How to make the Blue Bioeconomy the cool cousin of sustainability

Let’s be honest: communicating the blue bioeconomy isn’t exactly the same as selling a pair of designer shoes or a top-of-the-range electric car. It’s not what you’d call ‘sexy’ at first glance.

Unlike other sectors that practically sell themselves, the blue bioeconomy doesn’t enjoy the same allure as, say, sustainable fashion brands, which almost promise to save the planet with every jumper made from recycled plastic bottles. These industries already have a well-crafted, almost seductive narrative, where the consumer feels like a hero 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 isn’t the products – they’re innovative and necessary. The challenge is communicating these innovations effectively. It’s not enough to have the most sustainable product if no one knows it exists or cares. We’re talking about fantastic innovations, revolutionary processes, and a climate urgency we all recognise.

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

The consumer doesn’t care if the algae were cultivated in a continuous-flow system; they want to know if it’s healthy, if it’s sustainable, and whether they can season their salad with it without feeling like they’re eating something from an aquarium!

Think about it: the blue bioeconomy has everything today’s consumers supposedly want – sustainability, innovation, natural products. But unlike sectors like green technology or healthy eating, we’ve yet to figure out how to make ‘blue’ fashionable.

The consumer doesn’t care about the cultivation system behind the algae; they want to know if it’s good for them, if it’s good for the planet, and if it tastes great in their salad!

So, the challenge is twofold: we not only 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, and above all, aspirational.

And let’s not forget, communication shouldn’t be limited to the end consumer. For the blue bioeconomy to truly make an impact, we also need to engage with governments, businesses, and academia. We need to create synergies that translate innovative ideas into concrete actions, into policies that encourage the use of sustainable marine products, into investments that allow businesses to innovate without fear of failure.

At Blue Wink-E 2024, we’ll explore precisely these issues: how to talk about the blue bioeconomy in a way that makes consumers choose blue and live green. We know it’s not easy, but the potential is there. We just need to learn how to tell the story the right way.

So, the challenge is set. Will the blue bioeconomy become the next green trend, just like green tech and sustainable fashion? I believe it can. We just need to tidy up our messaging and, with a touch of creativity and boldness, make sure the consumer no longer sees algae as ‘that green stuff from the sea’ but as ‘the next big revolution on their plate.’ It’s time to professionalise communication and marketing and make blue the new ecological trend.