Northern Lights

By Carolina Nascimento

en years ago, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute launched a marketing program in Brazil in order to increase direct exports to this important cod market. At that time, Alaska cod entered the Brazil market through processors in Europe and China, but did not see direct exports from Alaska.

Bureaucratic processes for exporting to Brazil frustrated and intimidated many companies, despite the raw potential apparent in the Brazil market. However, today Alaska has 175 approved labels for export to Brazil and a strong presence in the market.

ASMI’s international programs rely on in-country market experts to run the day to day programs. From their headquarters office in Juneau, ASMI staff work closely with the Alaska seafood industry to relay harvest and budget information to the overseas offices. Marketing representatives in Sao Paulo are the key to ASMI’s success in Brazil. Carolina Nascimento, who manages the program, describes what ASMI Brazil faced when it began ten years ago.

“Lack of knowledge from the Brazilian trade about wild Alaska seafood and from the Alaska seafood industry about the Brazilian market was our greatest challenge,” says Nascimento. “Education efforts for both sides, demonstrating the value of Alaska seafood for Brazilians and also the market potential (and how to overcome barriers) to Alaska seafood industry were our focus.

“In 10 years, we feel we accomplished a certain level of success. Key Brazil trade members know ASMI and Alaska

ASMI seafood, and mostly important, millions of dollars of Alaska seafood were exported directly to Brazil over the last 10 years, in addition to the more than 20 Alaska seafood exporters that started shipping directly to the country since the program began.”

In order to overcome the initial lack of knowledge, ASMI Brazil brought in two trade missions of Alaska seafood industry members to Brazil. The Brazil team then arranged several in-bound missions, bringing Brazilian seafood buyers, journalists and chefs to Alaska.

“It is really amazing to see how people change their minds and get so engaged in the Alaska seafood business, becoming true ambassadors after getting the opportunity to better know the industry and the Last Frontier,” says Nascimento. “Of course, the cherry on the top comes with every single Alaska seafood shipment exported to the market after so much effort.”

In the last year, ASMI Brazil maintained 43 retail promotional partners, 13 seafood vendors, and over 25 restaurants identifying Alaska origin on products and dishes. ASMI successfully partnered with Brazilian retailers and e-commerce vendors, conducting in-store and digital promotions, and extensively invested in social media promotions focusing on Alaska seafood storytelling and cooking tips and easy to prepare recipes.

ASMI also re-engaged the Brazilian hotel, restaurant and institution sector through trade servicing and events such as the Wild Alaska Delivery Festival, which supported delivery sales during the pandemic. Moving beyond the initial focus on Alaska cod, multiple species, including sockeye salmon, keta salmon, Alaska pollock, sablefish, and Alaska cod were all promoted.

One thing that surprised the team in Sao Paulo is the incredible regard for the program.

“We have become a reference in seafood marketing in Brazil,” says Nascimento. “In such a large market, with major players, the ASMI program is a reference to any seafood businesses willing to promote seafood in Brazil for its creativity and innovation in promoting such a fun and profitable business. This is made possible by a global understanding of the market, thanks to insights and guidance shared by industry members, ASMI staff and our colleagues who market Alaska Seafood all over the world.”

When working with the Brazil team it’s easy to see how their creativity and passion for the industry helped them establish the highwater mark for seafood marketing. Nascimento recalls a favorite moment while attending an ASMI meeting in Anchorage when she and business partner Jose Madeira discovered a pop-up cardboard bear created by the ASMI US marketing program: “We brought him to Brazil and to the world! We found our mascot! We turned a regular Alaska sleeping bear into a global rockstar!”

Today the bear features throughout the Brazil social channels, which have over a million followers, and even makes “in-person” appearances at events. For the recent delivery promotion, the bear was seen riding a motorcycle with to-go dishes on the back. ASMI programs around the world took note of the mascot’s success and he is now found in Europe, Japan and Southeast Asia.

“Another thing that amazes us is how much we learn every day from the industry members,” says Nascimento. “How is it possible to learn more about Alaska seafood day after day? It’s quite interesting to revisit strategies, see market changes and how we are able to really be part of a family working together to promote such amazing products.”

ASMI Brazil continues to tackle challenges, as Nascimento notes, “Brazil is big and takes time and commitment.” But the shifting global landscape has also shifted our targets for Brazil and with additional grant funding we were able to expand to cover more of South America. Now ASMI South America supports export growth to Brazil through the full implementation of a reprocessing program in the region, especially in Peru.

According to Nascimento, “Despite the great headway already seen in the market overcoming important market access barriers, the program still requires technical training on Alaska seafood species reprocessing.”

When asked where she saw the program heading in the next decade, Nascimento said, “We see it as a consolidated regional program throughout Latin America, with extensive intra-region trade, moving a wider variety of Alaska whitefish, salmon and shellfish, in a wider range of product presentations. We see more volume, innovation and a growing understanding of what makes wild Alaska seafood so special.” And if anyone can do it, it’s the ASMI Brazil team!

Carolina Nascimento is Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s South America Overseas Marketing Representative.

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