The Marine Stewardship Council is planning a global promotional push to boost consumer recognition of its sustainability message.
MSC is being partnered in its venture by Saatchi & Saatchi S, a global sustainability consultancy set up this year. The consultancy, an offshoot of Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide, will analyse all aspects of the MSC brand and look at ways it could better promote itself to consumers around the world.
The global nature of the seafood industry and fish consumption mean an international approach was needed, according to the MSC. Saatchi & Saatchi S will initially look to 'define' the brand and turn the concept into something more meaningful for shoppers, said Simon Hathaway, chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi X, which focuses on understanding shopper attitudes. A redesign of the MSC logo has not been ruled out.
The brand analysis is expected to be complete by June, after which the MSC will present the findings to retailers and discuss what more can be done to promote the concept.
The strong support given by UK retailers to sustainable sourcing made this country an ideal place to start, said Hathaway, but there were other countries offering a "stunning" opportunity for growth such as Japan and the US, where huge volumes of fish were eaten.
The number of products carrying the MSC logo, having achieved full chain-of-custody certification, has doubled in the past year to 1,300. Consumer concerns about health and the environment were the key drivers behind the rising popularity of sustainably sourced fish, said Hathaway.
However, there were still challenges, said Simon Edwards, MSC global marketing and communications director. These included changing consumers' traditional buying habits and the MSC's limited funds for promotion.
Much of Saatchi & Saatchi S's work will be carried out for free, with MSC covering expenses and research costs.
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