supported Gold Seal through shelf programs, usually earlier in the year, around March and that this is the first time Ocean Brands has supported a late spring timeframe, hoping to build momentum into the summer.

Pink and Sockeye salmon are the largest SKUs in the Gold Seal portfolio, which has more than 40% market share of the salmon category in Canada.

The flavour of pink salmon, Martin claims, is more delicate than Sockeye and appeals to younger consumers. The target audience for campaign is 25- to 44-year-olds. Canned salmon has tended to appeal to an older demographic, but there is interest from younger consumers who Martin says the brand needs to attract to the category to ensure healthy growth in the future.

Additionally, this SKU is traditionally packed, which means that it is canned with skin and bones that increase the nutritional value of the product.

The brand has worked with Vancouver-based agency Blink for the past 3 years. Outside of the store, Gold Seal uses a mix of OOH, social (see, below) and search to target and generate interest from audiences.

Blink, canned seafood, Ocean Brands