Karavela’s Larsen rebrand aimed at German canned seafood market

Karavela is rebranding its Larsen canned fish range, with the goal of increasing its sales in Germany.

The Riga, Latvia-headquartered processing and canning company has spent at least EUR 200,000 (USD 220,000) on the effort, creating a new brand concept, visual identity, and more-colorful packaging, based upon consumer studies designed to better position the brand in the German canned seafood market, according to Karavela Marketing Manager Rolands Romanovskis.

“What we have found out during these studies is that in times like these, when inflation has soared to never-before-seen levels, customers tend to cut back on inessential purchases and move on to cheaper options to increase their buying power, which, of course, is not that surprising,” Romanovskis said. “What has come as a surprise is the notion that consumers feel that with the increase in prices, the quality of branded products themselves has started to noticeably deteriorate. Karavela has chosen not to pursue this road and we are dedicated to providing the highest-quality products for the fairest prices.”

Karavela bought Larsen Danish Seafood from Cristian i Grotinum in March 2019. Larsen is a producer and marketer of canned seafood, including canned Atlantic mackerel, herring, kippers, trout, and salmon. Its processing facility is located in Harrislee, Germany, on the border with Denmark, and the company’s sales are primarily in Germany and Denmark. It had struggled with profitability in the five years it was owned by Cristian I Grotinum.

After absorbing Larsen, Karavela took over the branded canned salmon, mussel, and smoked sprat segments in Germany, holding a market share of 40 to 55 percent in each category. Romanovskis said Karavela believes it can do even better.

"Because of the success of the Larsen brand in several other canned seafood categories, namely salmon, mussels, and smoked sprats (Kieler sprotte), the brand awareness in Germany is already relatively high, and we have a chance to replicate this success in the tuna segment as well, as our tuna range includes not only the classic varieties, but also some truly interesting combinations of flavors," he said.

One major change in Larsen’s packaging is the introduction of transparent lid cans, “emphasizing that the quality of Karavela products can be seen by anyone even before purchase,” Romanovskis said.

The new Larsen product design will be officially unveiled at the 2023 Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, Spain, taking place 25 to 27 April at Booth #GA 301. 

Karavela produced around 100 million cans of seafood in 2022, about 95 percent of which were exported to 46 different countries. It is also developing its own line of plant-based seafood alternatives.

Photo courtesy of Karavela