McLEAN, Va. – Seizing the influence of wildly popular food bloggers, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) Shrimp Council and OXO recently activated an online promotion, “Shrimp Showdown,” to drive awareness about shrimp during Lent. The Council and OXO challenged 30 bloggers to each create a unique recipe showcasing nutritious and delicious shrimp and a select set of OXO tools.
Each blogger was equipped with five lbs. of shrimp from Eastern Fish Company (Sail® Brand Products) and a set of tools from OXO, including:
- Shrimp Cleaner
- Flexible Kitchen & Herb Snips
- Silicone Steamer
- Wooden Lemon Reamer
- Three-Piece Bowl and Colander Set
- 12” Tongs
Each blogger created a recipe showcasing shrimp and at least three of the OXO tools to highlight the ease of preparation and versatility of shrimp. The promotion began on March 24, 2014 and ended on April 4 and reached shrimp lovers across the online space from Facebook and Twitter to Pinterest and Instagram. Shrimp Showdown accounted for an astounding 148 percent increase in followers to the Council's Pinterest page during the two-week period, bringing the total number of Pinterest followers to nearly 5,000.
“Incorporating food bloggers into our communication efforts allowed us to reach a large target audience of consumers, showing these readers firsthand how easy and delicious adding shrimp into everyday meals can be,” said Judy Dashiell, Senior Vice President, National Fisheries Institute/The Shrimp Council. “Consumers gravitate to Pinterest for recipes and cooking ideas. With that in mind, we used Shrimp Showdown to give them exactly what they want…and more!”
The promotion was supported through a Shrimp Showdown Pinterest board that was featured on both the Eat Shrimp and OXO Pinterest pages. Via the blog posts, consumers had the opportunity to enter for a chance to win a set of tools courtesy of OXO and a gift card provided by the NFI Shrimp Council.
“OXO was the perfect partner for this campaign because any recipe, including shrimp, is made easier when home cooks, even experienced food writers, have the right tools,” said Dashiell. “We love that OXO products, like the Shrimp Cleaner, are comfortable and easy for any cook to use.”
Promotions such as Shrimp Showdown have contributed to the continual growth of the Eat Shrimp Facebook page since its launch in 2011. The NFI Shrimp Council is utilizing partnerships and integrated campaigns to make waves in its mission to encourage Americans to eat more nutritious and delicious shrimp at home and in restaurants.
The bloggers who participated in the promotion include:
About The NFI Shrimp Council
The mission of the NFI Shrimp Council is to promote shrimp as a nutritious and delicious protein. Council members source sustainable shrimp from around the globe for Americans to enjoy at home and in restaurants.
Shrimp Council Members
Censea, Contessa, Devi Seafood, Eastern Fish Company, Great American Seafood Import Co., H & N Group, Harbor Seafood, High Liner Foods, King & Prince Seafood, Mazzetta Company, Morey's Seafood International, National Fish & Seafood, Rich Products Corporation, Sea Port Products,Tai Foong USA, Inc.
Associate Shrimp Council Members
Amanda Foods, Ananda Aqua Exports (p) Ltd., Asvini Fisheries Private Limited, Avanti Feeds, Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited, Coastal Corporation Ltd., CP Indonesia, Devi Fisheries Limited, Direct Source Seafood, Falcon Marine Exports Ltd., Fortune Fish & Gourmet, LA Cold Storage, Load Delivered Logistics, LLC, Long John Silver’s, Marine Management Insurance Brokers, MSeafood/ Minh Phu, Nekkanti Sea Foods Ltd., Preferred Freezer Services, Pt. Grahamakmur Ciptapratama, Pt. Indokom Samudra Persada, Pyramid Transport Inc., Sai Marine Exports Pvt Ltd, Sandhya Marines Ltd., U.S. Growers Cold Storage
About Eastern Fish Company
Eastern Fish Company, one of the world’s largest importers and marketers of shrimp, began in 1974 primarily as a fish and crab trading company sourcing products from Alaska and Canada. By 1982, the company re-directed its focus to the burgeoning farm-raised shrimp industry and began supplying fresh, consistent, premium quality farm-raised and wild-caught shrimp. Eastern’s Sail® Brand product has become the gold standard for quality and consistency, exemplifying the company’s goal of providing fresh, premium quality shrimp to every customer. As a global leader, Eastern Fish takes its responsibilities seriously and is committed to making a positive difference.
About OXO
Founded in 1990 on the concept of Universal Design, OXO's mission is to create consumer household products that ease the tasks of everyday life for the widest range of users possible. Since the original 15 items were introduced, the OXO collection has grown to more than 850 strong, covering areas for cooking, cleaning, gardening, storing, and organizing. Today OXO Good Grips products are sold in 78 countries and are included in the permanent collections of numerous museums. The company has won more than 100 design and business awards worldwide. OXO is very frequently used as a case study on how a well-executed Universal Design philosophy can be a successful business strategy.
Source: NFI Shrimp Council