February 2017 NewsWaves

Table of Contents

• West Marine Incorporates Multicultural Messaging
• 2017 George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund Grantees Announced
• Case Study: Arizona’s Website Portal Successes

West Marine Incorporates Multicultural Messaging

To keep up with the rapidly changing demographics in the United States, West Marine made the decision to develop an inclusive image. Starting with a review of their own marketing materials, West Marine developed a strategy to market to all types of new customers, not just their traditional customer base. Learn more about West Marine’s move to be more inclusive in the video below:

INSIGHTS

Create your own successful marketing campaign by following West Marine’s lead:

• Secure buy-in from leaders at the top of your organization
• Develop a fully thought-out strategy, backed by research
• Secure the human capital to support the strategy
• Keep your marketing consistent, but change the “cast of characters”
• Consider including your own customers and associates in marketing materials

RESOURCES

You, too can develop more inclusive marketing messages with the help of RBFF’s free resources:

• Marketing Materials –
  • Multicultural Photo Library
  • Spanish-language PSAs
  • Spanish Translation Guide
  • Bilingual How-To Videos
• Webinars –
  • RBFF Resources to Engage Consumers
  • Hispanic Marketing Strategies
  • Hispanic Outreach
• Research –
  • Hispanic Market Research
  • Special Report on Fishing

This video is part of a series from the Recreational Boating Leadership Council (RBLC) that was produced with the support of RBFF. All videos in the Strategies and Best Practices for Engaging New Markets series, which is part of RBLC’s New Markets Task Force, are available for viewing in the RBFF Resource Center.

2017 George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund Grantees Announced

A total of $35,000 in grants was awarded to 12 fishing and boating programs in six states this month through RBFF’s George H.W. Bush Vamos a Pescar™ Education Fund. The six state agencies will fully-match the grant funds provided by the Education Fund, effectively bringing the total amount of funding to $70,000 for the 2017 round of grantees. Grant programs will work to bring conservation, education and fishing and boating experiences to Hispanic families.

“As the Hispanic audience continues to gain significance and influence, it will be up to programs like the George H.W. Bush Vamos a Pescar™ Education Fund to engage this emerging audience,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. “We are encouraged by the work that has been done as a result of the Education Fund so far and are excited to welcome a new round of grantees for 2017.”

There are currently 57 million U.S. Hispanics, making up 18% of the population. Perhaps more importantly, the Hispanic audience accounted for over 48% of the U.S. population growth between 2010 and 2015 and are projected to reach 65 million individuals by 2020. The following programs will go a long way to ensure that fishing and boating are an important part of this population’s identity in the future.

GRANTEE PROGRAMS FOR 2017:

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission –

• Hillsborough River State Park Preservation Society

California Department of Fish and Wildlife –

• East Bay Spanish Speaking Citizen’s Foundation
• Hispanic Access Foundation

Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection –

• Hartford Police Activities League
• Fishing Northeast

Iowa Department of Natural Resources –

• Iowa Latino Community Center, Inc.

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism –

• Fishing’s Future – Salina Chapter

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department –

• Fishing’s Future – Central Texas Chapter
• Fishing’s Future – Clear Lake/Galveston Chapter
• Fishing’s Future – Houston Chapter
• Fishing’s Future – South Padre Island Chapter
• Our Lady of Guadalupe

Learn more about the George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund at takemefishing.org/educationfund. Learn more about how you or your organization can donate to the Education Fund here.

Case Study: Arizona’s Website Portal Successes

In today’s ever-evolving online consumer environment, every organization needs to continually look for ways to maintain an enjoyable customer experience. After revitalizing their online license purchasing portal, the Arizona Game and Fish Department saw impressive results.

The agency built a customizable software solution after having contracted several software solution providers, with no success on finding one that met their needs. They developed The Portal, which gives the agency a holistic view of the customer and allows them to identify targeted audiences to market products and services based on the behavior. With this new information, the agency fostered and developed digital relationships with its customers, providing them with relevant information and keeping them engaged in the process.

This new online portal, along with the agency’s “I Support Wildlife” promotion and other updates throughout the agency helped lead to additional revenue for the agency, allowing it to become more sustainable. This information and more was presented at the 2016 State Marketing Workshop. Head to the RBFF Resource Center to view this presentation and others from the Workshop.

The best part of Arizona’s success is that it can be replicated in other states. If you would like more information on this program, please contact Arizona Game and Fish Department Customer Service and Sales Branch Chief, Rachel Gottlieb at rgottlieb@azgfd.gov.