NSC campaign looks to get more Norwegian whitefish into Brits’ diets

Inflation and the soaring cost of living in the U.K. have taken their toll on consumers’ wallets over the past two years, but “Explore,” a new omni-channel, recipe-focused Seafood from Norway (SFN) campaign rolled out by the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC), is looking to alleviate some of that pressure by spurring at-home consumption of sustainable, yet affordable food options such as Norwegian cod and haddock.

NSC’s U.K. Director Victoria Braathen said she believes the campaign will resonate well with a growing demographic of consumers who are looking to expand their seafood consumption because it provides a healthy, sustainable, and delicious meal option.

“Seafood is seen as a healthy protein among U.K. consumers, and therefore, it is well-aligned to dietary missions, but key barriers to purchase – alongside cost – center around confidence and inspiration in its cookery,” Braathen said. “’Explore' aims to tackle these barriers and show the value of responsibly sourced Norwegian whitefish with simple but delicious culinary inspiration out of home alongside co-created initiatives in retail-owned channels to add color to the category and influence purchasing [decisions].”

The campaign comes on the heels of an NSC whitepaper, “Building Seafood Consumer Confidence to Boost Consumption,” which found that U.K. consumer budgets are experiencing extreme pressure. In addition, low confidence in how seafood is handled and a lack of recipe inspiration with these products have led to most Brits only eating around half of the amount of seafood recommended by health professionals, NSC said. But the report found that U.K. diets are “evolving,” and that with a greater focus on healthier eating and sustainability, the opportunity for seafood is “huge.” The NSC maintains that consumers “simply need more guidance and inspiration” to build their confidence toward enjoying seafood at home.

“The versatility and health credentials of whitefish such as cod and haddock are yet to be fully realized by U.K. consumers,” Braathen said. “There is an ocean of modern global flavors that can easily be explored as an accompaniment to this healthy protein to recruit a new and younger audience.”

Running from October through the middle of November, NSC predicts the “Explore” campaign will have a reach of over ... 

Photo courtesy of Norwegian Seafood Council