Seafood Is for Everybody! If You Know Who You’re Talking To…
We’re evoking the marketing wisdom of the ancients: When you try to talk to everyone, you speak to no one.
Yes, while many old-world marketing tactics have slid down the face of modern strategies like Don Draper's brylcreem, this one actually remains true. We still hear it from businesses, and the marketers who work with them still go off about it. It seems in the attempt to garner the attention of consumers in a widening digital world of noise, some brands have lost sight of this cardinal rule. So let’s bring it back to the basics for the sake of the seafood, specifically.
Seafood is for everyone, but your product is for a specific audience. Before you can sell your product successfully, consistently, and create a legacy brand with an audience to match, you’re going to need to figure out exactly who that is.
Seafood has a lot going for it when it comes to audience appeal. Our diversity of species, products, and production methods is a huge strength. There is literally something for everyone in this protein category and a seafood option to satisfy every consumer group–but only if we show up where they are and speak to their specific needs and desires. In other words, only if we are talking to the right people about the right products for them.
No brand can afford to speak to everyone at once. Casting a wide net isn’t necessarily going to land you more customers, it’ll just expend energy, time, and resources hauling in viewers who might hit ‘like’ on a post, but aren’t likely to ultimately purchase. The brands cutting through the noise are the ones who know their audience so well they feel like a friend, and are ready to trust them with the solution to date night or the screaming kids dinner scramble. Two completely different challenges for two completely different people, who need, you guessed it, to be spoken to differently.
While there are as many target audiences as there are fish in the sea (we’re sorry, we’ll see ourselves out…) from broad groups like first-day-at-the-stove college students, to hyper-niche protein-fueled strength trainers, knowing your audience is less about naming the puppy and more about understanding their core human truths. What do they like? What makes them laugh? What do they value? What makes them feel content? What irritates the hell out of them? What are those irritants? How can you (and your product) help alleviate those pain points for your consumer? This is all part of the consumer awareness that every brand should have on lock before strategizing their campaigns.
And of course, your product can fit more than one audience. You can have a product that appeals to busy moms and to the single, adventurous foodie, but how you present that product in front of each audience will require a different approach.
We’ve broken down a few examples of key seafood audiences, each with their own needs, desires, and dinner struggles to get the wheels turning.
Busy Moms & Parents: Speed, Simplicity, Confidence, and Calm. For parents juggling school pickups, work, tantrums, and last-minute ‘it’s your turn to do chaperone for the field trip’ notices, seafood can be an easy answer. But only if we show them how we can meet them with what they need:
Uncomplicated seafood that will appeal to kids palates - fish sticks anyone??
Pre-prepped options that cut down on mental load
Options that you can prepare quick, or with easy cook methods for mini-chefs in training to get in on the culinary action
Messaging that leans into trust - quality, ease, and something they can feel good feeding their families
DINKs (Dual Income, No Kids) & Foodies: Indulgence, Experience, and Ease.
DINKs are out here living their best lives, and they want seafood to match. They’re out for experiences, they’re curious, but sometimes convenience is still key (we’re all busy, that cash for caviar ain’t gonna make itself). This is the audience that can get excited about premium products or chef-inspired weeknight meals. Their eye is on:
High-quality ingredients they can savor and post about
Unique, shareable experiences - think caviar and chips
Recipes or meal kits that make them feel like Anthony Bourdain in their home kitchen (without the hours of prep)
Perhaps a splash of luxury. Because they deserve it. As a little treat.
Gen Z: Unhinged Content, Identity, and Social Currency.
This generation is rewriting the rules on food. They want meals that are quick, but they also crave discovery. They care about sustainability, but don’t want to be lectured. And above all? They want food that feels like it fits their vibe. They’re here for personality, not pitches. Seafood can show up for them by:
Leaning into personality-driven, weird, unserious branding and engagement (Check out our recent article on Duolingo’s brand antics for a deep dive into that)
Sharing behind-the-scenes processes or real faces from the industry.
Highlighting simple, affordable options that don’t sacrifice taste.
Gen Alpha: Blink and you’ll miss them.
We tend to go on about marketing for the next, next, next generation and we do it for good reason. While they may still be kids, chronically-online Gen Alpha is already being shaped by what their parents buy and what they see on the small screen. Brands that begin showing up with approachable, family-friendly seafood options now will win loyalty later when they start shopping for themselves. Let’s be honest, we kind of missed the boat on this with Gen Z by not getting in on the social media field out the gate – let’s not make the same mistake twice.
Knowing your audience is one thing. Reaching them is another. Each of these groups lives in different digital spaces and speaks a different language. Moms might be scrolling Pinterest for dinner hacks, while Gen Z is deep in TikTok food trends, and DINKs could be following chef-driven Instagram accounts. Meeting them where they are and joining the conversation (with your authentic brand voice but in their language) is what makes the difference.
Seafood has an unmatched range, and our products are packed with stories–yet our sector isn’t leveraging this nearly as powerfully as we could. Every audience can have a piece of the seafood pie, but they won’t know seafood is for them unless we make it easy, exciting, and personal.
Remember, we’re problem solvers. The whole reason marketing exists is because people cannot do every single thing themselves - we all need a hand. People have challenges–busy days, empty fridges, dates to impress–and your product is the solution. There’s an audience out there craving exactly what you sell. Get to know them, show up where they are, speak directly to them, and get seafood moving from a maybe grocery list item and straight into their carts.
