There’s been a movement in recent years pushing health-conscious consumers to the perimeter of the grocery store—meat, dairy, produce—and out of the junky processed-food-laden aisles. But consumers seem to be missing out on a hidden staple that’s both shelf stable and healthy: tuna. This unsung hero of the canned food aisle isn’t in most shopping carts, even here in San Diego, the former tuna capital of the world.
“It’s one of the healthiest proteins you can get on the planet—and affordable,” says Todd Putman, executive vice president and chief growth officer of San Diego’s own Bumble Bee Foods. He doesn’t place the blame for tuna’s waning popularity on shoppers; rather, he believes companies aren’t effectively calling attention to seafood’s health benefits and modern sustainability practices. “Consumers don’t know that message very well.”
Bumble Bee, which is celebrating its 130th anniversary this year, has partnered with local branding powerhouse Bulldog Drummond to overhaul the company’s voice and get consumers’ attention. The firm has quite the track record, having worked with brands like WD-40, Campbell Soup, Nike, Starbucks, and Jack in the Box. Their Bumble Bee partnership could mean anything from rethinking marketing channels and social media to venturing into plant-based products, or even rebranding the company with a new name and more modern image.
“We are looking at the total landscape of how consumers eat—and eat healthier,” Putman says, “to reestablish for Bumble Bee Foods what our North Star is, and who we’re going to be as an organization.”
Tags: Business, Food Data, Health, sustainability
