Alaska Seafood Newsbrief

Message from the Executive Director

Greetings-

As the year draws to a close I want to acknowledge the promotion of ASMI staff member Kara Hollatz to her new post of International Marketing Coordinator. In this Newsbrief we touch upon a few recent overseas promotional activities.

Alaska King Crab is on offer throughout the U.S. as we move through the December holiday season and into the New Year but the U.S. isn't the only place Alaska Crab is grabbing attention: Alaska king crab is a key component in gift boxes in Japan, and an Alaska crab promotion at Gino Café in China gave new exposure to our king shellfish. We also have snapshots of an Alaska salmon nugget promotion at KFC in China, spotted while ASMI was covering the China Fishery Expo.

New postings on the Japanese and English language versions of the ASMI Japan website point to continuing creativity in promotional tactics as Alaska Seafood makes new inroads in the market there.

Widespread interest in the private lives of public figures provides fortuitous exposure for an Alaska salmon recipe appearing in a French magazine -- the kind of placements we seek with our public relations programs overseas.

Mark your calendar for upcoming meetings, and enjoy some Alaska Seafood while socializing with friends and family during the shortest days of the year!

See you over the next swell,

Ray Riutta

35,000 Consumers in Japan Seek Spots in "Good Partners Day" Events

A series of events for "Good Partners Day" in Japan included consumer cooking classes with celebrity chefs promoting wild Alaska sockeye salmon and black cod in Tokyo, Saitama and Kanagawa. 100 lucky couples were invited to the four demonstrations and hands-on cooking classes to taste and prepare the Alaska seafood dishes. The contest includes an election of the "Best Partners of the Year," this year the celebrity couple Mr. Hiromi and Mrs. Iyo Matsumoto, as embodying the essence of happy, healthy living. More than 57 million people were exposed to Alaska seafood as part of a happy and healthy lifestyle. ASMI worked on the campaign with prominent industrial organizations in Japan including All Nippon Airways, Tokyo Gas Co., California Almond Association, Heinz, and Japan Apparel Manufacturers' Association.

Partnering with the Culinary Institute of America, ASMI participated in the creation of an interactive online resource for culinary students and professional chefs: an educational course about Alaska salmon, shellfish and whitefish varieties, showcasing the various species in the context of the country's most popular ethnic flavor profiles. The Spice Pantry project, outlined in the ASMI Foodservice e-newsletter for October, is part of the CIA's educational cyberproject called "prochef." It includes streaming video of chefs preparing Alaska seafood, information on sustainability and more.

A Word About the Chinese Economy

China is a growing market and Alaska seafood is becoming more popular, especially in major cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dalian and Qingdao. As disposable income rises, demand for high quality, nutritional food products also rises creating an elite consumer class with money to spend on sophisticated tastes. Examples of this growing prosperity are the two Alaska seafood promotions discussed below. Both reflect growing awareness of Alaska seafood however both were done independent of ASMI financial support.

China Fisheries Expo
The 12th China Fisheries Expo in Dalian was preceded by an ASMI dinner and reception for 100 carefully selected traders, with opening remarks from Mr. Jorge Sanchez, Agricultural Attache of the United States Embassy. Alaska king, snow and Dungeness crab, black cod and halibut were on display at the dinner, and sampled by the guests. ASMI's quadruple-size exhibit near the entrance of the Expo had more traffic than ever before, showcasing the various Alaska seafood species through displays and offering thousands of visitors tasting samples.

Alaska Salmon at KFC in China

A new Alaska salmon nugget item was promoted at KFC outlets throughout the country with a broad variety of media exposure including TV commercials, print ads in newspapers, outdoor billboards in subway stations and on busy streets, and large posters at every outlet. KFC started with an Alaska salmon promotion last year in Shanghai, and its success paved

Alaska King Crab at Gino Café

An Italian chain restaurant, Gino Café, held an Alaska king crab promotion at 14 outlets in Shanghai and Yangzhou (in Jiangsu Province). A large standing banner for the promotion was displayed at the restaurants.

Ravioles Chinoises and the French President

A French chef's recipe for "Ravioles chinoises au saumon frais d'Alaska" appeared in the popular French magazine Closer, a delicious example of the kind of Alaska seafood recipe placement achieved by ASMI public relations activities overseas. The little pillows stuffed with Alaska salmon are topped with delicate salmon caviar, and the placement is beautiful, but who would have guessed that when that issue of the magazine hit the stands it would be such a blockbuster? The cover story featured snapshots of President Sarkozy in the company of internationally known former supermodel Carla Bruni. The magazine was expected to fly off the stands. Lets hope the "saumon sauvage d'Alaska" does the same!

The Art of Alaska Seafood Gift Giving in Japan

In Japan it is a tradition to provide gift boxes to special customers and company shareholders at the end of the year. This year is no exception as 36,000 retail purchasers receive the Alaska Seafood gift boxes, resulting in retail sales of Alaska Seafood valued at between $4 million and $5 million dollars. Pollock roe, herring roe, and Alaska king crab were all included in the gift box. Participating retailers included Seiyu-Wal- Mart, Uorike, and Daiei supermarket chains. Happy New Year!

ASMI Japan Website Showcases Innovative Program

The English version of the Japan website showcases a number of the innovative programs created by ASMI Japan. Browse it today!

ASMI Programs in Europe taking advantage of Internet Marketing in France

Internet marketing is happening in France, and ASMI programs in Europe are taking advantage of the opportunity. In France, ASMI recently partnered with other businesses (including a gourmand's website called Marmiton, and France's television station 5) to get in on the action: here you can see Alaska Seafood being showcased as part of a Grand Quiz, with prizes to include a trip to Alaska! Links to ASMI's Western European website are included.

Upcoming Meetings

• Retail Committee (Jan. 18, 1:00 p.m., Seattle, Icicle Seafoods)
• International Marketing Committee (Jan. 22, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Seattle, Icicle Seafoods)
• Foodservice Marketing Committee (Jan. 24, 1:30 p.m., Seattle, ASMI office)
• Board of Directors (Feb. 12-13, Baranof Hotel, Juneau)

For more information on industry advisory committee meetings and on other upcoming events visit us on the web.