Let’s be honest: communicating the blue bioeconomy is not exactly the same as selling a pair of designer shoes or a top-of-the-range electric car. It’s not what we would call “sexy” at first glance.

Unlike other sectors that sell themselves, the blue bioeconomy doesn’t have the same appeal as, say, sustainable fashion brands, which practically promise to save the planet with every sweater made from recycled plastic bottles. These industries already have their narrative well defined, almost in a seductive way, and consumers feel like heroes just by clicking the “buy” button. Now, try telling someone that aquaculture could be the key to the future of sustainable consumption… and prepare for a blank stare, full of doubt.

The problem is not with the products, which are innovative and necessary. The challenge is to communicate these innovations effectively. It is not enough to have the most sustainable product if no one knows it exists or cares. We are talking about fantastic innovations, revolutionary processes, and a climate emergency that we all recognize.

If there is one thing that Blue Wink-E 2024, with the theme “Choose Blue, Live Green,” aims to do, it is to put the blue bioeconomy on the consumer’s radar. The sector needs a boost to break out of the bubble of technical jargon and stop being seen as that annoying cousin who talks about marine biopolymers, aquatic bioprocesses, and aquaculture waste in a way that no one understands.

Consumers don’t care whether algae was grown in a continuous flow cultivation system; they want to know if it’s healthy, if it’s sustainable, and if they can sprinkle it on their salad without feeling like they’re eating something out of an aquarium!

Think about it: the blue bioeconomy has everything today’s consumers supposedly want—sustainability, innovation, natural products. But unlike sectors such as green technology or healthy eating, it seems we haven’t yet figured out how to make blue fashionable.

Consumers don’t want to know if the algae was grown in a continuous flow cultivation system; they want to know if it’s healthy, if it’s sustainable, and if they can sprinkle it on their salad without feeling like they’re eating something out of an aquarium!

So the challenge here is twofold: not only do we need to explain what blue bioeconomy products are, but we also need to make them desirable. And how do we do that? Consumers want stories. Good stories, simple stories, and above all, aspirational stories.

And remember, communication should not be limited to the end consumer. For the blue bioeconomy to have a real impact, we also need to engage in dialogue with governments, businesses, and academia. We need to create synergies that enable innovative ideas to be translated into concrete actions, into policies that encourage the use of sustainable marine products, into investments that create conditions for companies to innovate without fear of failure.

At Blue Wink-E 2024, we will explore precisely these issues: how to talk about the blue bioeconomy effectively, so that consumers choose blue and live green. We know it’s not easy, but the potential is there. We just have to learn how to communicate it in the right way.

So, the challenge is set. Will the blue bioeconomy, like green technology and sustainable fashion, become the new ecological trend? I believe so. We just need to refine our message and, with a touch of creativity and boldness, ensure that consumers don’t see algae as “that green stuff that lives in the sea,” but as “the next big revolution on their plate.” It’s time to professionalize communication and marketing and turn blue into the new sustainable trend.