During its last Board of Directors meeting, the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) approved an ambitious strategic plan to undertake its first-ever national sustained marketing program. The campaign will highlight the wild caught, sustainability, and nutritional attributes of Wild Alaska Pollock to United States consumers. Besides, in the same session, Inge Andreassen of American Seafoods was appointed as a new Board Member representing the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BS/AI) Catcher Processor sector.
In this 'always on' marketing campaign, the GAPP will use traditional media, but also social media influencers and other methods to help them generate more awareness and familiarity with wild Alaska pollock and its attributes. The plan also calls for the creation of a comprehensive research program to better understand the opportunities and barriers to the consumption of wild Alaska pollock in the United States. In addition, more than $1.5 million will be dedicated to its global partnership program to stimulate investment in innovation.
Craig Morris, GAPP CEO, expressed his satisfaction with the decision. "With our first-ever national year-long marketing program, we're excited to focus not only on the periods of high consumption—like Lent—but also on the periods where seafood and wild Alaska pollock are not top of mind for consumers. This GAPP campaign is meant to constantly re-introduce the consumer to the most sustainable, nutritious, wild-caught whitefish on the planet", he said.
In the same meeting, the Board also announced the appointment of Inge Andreassen, Chief Operating Officers of American Seafoods as its newest Board member, representing the BS/AI Catcher Processor sector. Andreassen replaces Mikel Durham, who served as GAPP's Chair of the Board for the last three years. "We are excited to welcome Inge to the GAPP Board and look forward to him continuing to help GAPP drive wild Alaska pollock forward, boldly, into the future and driving value for the fishery", said Craig Morris.
The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers announced too that will form a Nominating Committee to identify a new Chair of the Board. In the meantime, current GAPP Vice-Chair, Doug Christensen, will serve as acting-Chair. Moreover, the Board also approved a new Committee structure comprised of a Steering Committee to set the strategy for the organization and measure return on investment, and three standing committees that follow the GAPP priority workstreams: marketing, research and partnerships.