When it comes to picky eaters, parents have tried almost every negotiation tactic to get their kids to eat something new. Now, additional help in the matter is being amplified as the “Even the Pickiest Pick SeaPak” marketing campaign from America’s No. 1 frozen shrimp brand makes its debut just as Lenten season begins and before the newly established National Picky Eaters Day in the USA on April 4.
“With our campaign, we’re showing that shrimp and other seafood can be a real game-changer for families with picky eaters,” said Ciera Womack, director of seafood marketing at Rich Products Corp., parent company of St. Simons Island, Georgia-based SeaPak. “And with the launch of National Picky Eaters Day, we’re giving parents a reason to celebrate those little wins. SeaPak’s crispy, kid-approved favorites like Classic Popcorn Shrimp and Crunchy Shrimp Poppers are easy and delicious ways to make mealtimes a success.”
Backed by a national survey of 2,000 parents of school aged children, conducted by Talker Research on behalf of SeaPak, addresses finicky eating and offers tasty options for even the pickiest eaters to pick.
The survey revealed that parents spend an average of 67 hours a year negotiating with their fussy eaters. It also highlighted some of the most common reasons behind food refusals:
• 37% of parents say vegetables are the biggest source of food meltdowns for their children.
• 33% of kids reject foods based on smell.
• 32% say “no” just because of how food looks.
• 26% of parents used to be picky eaters themselves — and still are today.
While some foods may never fly with certain kids, the survey found that seafood is a real crowd pleaser. In fact, 32% of parents say their kids always say “yes” to shrimp.
To help bring these insights to life, SeaPak partnered with creative agency EP+ Co and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop to conceive The Otterfords, a family of lovable sea otter puppets who know all too well what it’s like to have a picky eater at the table. Sea otters eat 25% of their body weight in food each day, their diet consisting of a tasty seafood medley – that’s about four pounds of shrimp daily! Designed by the company behind the Muppets, these whimsical, shrimp-loving characters star in SeaPak’s latest campaign, proving that sea otters and humans can agree on one thing: Seafood is delicious.
“Our goal has always been to make mealtimes more fun and stress-free,” Womack said. “With The Otterfords, our Even the Pickiest Pick SeaPak campaign, and National Picky Eaters Day, we’re giving parents a lighthearted way to connect with their kids about trying new foods — and showing that seafood is something even picky eaters will pick.”
