Each year, the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC) works with its marketing partners at Weber Shandwick to come up with new ways to engage consumer interest in Maine lobster. For 2024, we have two exciting new initiatives aimed at getting consumers to eat more Maine lobster. One focuses on inspiring home cooks while telling the story behind Maine lobster, and the other is designed to drive traffic to restaurants that are featuring Maine lobster in unique ways in target markets.
The MLMC is collaborating with online recipe site AllRecipes to inspire home cooking with Maine lobster, like these lobster tacos. Cousins Maine Lobster photo.
AllRecipes
MLMC knows that the home cooking craze that started during the pandemic is still going strong, and we want to make sure that Maine lobster is on the menu for home cooks. With that in mind, we are partnering with AllRecipes, a digital powerhouse that drives at-home cooking. AllRecipes has been a trusted resource for recipes since 1997, with 39 million unique visitors to the website each month, representing 13% of the total digital population.
We are developing a customized, branded content hub as part of the AllRecipes website. It will provide inspiration to home cooks while allowing them to view the breadth and variety of ways to easily cook lobster at home. Expert recipe developers will create new recipes featuring Maine lobster in dishes for the website. One food trend that we plan to capitalize on is the interest in “quiet luxury” dishes that combine luxury products like lobster with approachable accompaniments. Lobster Mac ‘n Cheese is an example of this trend, although the recipe developers will create new dishes that fit the trend. The recipes will contain a “shop the recipe” button that takes viewers to our online Direct to Consumer buyers guide, where they can purchase lobster to be shipped to their door from one of our Maine suppliers.
To drive as many consumers as possible to the Maine lobster content hub on the AllRecipes website, MLMC has a robust promotional program planned to accompany the launch. The recipe developers will share the content across their own social media channels, reaching their massive follower networks and driving online conversations and website visits. The recipes will also be promoted through AllRecipes’ social media channels and continually amplified across Maine lobster social media channels. We also have a paid media advertising program planned to ensure that our target audiences see the new content.
Maine Lobster Trail
The second initiative for 2024 came from the growth in culinary tourism, as consumers think about food first when planning their travels and experiences. The idea is to create the first Maine Lobster Trail, featuring the best and most innovative ways to enjoy Maine lobster in target markets. We will work with chefs, creators, and influencers in selected cities to curate itineraries featuring the best Maine lobster dishes, from the well-known spots to the hidden gems. In this first year of the program, we will target two to three key markets outside Maine.
We will create a dedicated landing page on the MLMC website featuring the Maine Lobster Trail guides. The trail curators will feature the guides on their own social media channels, allowing us to reach engaged audiences through trusted partners. MLMC will also create a social media series spotlighting the curators and content through our own channels. Both programs will be launched during the height of the Maine lobster season to maximize interest.
Marianne LaCroix, MLMC executive director. MLMC photo.
For updates on these and other programs, follow the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative on Facebook.