Background

A well organised, but ill-informed anti salmon farming propaganda campaign had been underway in the UK for a number of years. Scottish Quality Salmon (SQS) achieved considerable success in countering the effects of this through ongoing media relations activity and rebutting incorrect media coverage. However, the scale of the anti salmon farming attack increased dramatically in January 2004 with the publication of an American report in Science magazine on contaminants in salmon. While the scope of this paper was international, much of the focus fell upon Scotland with negative front-page headlines.

SQS led an intense period of trade, consumer and political communications during that month which resulted in a general perception that the “scare had gone away” because it was no longer in the media.

To reinforce the positive messages about salmon, SQS developed a new PR campaign to satisfy the various concerns and motivators for salmon consumers.

Campaign Strategy

Create and implement a high profile, information-led media and PR campaign utilising national press, trade press and consumer communications to dispel the myths and encourage people to start eating salmon again.

The Campaign

Striking black and white advertisements were placed in national, Scottish and Sunday newspapers, supported with much more extensive information on-line at the SQS website and in a new consumer leaflet available through retailers and fishmongers.

Over 100,00 consumers received the leaflet which tackled the typical allegations made about salmon farming and answered each in a straightforward, friendly way to tell readers about health and welfare matters on farms.

A Fact File distributed in The Grocer magazine and a tailor made briefing pack updated retailers.

SQS briefed the trade press, Scottish and national media, food writers, MSPs and local councillors. A postcard and press release drive reached 10,500 journalists and food writers.

The Results

The campaign resulted in a national press trip to meet fish farmers and assisted in the positive outcome of BBC 1’s consumer programme “Should I Worry About?” It also resulted in positive rebuttal pieces on the January scare in Readers Digest, Prima and Mail on Sunday magazine.

Consumption of salmon has returned and improved on its pre-January performance. Some 86.4 million salmon meals were consumed between March and May this year compared to 72 million meals during the same period last year – a rise of 20%.

The data is based on a survey of 11,000 households by Taylor Nelson Sofres.