Market Insights Analyst Intern
JOB DESCRIPTION: MARKET INSIGHTS ANALYST INTERN
Background
Our Organization & Mission: Positively Groundfish is a young non-profit organization (501c6) that was incorporated in April 2018, but it represents a fishery that has been around for generations and that was once the economic and cultural backbone of coastal communities along the West Coast. The groundfish fishery faced ecological collapse and was declared a federal economic disaster in 2000, but thanks to comprehensive sustainability measures, has since experienced a remarkable recovery and is now considered “the ecological comeback story of the century” (quote: NOAA). However, our goal is to make it not just an environmental success but an economic one too, and help shift consumption to these more sustainable, healthy options.
Positively Groundfish was formed as a collaborative multi-stakeholder initiative by a collective of environmental non-profits, fishermen, seafood processors and academia that have partnered with a shared vision for a healthy and vibrant fishery. Positively Groundfish’s stated mission is to tell the positive story of sustainable underutilized West Coast Groundfish to cultivate public appreciation and support the long-term economic success of local fishing communities.
Therefore, PG has focused on outreach activity that a) drives consumer awareness and preference for these lesser-known local species, b) influences chefs and retailers to sell groundfish, and c) market research that supports more effective market development and communication. We have used sampling, storytelling, and education to raise species awareness and help connect American consumers to the source of their food and strengthen their connection to local communities. Utimately, we want to shift US food consumption toward more sustainable, local, and healthy products, and play our part in nudging the food system toward better supporting planetary and human health.
Our Fish: The term ‘groundfish’ refers to wild-caught finfish species that dwell near the bottom of the ocean, and include over 90 different species of rockfish, sole, flounder, lingcod, black cod, skate and thornyheads here on the West Coast. The West Coast groundfish fishery is considered abundant and sustainable: these species are certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council and have “best choice” ratings from Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch. Moreover, a comprehensive nutrient analysis we’ve recently commissioned, revealed that our key species have exceptionally great nutrient levels, putting them into “superfood” territory.
The Challenge: During the two decades it took for this wild fishery to recover, West Coast Groundfish species were essentially off-sale and all of their latent market demand vanished and shifted to other, mostly foreign species such as tilapia, while groundfish species were forgotten. Now we need to rebuild awareness, drive trial and distribution, and differentiate these lesser-known species in the minds of consumers. In essence, we need to ignite a new food trend for West Coast groundfish species.
This Accelerator Project: We are preparing to take our organization to its next evolutionary stage by developing an accelerator program. Our Catch+Create Accelerator program aims to a) entice and incentivize entrepreneurs to use West Coast groundfish species in packaged goods products, b) encourage product innovation into new formats, flavors and consumption occasions, and c) support these entrepreneurs with our collective expertise and resources from idea to market launch to increase their chances of success. We hope the program will generate some much-needed excitement and momentum for groundfish species, that these products will appeal to new consumer segments and grow seafood consumption, and ultimately, that it will grow the West Coast groundfish fishery both in terms of utilization and value.
Job Details
- You will work remotely. You are ideally located on the West Coast (WA, OR or CA). In-person collaboration may be possible if you are based in the Bay Area or Seattle.
- You will work for 40hr/wk for 8-10 weeks during the summer months (we’re flexible on timing).
Your Responsibilities
You will work directly with the Executive Director as well as other program managers to help develop market analyses to support our new Catch+Create Accelerator program.
- Consumer Survey: analyze the results of a large online survey with a population-representative panel of 3,000 US consumers. Analyze the results and compile a report and presentation of the survey results and potential implications.
- CPG Market Analysis – multiple categories: Analyze and quantify current trends, opportunities and challenges in several different consumer-packaged good categories. Produce market briefing reports for each of these, that become a valuable resource for start-ups participating in our accelerator program.
Qualifications
- You are ideally a rising senior in an undergraduate degree, a current grad student, or recently graduated from college.
- Your course of study has included statistical analysis, data analysis and/or market/ marketing research
- You are proficient in the use of Excel, Word and PowerPoint and a statistical regression program of your choice (e.g. R, Python, etc), and have excellent data visualization skills.
- You have an interest in sustainable food systems, and/or marketing/marketing research; and/or social sciences/social impact
- You are organized, efficient, and self-motivated and able to get work done without close supervision.
- You have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, analytical writing skills, and have a pleasant professional demeanor.