PORTLAND, ME — After a 20-agency review, the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative has decided to stick with incumbent agency Weber Shandwick, albeit with a new marketing strategy to capture consumers.

The MLMC, which has worked with Weber Shandwick for the last five years, has hired the agency to handle integrated marketing communications including PR, advertising, digital and social media. The decision came after a four-month review process.

Participating agencies, many of which have expertise in food marketing, were charged with assessing the organization’s current marketing strategy, which focuses on promoting ‘Maine New Shell Lobster’, a softer-shelled lobster whose meat is sweeter and more tender than that of hard-shelled lobster.
 
Moving forward, Weber Shandwick will instead focus on the selling points of the product — sweet flavor, sustainable sourcing and Maine origin — while positioning the new shells that are on those lobsters, caught from June to November, as an indication of them being in season. The firm also works with MLMC on supply chain and regulatory issues.

“We believe this is time to shift our focus to communicating the benefits of Maine lobster, with sweet flavor being the most prominent,” said Marianne LaCroix, executive director of the collaborative. “We’re confident that this evolved approach will help us address industry priorities in a refreshed way.”