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Trans-Ocean Breaks National Print and Online Advertising in Weight Watchers Magazine and Web Site Beginning in January 2009

Bellingham, WA, January 8, 2009 -- As the annual weight loss "season" moves into high gear, Trans-Ocean Products is aiming to attract more consumers to the retail seafood department and its Crab Classic brand with new advertising that breaks this week in Weight Watchers magazine and on the WeightWatchers.com web site (http://www.weightwatchers.com/index.aspx). Crab Classic is the country's #1 selling brand of surimi seafood with a 34% share of the market and distribution in major food retailers nationwide.

A full-page, color ad appears in the January/February issue of the magazine and banner ads will appear throughout the same two month period on the Weight Watchers web site. The print ad creative presents Crab Classic as "simple, healthy seafood" with a recipe and $1.00 OFF coupon to stimulate trial. The online banner ads appear in the "Recipes" section of the Weight Watchers web site and are accompanied by four, healthy recipes with Crab Classic as the main ingredient. The banner ads also link directly to the Trans-Ocean web site (http://www.trans-ocean.com/index.html) which has been updated with new healthy recipes and nutritional information.

Trans-Ocean decided to focus its advertising on the Weight Watchers audience after research revealed that Crab Classic users shared key demographic characteristics with the typical Weight Watchers member/reader. Trans-Ocean had re-positioned Crab Classic in 2007 as a healthy seafood that is an excellent source of omega-3, making the tie-in with Weight Watchers a natural fit. Weight Watchers magazine has a readership of over 10 million consumers while the WeightWatchers.com web site has 4-5 million unique visitors each month.

"To Weight Watchers members and followers, Crab Classic represents something different. It's healthy seafood with a mild flavor that can be used in so many different ways," commented Trans-Ocean's Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Lou Shaheen. We think the Weight Watchers consumer will appreciate how simple it is to cook with Crab Classic and also how affordable it is compared to other food choices."

In 2008, Trans-Ocean initiated its first-ever consumer advertising effort with ads in national women's magazines and on cable television programming. The company plans to continue to invest in consumer advertising in 2009, though in a more targeted manner. Additional placements in Weight Watchers magazine are planned for later in 2009.

About Trans-Ocean
Founded in 1985, Trans-Ocean is one of the country's largest processors of surimi seafoods that are sold under the Classic brand name and also as private labels. The vertically integrated company is a United States subsidiary of Maruha-Nichiro which owns three surimi block plants in Alaska and two floating processor ships in addition to a surimi seafood processing facility in Bellingham, WA. For more information, contact Trans-Ocean at 350 West Orchard Drive, Bellingham, WA 98225, 800-290-2722 or visit www.trans.ocean.com.

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