Rebel Island Salmon defies norms with swear-filled campaign
Secret Island Salmon makes waves with a bold marketing campaign, propelling its direct-to-consumer brand towards a successful retail launch Discover how their edgy messaging is creating awareness in a thriving market
Aiming to meet the growing demand for fresh salmon, direct-to-consumer brand Secret Island Salmon sought to increase awareness as it expands its product line and begins targeting retailers. The marketing department faced the challenge of finding a way to be daring without crossing the line.
The company decided to embrace a play on words to present the brand as lighthearted while also controlling its image. The "F-word” campaign was launched in September through various media platforms, featuring slogans like “F*** it,” “These f****ers raise some legendary salmon” and “Happy f***ing is healthy f***ing” to spark conversation and raise awareness about the healthy and sustainable practices of the farmed salmon industry. Paid search and social advertising will be incorporated in the early part of the following year.
Brand recognition has increased significantly since the campaign began, with direct-to-consumer sales, earned media, and social media audience all experiencing exponential growth, as stated by Daniel Del Coro, head of U.S. business development.
"We took a deliberate approach in developing this campaign, carefully assessing the risk of aligning our brand positioning with such an aggressive and fun strategy," Del Coro explained. "It took us a thorough two to three months of brainstorming and researching similar approaches by other brands, as well as studying the reactions of our target demographics."
A healthy market
Secret Island Salmon is the U.S. arm of Salmones Austral, a major supplier of farmed salmon based in Portland, Maine. With the goal of increasing its share of the U.S. salmon market, the company is aiming to capitalize on the lucrative fresh salmon sales, which reached a substantial $666 million in the first three quarters of 2023, as reported by Circana and 210 Analytics.
The demand for salmon is increasing worldwide, driven by growing awareness about health, the popularity of seafood-focused diets, and higher disposable incomes across the globe, as per Astute Analytica. Secret Island Salmon recently expanded its sales beyond online platforms, unveiling a new collection of sustainably farmed salmon fillets, bacon, burgers, and hot dogs at the Natural Products Expo East in Philadelphia in late September. In line with this, Del Coro sought a marketing approach that would resonate with retailers, Gen Z, and millennial customers, sparking conversations and raising awareness about farmed salmon and the brand. The industry previously faced negative publicity due to high antibiotic use and other practices.
"A significant amount of the inquiries and worries regarding farmed salmon stem from outdated data sets, misconceptions, or incomplete information about the early years of aquaculture in the 70s and 80s," stated Del Coro. "Many advancements have been made since then, but numerous brands have not taken the initiative to update consumers. It is our brand's responsibility to provide them with accurate information so that they can make informed decisions about whether they prefer wild or farmed salmon — or both."
The salmon man
Breaking through and capturing the interest of consumers tired of advertisements was a challenge. However, Del Coro and his marketing team at Pulp + Wire in Portland, Maine knew that going too edgy could have negative consequences. Despite this concern, the campaign has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from consumers and retail buyers, according to Del Coro. "I haven't had anyone express offense or say that this isn't our place," he said.
Following the positive response at Natural Products Expo East and a seafood trade show this fall, Secret Island Salmon has introduced a full-scale digital and social media marketing campaign across various platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. This initiative is bolstered by targeted email communications to users and engaging content on the company's website.
According to the executive, there has been a significant surge in interaction on the brand's social media accounts, with some channels experiencing a doubling in engagement. TikTok, in particular, has exceeded expectations. Despite being out of his comfort zone, Del Coro has taken on the role of "the salmon man" in a series of entertaining yet educational videos on TikTok.
The company is currently experimenting with paid advertisements on various platforms in preparation for a larger campaign launch early next year. With the expansion of the product line into retail in early 2024, Del Coro anticipates that TikTok will play a crucial role.
"Gen Z is now turning to TikTok more than Google to discover and purchase products," he explained.
