Keeping Maine Lobster in Focus During the Fall

By Marianne LaCroix

Fall is a robust time for Maine lobster landings, so the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC) makes sure to plan activities that drive demand through the fall season. In addition to ongoing public relations, digital advertising and social media postings, MLMC plans special promotions to draw attention to Maine lobster during this peak harvest period.

Maine Lobster Week and National Lobster Day have become central to our fall promotions and are great draws for media coverage. The two events help us to create a nationwide news cycle with local and national promotions and a groundswell of conversations on social media. These events also act as sales drivers because restaurants nationwide and food delivery services like Goldbelly are inspired to offer their own lobster promotions.

During Maine Lobster Week last year, we engaged lobster lovers nationwide with a national and local public relations strategy that secured 16 media placements, generating more than 482 million impressions. One of the highlights in 2024 was a prominent interview feature on FOX Digital showcasing the difference between Maine lobster and other kinds of lobster, the people behind the fishery, and a variety of ways for consumers to enjoy Maine lobster. We secured additional placements through our multi-city Lobster Tour promotion, product promotion amplification and spokesperson availability.

Our social media strategy included a grassroots effort on our own social channels and partnerships with strategic influencers to drive consumer-generated content and organic conversation. On the MLMC Instagram channel we reposted over 100 stories during Maine Lobster Week from restaurants, consumers and lobstermen sharing how they were celebrating and encouraging others to participate. For the first time that year, we worked with eight local and regional influencer partners who posted about ways to celebrate Maine Lobster Week both at home and in restaurants, generating 417,000 impressions and almost 10,000 engagements. We also saw a large increase in web traffic driven by our content focused on Maine Lobster Week and National Lobster Day.

This year we will continue our public relations efforts and influencer partnerships, and we anticipate strong coverage during the fall season. We are adding a new component in 2025 in the form of an in-person event at Southern Maine Community College. The Lobster Roll Remix will feature ten of Maine’s most inventive chefs sharing globally inspired takes on the iconic Maine lobster roll. Attendees will enjoy an evening of culinary exploration ranging from Thai spice to sushi fusion, from Italy and India to the U.S., accompanied by Maine drinks. A portion of proceeds from the event will be donated to the Maine Lobster Community Alliance’s Lobstermen’s Relief Fund. To purchase tickets, visit www.mlcalliance.org.

National Lobster Day in September is a key component of Maine Lobster Week, as it allows us to take the promotion nationwide. The MLMC works with Senator King’s office to have a Senate Resolution passed annually declaring September 25 as National Lobster Day. The holiday was started in 2015, replacing a June National Lobster Day that was too early in the season to benefit the Maine lobster fishery. Maine Lobster Week, running from September 21-28 this year, has been in place since 2021. The MLMC works with the creators of Maine Restaurant Week to encourage Maine restaurants and online lobster shippers to offer specials for the week. You can find more information at www.MaineLobsterWeek.com.