September 8, 2006
Marketing Campaign Helps Florida Shrimp Industry Beset By Flood Of Foreign Imports
A three-year marketing campaign helped keep Florida’s shrimp industry viable in the face of unrelenting competition from foreign countries, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said today.
The “Wild and Wonderful Florida Shrimp” promotion, conducted by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services from 2004 to 2006, was instrumental in the sale of 2.7 million pounds of Florida wild-caught shrimp by participating retail stores. Some stores reported sales increases as high as 2,000 percent over the same periods in prior years.
“Florida’s shrimp industry has faced an onslaught of competition from foreign countries that have exported more than a billion pounds of shrimp into the U.S. market in the past few years,” Bronson said. “Many of our state’s shrimpers have been forced out of business altogether, and the remaining ones have experienced very difficult times. This marketing campaign was crucial in helping keep Florida’s shrimp industry alive.”
According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, foreign countries have captured 88 percent of the total U.S. market. Vietnam, China, India and Brazil have dramatically increased exports to the United States in recent years. An estimated 200,000 U.S. jobs have been lost.
The state and federally funded campaign focused on raising consumer awareness about the benefits of buying Florida wild-caught shrimp and highlighted the Florida shrimp industry’s economic value to the state. Florida’s shrimp industry supports 4,400 jobs and contributes more than $185 million to the state’s economy.
“Florida shrimp is a premium quality product with superior taste,” Bronson said. “We believe that consumers deserve to have a choice, and we encourage them to ask for shrimp from Florida. When they do, they receive a wholesome, natural product -- and they help our fishermen and our state’s economy.”
The advertising incentive program required retailers and restaurants to use the “Ask for Shrimp from Florida” logo in their advertising and encouraged in-store shrimp promotions. A total of 3,011 stores in 14 supermarket chains located in 26 states and Washington, D.C., participated. Participating Florida supermarket chains were Publix, Winn-Dixie and Kash ‘N’ Karry SweetBay. National stores included Kroger, Harris Teeter, HEB Grocers, Giant Foods, Schnucks, Jewell Food Stores, Ukrops, Roundys, Bi-Lo, Cub Foods, Heinen’s, King Soopers, Fred Meyer, and Farm Fresh.
In addition to the advertising incentive program, the “Wild and Wonderful Florida Shrimp” campaign included the following components: radio and television public service advertisements; media relations initiatives to educate consumers on the quality of Florida shrimp; point-of-purchase materials including brochures, posters and static clings for use by retailers; partnerships with chefs including in-store demonstrations, television appearances and celebrity chef programs; trade show and festival participation; sponsorship of the “Ask for Shrimp from Florida” race car in the NASCAR ARCA circuit; the www.WildFloridaShrimp.com web site which features shrimp recipes and industry facts and statistics.
To download the “Ask for Shrimp from Florida” logo, visit:
http://www.florida-agriculture.com/logos/zip/022-logo-vc-jpg.zip
To download the television public service announcement, visit:
http://www.fl-seafood.com/videos/Florida_Wild_Caught_Shrimp_TV.wmv
For shrimp recipes and more about the “Wild and Wonderful Florida Shrimp” campaign, visit: www.WildFloridaShrimp.com
For more information:
Barbera Turnbull
(850) 488-0163
turnbub@doacs.state.fl.us
