After shifting its business from Saatchi & Saatchi to Ogilvy & Mather, Sealord has added another name to its new agency group—and bolstered its presence in the growing Aussie market—by appointing The White Agency as its trans-Tasman digital agency.
Sealord has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently, with its Heidi Montag campaign promoting real frozen fillets getting an uppercut from the normals and the industry. To its credit, it moved quickly, got rid of her (and her husband), recut the ad and elevated the ‘it’s time to get real‘ Facebook app. And while there’s undoubtedly been some brand damage as a result, there’s certainly plenty of awareness about the product and sales are thought to be very strong. It’s thought Ogilvy & Mather will continue to work on above-the-line and digital campaign elements, but The White Agency, which is part of STW Group, will be responsible for the over-arching digital strategy, social media and content across Australia and New Zealand for the international seafood business, which sells to wholesale, independents and large grocery retailers. Starcom will continue as Sealord’s media agency.
“Sealord is New Zealand’s best known seafood brand and we are looking to continue enhancing our brand on home soil whilst building a much stronger presence in the Australian market,” says Jenny Hardman, digital marketing manager, Sealord Group. “Our vision is to be the most loved seafood brand in both countries. To do this we’re focused on driving stronger connections with consumers and we see digital as a key channel in helping us achieve this. We were looking for a full-service digital agency that understood the whole digital ecosystem and was able to combine strategic insight, technical know-how and creative idea generation for execution across New Zealand and Australia. The White Agency delivered on all these fronts.”
Australia is a big growth market for Sealord, and it’s hoping to double sales after Woolworths signed up to stock its fresh fish earlier this year. It’s thought all the agencies involved in the four-way pitch were Australian.
Sealord had been working with Geometry Global, Ogilvy & Mather’s shopper marketing arm, for a while now. But after its relationship with Saatchi & Saatchi went south, Ogilvy & Mather was given the business without a pitch. And while it’s human nature to remember the glitches, the agency has also dome some good work for Sealord since it took over, including the New World Little Boat, Swim for Life and the campaign for its fresh fish range.
