Seftons was contracted by the then Department of Agriculture to develop short and long term strategies to build public confidence in the sustainable management of Australia’s fisheries, particularly in regard to stewardship, fisheries management and sustainability. The strategy needed to unite Australia’s diverse seafood industry players, engage a wide range of government and non-government stakeholders, and capture the attention of the wider public. Drawing on wide ranging research – including into public attitudes towards Australia’s seafood industries – the project also involved two industry round table events chaired by the then Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck, and involving representatives of commercial seafood, aquaculture and recreational sectors, several major retailers, the Food and Grocery Council and government stakeholders.
Seftons coordinated the entire project, helped unite the industry behind the call to action, prepared the resulting creative brief, and worked with the selected advertising agency to refine a full advertising campaign aimed at the Australian public. The final campaign is expected to roll out in the near future, as the industry finalises its new approach to managing and financing joint awareness campaigns.