New Seasons, Aquaculture Stewardship Council Launch Extensive Promotion for Certified Seafood

Pacific Northwest independent grocer New Seasons Market and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) have teamed up to roll out an extensive in-store and online promotion in support of ASC-certified seafood. The Sea Green. Be Green. campaign, which begins Sept. 12 and runs throughout National Seafood Month in October, will feature a series of activations to raise awareness of the benefits of responsibly raised seafood and the meaning of ASC’s sea green label.

During the promotion, all 19 currently operating New Seasons Market locations in Oregon and Washington will feature the following:

• Limited-time specials on ASC-certified products, including Riverence Provisions trout, Sea Tales smoked salmon and Fishwife tinned seafood.
• In-store signage and educational materials about the assurance behind ASC’s label and the importance of shopping for responsibly raised seafood.
• Digital and social media collaborations that spotlight the organizations’ mutual sustainability commitment, store specials and the people behind the seafood.

[Read More: “Aquaculture Stewardship Council Hits the Road to Promote Certified Seafood”]

The campaign officially debuts with an in-store activation on Sept. 12 at New Seasons’ Slabtown location in northwest Portland, Ore. Beginning at 2 p.m. until close, the store will offer a “Certified Seafood Experience,” complete with activity stations for customers throughout the store, including samples and pairings of ASC-certified seafood; filleting demos by New Seasons’ fishmongers; certified seafood and prize giveaways; information on ASC, aquaculture and the seafood farmers; a quiz testing visitors’ seafood knowledge and aquaculture expertise. 

The launch reception will also include a two-hour program exclusive to area media, food writers, chefs, sustainability advocates, seafood industry members and social media influencers, featuring seafood and wine tastings, presentations, a Q&A, and giveaways from New Seasons, ASC and participating brands.

The partnership with New Seasons is the largest retail activation to date in ASC’s multiyear Sea Green. Be Green. North American marketing campaign. ASC is doing deep dives in select markets through retail partnerships, restaurant collaborations, food sampling at festivals, and other influential initiatives to educate consumers about its sea green label and to create a national dialog on aquaculture.

In addition to Portland, Washington, D.C., and Southern California are key 2023 markets for ASC. Portland’s vast culinary community, including media, chefs, producers, distributors and retailers, coupled with its historic advocacy of sustainable causes, have made it an ideal place for ASC to introduce its campaign. 

“As we shift from restaurant to retail this fall, New Seasons Market has become a key partner whose values reflect our own through their sustainability leadership, support of responsible producers and drive to empower customers,” noted Athena Davis, marketing manager at Atlanta-based ASC North America.

“At New Seasons Market, we integrate sustainability practices into all aspects of our business, so it's a natural extension to celebrate National Seafood Month with ASC,” said Daisy Berg, the grocer’s program and category manager-seafood. “This is why we’re extending the Sea Green. Be Green. message to our community with unique activations and education through Oct. 31. We look forward to engaging our customers with new and exciting products that demonstrate the importance of ASC’s sea green label when purchasing responsibly raised, high-quality seafood.”

New Seasons employs nearly 2,700 associates at its stores in Oregon and Washington state, offering a mix of locally sourced and organic items, classic grocery favorites, and chef-made grab-and-go meal solutions. The grocer commits 10% of its after-tax profits to the communities it serves. New Seasons and its sister banner, Santa Cruz, Calif.-based New Leaf CommunityMarkets, an organic and natural grocer with five stores along California’s Central Coast, are independent operators within the Good Food Holdings family of brands.