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MARKETING MARKETING, just how important is it in aquaculture? BY PHIL JAMES, NOFIMA AS, NORWAY R ecently I attended the presentation of a doctoral thesis parameters such as customer choice and intent. Often it is in aquaculture marketing. Much like many of the necessary to use "substitute parameters" and these must be biological aspects of science the results were simple but very carefully considered prior to any study to ensure the made a big difference to the success of potential aquaculture results are valid for the question that is being asked. For example, when consumers in Norway are asked products. For example, the student had found that the customer wanted to be able to see the product, through the whether they are concerned about issues such as the use of packaging, and that sales of the product increased dramatically aquaculture diets containing genetically modified material, or have environmental concerns over aquaculture practices simply by presenting a product in a way that made it visible. As a biologist and aquaculture researcher, I am very aware or animal welfare issues, the answer is inevitably a resounding of the difficulties involved in producing aquaculture products "yes". However, this is not translated into customer behavior but I have never stopped to think about the success or when they are standing in the supermarket aisles where price and convenience become overwhelmingly more important. failure of a product in relation to the way it is marketed. y Furthermore, that if it is not done well, all that hard t An interesting trend in Europe is for retailers to Eu assuage the consumer work producing the product could be uct a conscience over such things wasted (See Editorial in the May/ c June Issue of New Zealand as environmental concerns Aquaculture). by advertising themselves as environmentally conscious Nofima AS in Norway e retailers which only stock is a food research institute ute r products that suit the moral consisting of 450 staff, divided vided p The ubiquitous and successful Atlantic salmon into four divisions: Production, (Salmo salar). According to Norwegian marketing experts conscience of their customers. TESCO it is a marketing "dream" product. in the United Kingdom is a great food, ingredients and marketing. example of this with the slogan "every little The marketing division consists of 15 people devoted entirely to researching the economics and marketing helps". This slogan can mean many things to many people – of seafood and aquaculture products. I approached Frode better product, cheaper product, better environmental choice – Nilssen, a senior scientist in Nofima's Marketing Division and combined with a donation system that goes towards charity in Tromsø who kindly offered to sit with me over a cup of organizations of the customer's choice is a great example of retailers soothing customer concerns and allowing them to focus coffee and "talk marketing". Here is what he had to say. Frode believes that even in Norway marketing research on the more immediate issue of cost and convenience. I cannot resist asking Frode why he thinks the Norwegian is not considered sufficiently in the development of new aquaculture products. Often extensive research on the salmon industry in particular has been so successful biological and production aspects of a new species is carried (production of over one million tonnes of farmed salmon out without sufficient investigation into its market potential. per annum) and whether this success will be replicated with Classic examples from Norway are the black spotted wolfish other species in intensive aquaculture systems in Europe. and cod, both of which are valuable wild fishery species but He believes salmon is a unique product and is unsure that have not been successful as farmed species – their failure has any other species could have similar success in terms of not all been market driven but market perception has played production and its ability to maintain its market dominance. In the 70s when the salmon industry was really starting to a role. Similarly, in New Zealand there a number of "new" aquaculture species that have not been successful despite develop it was seen as an exclusive product and the French there being sufficient biological knowledge to produce the market was the main export market for Norwegian farmed salmon. As production increased the customer market for species (examples include sea horses and sea urchins). So what is the current market research? The research farmed salmon expanded and changed. The product became implemented at Nofima adds value to both the fisheries cheaper as production volumes increased but it retained and aquaculture industry, and provides research-based the perception of being an exclusive product in the minds knowledge about markets, marketing channels, competition of the consumer. This was helped by its wonderful colour, and profitability as well as market trends and products. taste and general appearance. These are a marketing dream Knowledge of these subjects forms the basis for product according to Frode who believes that customers still retained development in Norwegian fishing fleets, the aquaculture the thought of a wild salmon swimming in crystal clear industry and seafood exports. Often the aim is to find how river waters when buying and eating farmed salmon and he Norwegian seafood companies can achieve competitive believes this continues even in customers today. So, the answer is unequivocally, yes, marketing is extremely advantages, based on knowledge about marketing, to make a product "stand out from the rest". This is important as the important tool for the ongoing success of both fishing and fisheries industry is often regarded as an industry where most aquaculture products. By ignoring how customers perceive products are quite similar and so it is important for a product seafood products, who is actually purchasing which products and why they are purchasing them, it is possible that the to be seen as unique. As Frode explains, marketing research is a relatively aquaculture industry will be missing out on a sizeable new science and it can be difficult to accurately measure chunk of potential revenue. JULY/AUGUST 2013 ■ NZ AQUACULTURE ■ 11