Seafood from Norway

Insight

Consumers have a bewildering array of options to choose from in the seafood section. It’s great for shoppers – but not ideal for brands fighting for space in their carts and minds. The U.S. seafood market is particularly crowded and widely undifferentiated, leading to stiff competition. The evolving retail landscape, along with confusing terms such as “sustainability” and “fish farming,” further muddy the waters at the fish counter.

Thanks to centuries of tradition, Norway is the world leader in responsible fish farming practices. Through rigorous standards and ocean stewardship, they produce tasty sustainably harvested salmon which is 99% antibiotic- and GMO-free. Despite several inherent advantages, Norwegian salmon was failing to rise to the top of the seafood marketplace. It was clear that U.S. consumers and retailers needed help understanding the benefits of Seafood from Norway’s superior salmon.

Padilla was tasked with getting that story out there, to build preference among seafood-lovers and, ultimately, increase market share and sales.

Idea

We tested the waters through extensive primary research and analysis, and discovered that consumers prioritize great tasting, sustainable foods with protective health benefits. Those foods also must be convenient meal solutions. The exceptional quality of Norwegian salmon and its epic origin aligned perfectly with this consumer sentiment. Yet there was little mention of its brand story and unique health benefits at the point of sale.

We set out to reach the target audience across the entire path-to-purchase by placing the right messages in the right place at the right time to increase preference and demand, and boost sales of Norwegian salmon – and to also build trust with retail partners, helping them better communicate Seafood from Norway’s benefits to grocery shoppers.

Impact

From retail and influencer partnerships to paid media and ecommerce tactics, our integrated campaign made a major splash and met every objective, as U.S. sales, consumer preference and brand awareness for Norwegian salmon as a top-quality sustainable seafood swelled.

Increased Sales + Market Share

• The U.S. became one of the largest export markets of Norwegian seafood at the beginning of 2023, exporting a total of 73K metric tons of seafood to the U.S. That’s a 4% increase compared to the same period last year.
• Sales increased from between 10% and 30% at key retailers, and consumer preference for Norwegian salmon grew by 80%
• E-commerce sales increased more than 55% including more than 70% from new customers (those who had not bought the product before).

Increased Preference

• Those saying they would “definitely” or “probably” purchase Seafood from Norway grew by 80%.

Increased Awareness

• Target audience awareness of the seafood’s Norwegian origin grew 55%.