Historically, the US aquaculture sector has shied away from proactive communications, focusing instead on responding to the criticisms that have plagued the sector for decades. Even when aquaculture businesses and organizations tackle communications projects, they typically consist of myth-busting fact sheets, FAQ pages, and crisis communications tactics. While these can be useful, relying on reactive PR alone is not enough to turn the tide of public opinion. Tactics like these have put the US aquaculture sector on the defense, perpetuating its “guilty until proven innocent” status. Furthermore, the sector is challenged to break out of its echo chamber and reach new audiences, rather than preaching to the proverbial choir. It is clear that a new approach, coupled with significant investment, is desperately needed to help this sector advance in the 21st century.
Maine has recognized this need and taken action . This lightning talk will showcase how Maine is developing and implementing effective digital campaigns that tell the story of Maine’s aquaculture farmers and reach beyond typical followers to engage new audiences. Topics covered will include broad strategy development, target audiences, key messages, and objectives related to the campaign, as well as specific types of content, tools, metrics, and analytics used to measure success and fine-tune strategy over time.