Farmed Seafood Hits New Highs in National Marketing Campaign
Elevating responsible seafood to the global stage. Hosting immersive experiences on fish farms. Launching retail and restaurant promotions. These are only a few of the milestones the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) North America achieved in 2024, part of its multi-year national marketing campaign to raise awareness and understanding of the value behind ASC’s sea green label.
“The ASC label is so much more than a marketing logo,” said Athena Davis, Marketing Manager, ASC North America. “It is an invaluable assurance tool that can only be used when the strictest requirements are met at every step of the supply chain – from farm to fork. While it can be easy to suffer from eco-label fatigue with so many options at the grocery store, our goal continues to be broadening American shoppers’ understanding of the seafood space – by inspiring new perspectives around seafood farming and encouraging seafood consumption through education and tasting.
“New research shows that ASC is the most widely recognized farmed seafood label in North America. It also indicates that shoppers place value in trustworthy certifications over most other sustainability indicators. Activations like SXSW provide us with opportunities to demonstrate exactly how and why ASC has earned that trust through our leading global program and thoughtful innovations.”
Davis shares seven defining moments from ASC’s 2024 North American campaign:
1. Taking Center Stage at SXSW
In March, ASC staged its largest North American activation to date at the 2024 South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference & Festival in Austin. ASC combined forces with Hawaii-based farm partner Blue Ocean Mariculture to co-host “Aloha Austin” on night one. The creative dining experience featured a varied menu of ASC certified Hawaiian Kanpachi that beloved local and national chefs Vitaly Paley, Saine Wong and Chuck Charnichart served to over 100 media and influencers.
On day two, ASC took the stage at Food Tank’s “All Things Food Summit” hosting a panel discussion asking, “Can Seafood Be Sustainable?”. ASC CEO Chris Ninnes was joined by Daisy Berg of New Seasons Market and Abe Ng of Sushi Maki to explore the essential role that both certification and responsibly farmed seafood play in supporting global food systems.
2. ASC’s Summer Seafood Series & Festival
ASC’s “Summer Seafood Series” brought ASC’s labeled seafood to light, showing Atlanta seafoodies what it means to “Sea Green. Be Green.” From May through July, ASC collaborated with long-time distributor partner Inland Foods, Kathleen’s Catch seafood markets and Fishmonger restaurants to launch in-store and online promotions educating shoppers and diners about responsibly farmed seafood. Throughout the series, chef-inspired specials featured products from ASC certified farms, including Open Blue cobia, Verlasso salmon, Riverence trout and AVRAMAR branzino.
ASC’s Peach State reach culminated in September, with a showstopping presence at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, where more than 5,000 attendees savored sunny ASC certified trout dishes by former Top Chef competitor, Chef Eli Kirshtein of Inland Foods.
3. The ASC Label Sets Sail
In April, Holland America Line became the first global cruise line to achieve ASC certification, together with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Passengers across its fleet can now enjoy certified responsibly farmed seafood, marked by ASC’s sea green label on menus and interactive fish maps. This landmark achievement, part of Holland America Line’s Global Fresh Fish Program, continues to create more sustainable seafood options for thousands of cruisegoers – from port to plate.
4. Immersive Media Tours Go Straight to the Source
ASC deepened its connection with national media through experiential farm tours that took journalists from over 25 top-tier news outlets straight to the source. In May, ASC hosted reporters at North America’s largest trout farm, ASC certified Riverence Provisions in Magic Valley, Idaho. In fall, ASC led major North American media alongside retailers in Greece, for an on-the-ground view of Mediterranean aquaculture operations. Both tours highlighted the rigor of ASC’s certification requirements, including attention to fish health, water quality and local biodiversity.
5. Collaborating With Over 65 Industry Partners
From retail promotions to co-branded campaigns, ASC worked with over 65 partners in 2024. Collaborations included national media mailers showcasing new ASC labeled products with Safe Catch and Cole’s Seafood, social media campaigns and in-person events. These partnerships underscored ASC’s commitment to driving adoption of responsible seafood across the supply chain, while recognizing companies that are making real change in the industry.
6. Inspiring Cross-Country Culinary Leaders
ASC engaged hundreds of global culinary influencers who gathered at the prestigious 2024 Terroir Symposium in Calgary, Canada. The November symposium featured seafood tastings, sustainability workshops and a thought leadership session led by Athena Davis, who spotlighted the ways ASC certified seafood and partners support environmental stewardship. Terroir chefs May Ng and Kiki Aranita rounded out the final evening with exceptionally flavored dishes at pop-up dinners around the city, highlighting ASC certified salmon from ASC’s regional partner, Export Packers.
7. Building Shopper Connections Through Media Coverage and Influencer Collaborations
In 2024, ASC secured features in national media outlets including Food & Wine, USA Today, Yahoo! and Chowhound, culminating in a January 1, 2025 spotlight on responsible seafood farming in Costco Connection, the nation’s third-largest media outlet.
ASC also expanded its reach through collaborations with social media influencers by promoting ASC labeled seafood sold at committed retailers like Target, Loblaws and Sobeys.
All told, ASC earned more than 200 news articles reaching shoppers more than 275 million times, while also securing more than 10 million impressions and engagements on social media through its media outreach, influencer activations and integrated marketing campaigns.
Looking Ahead to 2025
ASC will continue its ongoing local market strategy in 2025 with activations in the nation’s two most prominent seafood hubs, Boston and Seattle. These cities – renowned for their deep connections to seafood culture and commerce – offer fresh opportunities to connect with shoppers in a way that elevates the ASC label and expands the exciting new narrative around aquaculture.
Additional activations in Denver and New Orleans will increase ASC’s footprint by engaging shoppers, chefs and retailers via restaurant promotions, retail activations and food festival sponsorships. ASC will unveil its 2025 local market promotions calendar this March at Boston’s Seafood Expo North America.
About the Aquaculture Stewardship Council
Responsible seafood starts at the farm. ASC’s sea green label assures shoppers that:
- The strictest standards are in place to improve farm practices.
- Certified seafood in stores actually comes from certified farms.
- Certified farms continue to meet the highest standards.
- We are constantly working toward greater sustainability.
ASC is the only certification program that can verify your farmed seafood is what it claims to be, where it came from, how it was raised and how it got to you. Learn more at SeaGreenBeGreen.com and follow @asc.usa on Instagram.
