Chapter 24

E-marketing of fish: Scope and Dynamics

M.V. Sajeev
Extension, Information and Statistics Division,
ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin
Email:sajeev.mv@icar.gov.in

Indian fishery has established as one of the fastest growing enterprising sectors in
India and contributes 1.1% to national GDP and 5.15% to agricultural GDP of the
country. With more than 14 fold increase in national fish production in just six decades
i.e. from 0.75 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 11.41 million tonnes during 2016-17; India
registers an unparalleled average annual growth rate of 14.8% in fishery that establishes
its position as second largest in global fish production, next to China. In fact, the fish
production in India has been doubled during last two decades (between 1995-96 and
2014-15) that engages more than 14.5 million people in fisheries activities for their
livelihood giving a boost to foreign exchange earnings to the tune of US $7.08 billion
(2017–18) through export of 13.77 lakh MT fish and fisheries products, which amply
justifies the importance of the sector on the country's economy and in livelihood security.
Seafood is considered as an important part of a healthy and balanced diet by most
consumers. It‘s been estimated that around 60 per cent of the Indian population consumes
fish and the consumption pattern varies widely and across the different social fabric
(Shyam, et al. 2013). The annual per capita consumption of fish for the entire Indian
population is estimated at 5-6 kg whereas for the fish eating population it is found to be 8-
9 kg. Average annual per capita fish consumption is highest in Kerala state at 30 kg
which is very high compared to that of other states of India (Shyam, et al. 2015).
However, Indian consumers are forced to buy fish from unhygienic markets and
vendors. In general, the fish supply chain follows a four-day cycle, wherein all parties
don‘t necessarily conform to scientific food safety norms. Without a proper cold chain,
bacterial contamination typically starts within 30 minutes. Poor quality ice and
preservatives like sodium benzoate and formalin are used to keep the fish from
deteriorating, which are potentially harmful and carcinogenic for humans (Ranganna,
2017). In recent times, the wide scale media highlight on fish adulteration has created an
increased health concern and consciousness about safety and quality standards among
consumers (Sajeev, 2018a). These issues have created new drivers and barriers to fish
consumption with fish consumers changing their fish purchase behaviour and market
choice. Fish vendors air concerns about urban consumers' inhibition to purchase from
traditional markets due to increased safety and quality awareness. In this context, online
fish marketing has emerged in a big way and is assumed to be disrupting traditional fish
vending business (Sajeev, et al. 2018).Online fish marketing claims to provide fresh and
chemical/pesticide free fishes, which gives them an edge over other fish retail sources.
There is a steady rise of e-commerce fish marketplace that has gained momentum with
the rise of e-grocery and advent of new cost-effective freezing technology (Vishal, 2015).

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Online fish marketing
Fish vendors doing business online sounds crazy in India where vendors have a
virtual monopoly over door sales of both sea and inland fish. Moreover, fish being a
highly perishable product, the idea was found too difficult to implement unlike other
consumables where online marketing rules the roost. However, things changed drastically
over the last couple of years particularly in urban areas.
Often referred to as ‗online marketing‘, ‗internet marketing‘ or ‗web marketing‘,
digital marketing/E-marketing has gained popularity over the past decade. With the
arrival of social networks, e-marketing now also boasts of a new branch of social media
marketing. Even though the term ‗digital marketing‘ was coined in the 1990s, its
complete usage and importance has risen only in the recent past. As technology advanced
rapidly over the past two decades, digital media became so widespread that anybody
could access information anytime, from anywhere.
E-Marketing stands for electronic marketing, is also known as Internet marketing.
In contrast to traditional marketing, E-Marketing takes marketing techniques and
concepts, and applies them through the electronic medium of the internet. Essentially, E-
marketing threads the technical and graphical aspects of online tools together, allowing
for design, advertising, brand development, promotion and sales. Internet marketing offer
the possibility to tracking almost every action a visitor or potential customer takes in
response to marketing messages and how they navigate through their buying cycle. One
of the most desirable aspects of Internet marketing is low barrier to entry. ―Digital
marketing/e-marketing as the name specifies is marketing over the internet through
various digital devices".
Online marketing giants such as Amazon and Flipkart have been showing
tremendous growth over the years in Indian e-retail market space. Hence, idea of e-
markets is not new for Indian customers and they have become used to it. But fish being a
highly perishable commodity, adhering to quality standards makes its sales, marketing
and promotion a risky affair. Sustenance of online fish marketing depends on providing
fresh and affordable fish to the consumers on time. This distinguishing factor makes
online fish marketing an interesting topic of study.
With an increased knowledge, attitude and better perception about health, quality
and safety issues related to fish consumption, customers are fast switching to online fish
markets.Orders are just a touch away on android mobile apps, websites, facebook page,
Whatsapp message, an SMS or a call. More than a dozen e-commerce sites;
www.freshtohome.com, www.dailyfish.in, www.mathafreshfish.com, www.suvichar.in,
www.onedaycart.com, www.freshandhealthy.in, www.wildfish.in, www.biggro.com,
www.healthyfishonline.com, www.onedaycart.com, www.onlinekochi.com,
www.nallameen.com, www.bigbasket.com etc are into business and is expanding their
market base day by day (Cynthia, 2016). These fish E-commerce sites offer a rich array,
mostly the variety available on local coast. Pre-ordered fresh fish reaches consumers‘
doorstep in curry cut, steak, fully cleaned or even as whole fish at prices affordable to the
discerning homemaker. More than price, the focus in e-marketing of fish is on quality and
safety (Sajeev, 2018b). Some online sites charge for delivery while others do it for free.

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 Traditional digital marketing has a communication mix which is the adaptation of
place, product, promotion, and price in the digital context. As the number of internet users
grows, so does the reach of your product, brand or services. This can be achieved through
various techniques such as search engine optimization, search engine marketing, pay per
click, web analytics, integrated marketing communications, etc. This chapter describes
the various common digital marketing tools that are presently employed by entrepreneurs
in e-marketing of fish and fish products.
1. Keyword Strategy
A keyword in digital marketing is defined as a word or phrase used by a person to gather
information on a topic online. Usually people enter the keywords in search engines like
Google, Bing or social media sites like twitter, facebook, LinkedIn and so on to hatch the
information they are looking for. Marketers need to make sure that right people are
finding them and they are not wasting money on useless clicks. Keyword research is an
ongoing process that gives us insights on product demand and industry trends. One can
grow their organic traffic and can prevent spending money on Pay-per-click campaigns
through comprehensive keyword research. Keywords used by fish marketers include fresh
fish, fresh fish online, fresh fish online Kochi, fish online, daily fish online etc. It was
found that all the online fish sellers have used this strategy.
2. Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization is the way toward enhancing rankings of a site or website
page in the unpaid search lists. The way of the SEO is to make website pages rank higher
in the search engine result pages (otherwise known as SERPs) to increase visibility,
authority and Alexa scores. The higher a page positions, the more striking and unhidden it
is, and along these lines will get more activity, traffic, and conversions. This strategy is
employed by almost all big e-commerce websites and few major players in fish e-
marketing.

3. Pay per Click (PPC)

As an effective type of online marketing, Pay per clicks is one of speediest types
of marketing channels to drive targeted traffic to your web pages and related services. Pay
per click promotions are no longer displayed on the sidebar on search engines, and now
they are shown on niche sites, or are also shown as sponsored stories on different social
media networks. PPC ads are shown as product listing, or as a video ad. They are focused
on, either via a search term, or by the site on which the pay per click promotion is shown
or also by the profile interests. Most online fish marketing firms like Daily fish, Healthy
fish and Fresh to Home etc use this method very frequently.

4. E-mail Marketing
Considered as one of the most important types of digital marketing channels,
email marketing can be understood as the bridge between the highest point of your
business channel (Awareness– SEO, Social Media, and Internet Networking) and related
sales. Certainly, email is now not as hot as Social Media, yet it‘s a standout amongst the

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most immediate and private types of correspondence. Along these lines, it is yet a
standout amongst the best types of marketing channels in terms of optimizing sales by
ensuring engagements.

The fish e-retailers haveused the private way of email correspondences and have
taken care to treat their email subscribers somewhat more special compared to non-
subscribers. This is made possible by offeringaccess to elite content, unique email
subscribers‘ rebates, customized bargains, or other ―insider‖ products not available to the
outside audiences.

Appropriately set up email campaigns permits e-marketers to make fully targeted

messaging that lets them comprehend where their client is in the purchasing cycle.
Making email campaigns for each phase of the client lifecycle permits to develop loyalty
and more conversions. Most online fish marketing firms like Daily fish, Healthy fish and
Fresh to Home etc use email marketing on a daily basis to engage and attract their
customers.

One significant hindrance for email advertisers is the steady development of spam
channels in email programs. Firms should likewise make guarantee their marketing
program does not disregard spam laws.

5. Video Marketing/YouTube Marketing

YouTube is the second biggest search engine on the planetwhilewebsites are the third
most. Video can be amazingly social, and brilliant video advertisers are obscuring the
lines of what‘s adequate for branded content. Videos act as one of the most interactive
types of online marketing.

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Take for instance the Daily Fish YouTube channel. The ‗fish capture to fish delivery at
your home‘ video makes extraordinary utilization of technology to convey its message,
and the ―business‖ side is practically optional to the objective of making you
overwhelmed. This method is less popular now due to the fact that firms need to get the
best possible training before taking their video marketing endeavours to next level where
they can ensure great profits for investments. Video marketing/Youtube marketing of fish
is still in a nascent stage with only two major firms found to have attempted this method.

6. Blog Marketing
It may appear to be abnormal to see blogging on this chapter, in light of the fact
that a considerable lot of the things we‘ve discussed may appear typified in blogging.
Regardless, a blog is only a channel. It can have recordings, podcasts, content articles,
news subjects, offer affiliate marketing, give guideline or knowledge and it incorporates
content that fills the channel.

Blogging makes to the list of different types of online marketing channels on the grounds
that dealing with that channel is truly an expertise all alone. Planning content, labeling
and ordering content properly, overseeing interior linking, upgrading navigations – these
are only a modest bunch of things that a genuine ―blogger‖ need to oversee.

Blog administration is basic to the achievement of the blog as its basic structure is the
thing that aids search engines list your blog for the content you need to be known for, and
guests to go to proper pages inside your webpage. Blog marketing is not available in fish
e-tailing but is used by a few firms to supplement and support their business through
websites and social media by providing various fish recipes in detail through the blogs.

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7. Social Media Marketing
Amongst different types of online marketing, Social Media is youngest and as
appealing as innovative and powerful. Most online fish and fish product sellers (50
percent in Kerala) have grasped the utilization of social stages to advance their brand
image. Moreover it is the cheapest and best platform to advance ones business without
spending a bomb on costly websites and advertisements. If an entrepreneur has to
characterize the beginning procedure of social media promotion: he/she should look at
different web-based online channels as any traditional media.

This would mean observing, learning and utilizing the typical social networking sites like
– Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn etc. – however then
additionally there are niche networks, forums, discussions, dynamic blog groups, and
wherever there‘s dynamic two-way discussion happening.

In these types of online marketing channels, firms would look for target audiences
and give careful consideration to the dialect they‘re utilizing, the inquiries they‘re asking,
and the substance they‘re sharing. Famous online fish sellers like daily fish, fresh to
home, one day cart and healthy fish are actively available on Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram showcasing their daily catch and variety to prospective customers.

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 Examples of fish marketing through facebook.

The even more usually rehearsed social media strategy is ―create & then distribute‖ in a
well-targeted manner. Maybe the most abused approach used by online advertisers is to
share ‗everything to everybody‘ approach. By utilizing a more vital and figured social
media plan, fish-preneurs can create social media communication that helps them
construct a considerably more extensive gathering of people after some time.

8. Websites
In this modern era, customers are on the internet for information. People visit a
website primarily to find information. In the online fish business world, information is
critical. Online fish sellers need to have a website for customers whichcontain
information about varieties and choices theyoffer. All the online fish sellers have a well-
developed and established websites and apps. However if websites are unaffordable, the
entrepreneurs can still opt for social media marketing. Below are just a few advantages
and benefits why fish sellers choose online platforms for their business.

9. Mobile Apps
A mobile application, most commonly referred to as an app, is a type of
application software designed to run on a mobiledevice, such as a smartphone or tablet
computer. Mobileapplications frequently serve to provide users with similar services to
those accessed on PCs.Just like websites these too are expensive but once made, provides
great value to the firms by attracting and engaging customers round the clock.

Advantages of online fish marketing

Less Expensive
Print media, radio, television or other traditional means are highly expensive.
Investing in advertising is necessary, but it takes a lot of money. Having a website, apps
and social media presence makes advertisement and sales less expensive. Many versions
of offline advertising available on the internet are sometimes free.

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Advertising
Online advertising is more environmental friendly when it comes to advertising and
marketing. There are lots of ways to advertise products or services through the internet.
One example is Facebook ads, an advertising feature offered through Facebook. Another
one is called SEO. This is a major advantage for businesses. Having a good SEO service
provider can boost the ranking of website which quickly results in increased sales and
higher profits.

Website of ‗fresh to home‘ Website of ‗one day cart‘

Satisfaction
Having anonline platform will be more convenient for customers and for getting leads. It
makes it easy for customers to purchase from retailers. Many will be more likely to visit
afish selling website, rather than driving a car or two-wheeler to the physical location and
shop for products. From a customer‘s point of view, it‘s better for them if they don‘t have
to ask anything. They can just find what they‘re looking for on the online site.
Increase Customers
Most businesses have local popularity, but what about potential customers outside
their city? A website can help generate more customers. The internet offers a global
community. With a website, business will be visible around the world even though it is
not useful for an online fish selling.

Accessibility
Firms always experience having to turn customers away because it‘s closing time.
An online platform can be visited any time of the day or night. People will look to a site
instead of going to their shop because it is more accessible. Firms have to just make sure
to post enough information about their products.

Access to Information
By owning an online platform, companies can actually track everything that is
happening on it.They can even look for information that will tell them how many people
visited their site, or how many people messaged or emailed them. They can access the
progress of their website or social media platform and view all its pages. They can make
an update anytime, making it much less expensive than printed material.

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 Better Relationship
Having an online presence can build better relationships with customers. Firms
can send messages instantly to customers through email. Also, customers can review
products online and can also leave feedback for the business. Companies can give
customers more information about your business through messages or emails.

Increase Sales
Online fish sellers can drive more people to their site by consistently updating and
promoting the contents of their site. The more informative the site is, the greater the
possibility of increasing sales.
Opportunity
Online platforms give you the opportunity to prove credibility. Firms have to tell
customers why they deserve their trust through theirplatform. This can earn positive
feedback for the service and products.
Long Term Clients
A customer is the one who walks in and buys something and that‘s it. A client is a regular
customer. He/she is buying products or services daily or contractually. Having a website
gives firms a chance to gain more clients that can help their business grow.

Conclusion
Online marketing is a dynamic kind of marketing that is at a nascent stage in India and is
constantly evolving and changing. It is gaining momentum with focus on quality and
convenience rather than price advantage (Sajeev, 2018b). Hence, with unmatched
consumer accessibility through web, mobile and social media platforms and options for
wide range of products and quick home delivery systems, online fish portals have started
disrupting traditional fish vending in urban India. Online fish marketing is here to stay
and calls for conclusive studies to be taken up to prove their disruption capability.

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sale-makes-waves-in-kerala.html

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for centuries;(Accessed 2November 2018) Available:https://scroll.in/magazine/841904/a-
start-up-is-changing-the-way-fish-hasbeen-sold-and-bought-in-india-forcenturies

Sajeev, M.V. (2018a). E-marketing of fish and fish products In: Mohanty, A.K., Sajeev, M.V.,
Sajesh, V.K. & Rejula, K. (eds.) Enhancing Farm Income through Entrepreneurship
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