Campaign to promote fish launched

Press, 24 March 1984, Page 6

Campaign to promote fish launched

Wellington reporter The New Zealand longdistance runner, Allison Roe, is fronting a new promotion campaign to increase the consumption of fish in New Zealand. The campaign was launched on Thursday, with the backing of the Government and organised by the Fishing Industry Board. New Zealand was only the third-largest consumer of its own fish, after Japan and Australia, said the board’s chairman, Mr M. Hinchcliffe. The local market could only be developed if there were a large-scale and coordinated promotion, with the involvement of the whole fishing industry. He said the campaign had three objects: • To establish a greater presence for the fishing industry on the domestic market.

•To give it a more significant economic stake on the food market.

• To enhance the image of fish. A series of 60-second and 30-second television commercials will begin screening on April 2, followed by advertising in national newspapers, trade publications, and magazines.

The advertisements will be based on the twin themes of beautiful New Zealand and a world famous athlete to promote the variety and quality of fish produced.

Later in the year the campaign will switch to encouraging fish retailers and supermarkets to improve the image of fish through special uniforms for vendors, display material for the shops, and the promotion of recipes.

Mr Hinchcliffe said it was time to redirect some of the industry’s emphasis away

from exports, which had been worth $309 million last year for more than 100 different products to 40 countries, towards the local market.

Fish already had a high reputation within the community as a value-for-money food and for its nutritious qualities.

The variety of fish available and the ease with which it could be prepared for family meals also needed to be emphasised, he said.

Research into consumer attitudes in New Zealand had shown that 25 per cent of families served fish less than once a week, and of those who did eat fish regularly it was usually in the form of fish and chips.

“The paramount factors which inhibit the purchase of fish are its freshness and poor retail image,” Mr Hinchcliffe said.