Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon Summer Marketing Recap

This summer, Bristol Bay Sockeye marketing was in full swing! From a successful Summer of Sockeye campaign with influencer partnerships and national tv media coverage to Amazon Fresh store demos and appreciation from our major retail partners, Bristol Bay Sockeye was anything but quiet this Summer.

Summer of Sockeye

Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon promotions ran through the duration of Spring through late July. We are proud that over 8,000 grocery stores promoted Bristol Bay Sockeye in their seafood cases and freezers.

While these promotions were happening in-stores, our Summer of Sockeye campaign launched in June. We partnered with four influencers who served up Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon 8 different ways, enticing their followers to visit one of our many retail partners and experience the difference themselves at home!

After a hiatus during the pandemic, retail stores have welcomed back in-person chef demos. Bristol Bay sockeye salmon was served in the NE region at 20 Publix Stores, as well as in conjunction with Jackson Family Wines and ASMI in Safeway stores along the West Coast. All 44 Amazon Fresh stores ran Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon chef demos across the nation while amazon.com promoted online, including featuring Bristol Bay Sockeye during the ever popular Amazon Prime Day.

DC Salmon Week

This year our Washington D.C. Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon Week will be held during the week of September 18th-22nd. Bristol Bay Native Corporation will be holding their Bristol Bay Salmon Celebration event one week prior, creating a buzz around Bristol Bay Sockeye in the area. We are excited to announce our participating restaurant partners, and this year will mark our first year of partnering up with D.C.-region Whole Foods Markets during this same week in September.

Royal Caribbean + Alaska

This Fall, Royal Caribbean will be featuring invited Alaska Seafood harvesters and experts on their cruises to Alaska. We are excited to have 3 Bristol Bay Fishers aboard as special guest presenters to represent us! Cruise goers will have the opportunity to hear directly from the fishermen about the Sustainability, Alaska Communities and Family, and of course the wonderful Nutrition benefits of Alaska Seafood, including Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon.

Experiencing Bristol Bay Digitally and In-Person

Bristol Bay Sockeye was featured in many media outlets over the summer including:

▪ Boston Herald: 5 Ideas for Easy & Awesome Summer Entertaining, 7/13/23.

▪ MindBodyGreen: Your 101 Guide to Salmon: Health Benefits, Environmental Impacts & Cooking Tips, 7/28/23.

▪ Clean Plates: 22 Trader Joe’s Foods That Help You Destress, Say Nutritionists, 6/10/23.

▪ Perishable News: Summer of Sockeye Kicks Off in Bristol Bay, Alaska, 6/1/23.

▪ Bristol Bay Sockeye Satellite Media Tour reached over 1 BILLION impressions

The segment has received incredible pickup, with 56 TV placements, 84 radio airings, a handful of podcast airings and nearly 250 web placements including Amazon, Yahoo!, MSN and aol, for a total of 406 airings.

More people this year than ever enjoyed Bristol Bay sockeye in their homes and restaurants. But as our fishermen know, it is even more spectacular in person. This year, other Alaska seafood industry and affiliates brought up buyers from various retailers, restaurants, and even Seattle Kraken’s mascot Buoy. The impression left is always impactful and we are thankful for the local businesses and communities that help welcome them year after year.

Whole Foods Market Appreciation for Bristol Bay Sockeye

This summer, BBRSDA spoke with Jason Hedlund of Whole Foods Market about Bristol Bay Sockeye for an episode of Waypoints Radio. Jason spent over 14 summers as a Bristol Bay fisherman and now works as the Principal Category Merchant of Seafood Procurement for Whole Foods Market. The episode showcases how large retail partners like Whole Foods truly appreciate the hard work of Bristol Bay fishermen and the valuable product they bring to consumers across the country.