SEATTLE, WASHINGTON—The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) announced that the Board of Directors has approved one million dollars in funding for the second round of the North American Partnership Program. This substantial investment will fund twelve unique projects that bring Wild Alaska Pollock to new consumers and new channels in very exciting ways over the next year. Each partnership brings matching investment from companies across the Wild Alaska Pollock (WAP) industry—more than three times the industry’s past investment in promoting WAP—through the North American Partnership Program.
“It’s impossible to overstate the momentum that Wild Alaska Pollock has in the marketplace today,” said Craig Morris, Chief Executive Officer of GAPP. “This unprecedented level of investment by the industry in these projects show just how much confidence the GAPP Board— and broader industry—has in this program, its ability to build excitement and demand for Wild
Alaska Pollock, and in the fact that the story and attributes of Wild Alaska Pollock are resonating with today’s consumer like never before.”
The North American Partnership Program was conceived by the GAPP Board of Director to recognize and provide support for companies throughout the Wild Alaska Pollock industry who are looking to bring new, innovative products to market or introduce the fish to food influencers and decision-makers at forums where it hasn’t previously had visibility. The organization received a record number of applications for the second round of funding through the program, and the Board selected 12 of those proposals to move forward and receive funding. For 2019-2020, GAPP has set aside fully $3 million towards this initiative and has now earmarked nearly $1.3 million to date towards exciting partnerships in these first two rounds of funding. Several second-round partners including High Liner Foods and True North Seafood will use the partnership dollars to bring new, innovative products to the market that utilize Wild Alaska Pollock. Others, like Fishpeople, will utilize partnership dollars to deliver Wild Alaska Pollock to consumers via their popular line of “responsibly-sourced, totally traceable Wildly Delicious Seafood Kits” available in retail and online. Funding will also go to American Seafoods to expand the successful launch of their Perfect Pollock Portions™ to other test markets and to Trident Seafoods in order to increase demo support for their Protein Noodles made of Wild Alaska Pollock in club stores located in the Northeast and the Bay Area of California.
Two proposals will be dedicated to raising the profile of Wild Alaska Pollock with new consumers. The first, through American Seafoods, will be a culinary “Top Chef” competition that will encourage chefs and food distributors to devise recipes that utilize the delicious fish. The second, in partnership with
Gorton’s Seafood, will be a collaboration with a celebrity food influencer who will work to develop new Wild Alaska Pollock recipes geared towards bringing millennials around the dinner table and using convenient ingredients—a huge driver of millennial food purchases—like Gorton’s classic product offerings in new and exciting ways.
Each partner brings equal or greater funds to the table, meaning that for every dollar of GAPP investment, there is at least a one-to-one, and in most cases greater, investment in bringing WAP to new channels and consumers. While exact partner investments will remain confidential, the one million dollar GAPP investment will be more than tripled with matching partner funds.
“These proposals run the spectrum from new innovations to new markets to new segments of the consuming public but all have one thing in common: a passion and dedication to elevating Wild Alaska Pollock in epically new and exciting ways,” said Morris. “Creating a recognizable brand for Wild Alaska Pollock is going to take us all, pulling together, investing together and creating together, and we look forward to these new partnerships building on the success of those projects the GAPP Board has already funded under this program earlier this year.”
About GAPP
The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) is dedicated to the marketing of oncefrozen pollock products, harvested and processed in Alaska. A non-profit Alaska corporation formed in 2003, GAPP is working to promote Genuine Alaska Pollock in major whitefish markets around the world, with a focus on Europe, North America and Japan. It is our goal to educate both seafood buyers and consumers about the superior benefits of Genuine Alaska Pollock®. www.alaskapollock.org
