February NewsWaves
Table of Contents
Announcing the New & Improved TakeMeFishing.org
To help meet its mission of growing participation in recreational fishing and boating, and generating awareness of aquatic conservation, RBFF has completely redesigned the TakeMeFishing.org website. As the premier destination for less experienced anglers and boaters to gear up for a successful day out on the water, the website acts as a mentor, guide and tool that breaks down initial barriers to getting involved in fishing or boating. In-depth information on fish species, fishing knots and rigs and more, as well as boat maintenance, handling and navigation, provide plenty of useful material for more avid participants as well.
Supplying one of the most dynamic and useful Places to Boat and Fish maps in the industry, TakeMeFishing.org continues to offer easy-to-understand ‘how-to’ content, along with state-by-state fishing license and boat registration information and messaging throughout the site about how fishing and boating participation contributes to aquatic conservation.
WEBSITE IMPROVEMENTS OVERVIEW:
- Responsive Design - 68% of visits to TakeMeFishing.org come from a mobile device, so the site was developed in responsive design and provides an optimal viewing and interaction experience across a wide range of devices (from desktop to tablet to mobile phones).
- Streamlined Content - The content is streamlined and surfaces information in a way that is easier for users to find and comprehend. The site structure is flatter than the previous site, so access to topical content and information that is linked to RBFF business goals including fishing license and boat registration links, is quicker and more intuitive.
- Enhanced Places to Boat & Fish Map –
- The interactive Places to Boat & Fish Map has been enhanced with new features that better enable consumers to get out for a successful day on the water, even allowing them to filter for a body of water based on fish species.
- Users are encouraged to rate bodies of water and provide comments via Facebook Connect to ensure the Map stays current while providing users with unbranded social feedback.
- Also new, the Map features only bodies of water that are managed by state and/or federal agencies to ensure our visitors are receiving the most accurate information.
- Enhanced State Info - The State Info section has been enhanced with more robust information to both showcase fishing and boating as fun activities to do with family and friends, and provide visitors with the most up-to-date information from their state agency. Developed in partnership with state agencies, content includes suggested local fishing and boating locations, fishing reports, common catches and direct links to state license and registration information.
- New Advertising Options - A new ad format is available to advertisers on the site in the form of sponsored content (also referred to as native advertising). Available across all device types, placements are formatted to match the look and feel of the site.
- New Corporate Information & Resources - The Corporate section is new and improved as well, offering concise information on RBFF’s history, initiatives and resources in a simplified and accessible format.
RBFF encourages stakeholders to visit the new www.TakeMeFishing.org from their computer, tablet or mobile phone, and to check out the refreshed Corporate site for its latest news, research and free downloadable resources.
America’s Top Family Fishing and Boating Spots Sweepstakes Now Live
America’s Top Family Fishing and Boating Spots Instant Win and Sweepstakes is officially back for its third year! Consumers across the country are being asked to vote for their favorite family-friendly fishing and boating spots and will get a chance at winning an instant prize of a Take Me Fishing™ backpack and one lucky grand prize winner will receive their own memory-making experience from Take Me FishingTM: a three-night, four-day stay for four at the Walt Disney World® Resort, including a guided fishing excursion. New for this year is as a Spanish-language version, mobile-friendly components and a broadened list of locations to vote for. As part of RBFF’s Take Me Fishing and Vamos A Pescar™ campaigns, the Sweepstakes ultimate goal is to increase awareness of the great family-friendly places across the country and get more families out on the water fishing and boating.
This year’s Sweepstakes includes several National Parks like the Everglades, which ranked No. 1 on the 2015 Top Places list, just in time for the National Parks Centennial celebration. Offering more than 310 pre-selected family-friendly parks from across the U.S., entrants can vote daily for the three parks they feel offer the best fishing and boating experience based on family amenities, location and the likeliness to catch a fish or enjoy a day on the water. The Sweepstakes voting duration is six weeks-long, ending on March 27, 2016 at 11:59pm EST. The parks with the most votes will make the list of the 2016 America’s Top 100 Family Fishing and Boating Spots, which will be released during National Fishing and Boating Week from June 4 – 12, 2016 and promoted throughout the summer.
In order to assist stakeholders in promoting their favorite fishing and boating locations, as well as participation in general, RBFF has provided various resources, including banner advertisements, draft social media posts and a press release template. All materials are available to RBFF stakeholders in the RBFF Resource Center.
To learn more about the sweepstakes and to vote for your favorite parks, visit America’s Top Family Fishing and Boating Spots Instant Win and Sweepstakes.
Pioneering Study Reveals Conservation Awareness and Participation Motivations
A new survey released by RBFF and the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (CAHSS), reveals detailed information on anglers’ and boaters’, hunters’ and recreational shooters’ current awareness of the connection between conservation and licenses. This first-time study, which was conducted by Colle + McVoy and Carbonview Research and fielded between September 29 and October 28, 2015, surveyed a total of 1540 respondents (788 anglers and boaters; 752 hunters and shooting sport participants). The study benchmarked participants’ awareness of conservation, knowledge of how licenses and excise taxes fund conservation, and messages that targeted audience groups are most likely to respond to.
Overall, the study revealed approximately 75 percent of respondents are aware of the connection between licensing and conservation, and over 90 percent like the idea that their license fees fund conservation efforts. However, conservation is not the primary reason they participate. In addition, eight in 10 respondents reported the main reason for purchasing a license is not conservation but rather widespread awareness that it is required and the “right thing to do.”
“Supporting conservation by increasing participation is fundamental to our mission,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. “With this new study, we have a window on how much anglers and boaters actually know about the role of licenses in funding conservation efforts, and how we can tailor messages to increase their understanding and engagement.”
Respondents for the study were categorized according to RBFF’s target audiences, Family Outdoors (who participate with family members) and Outdoor Enthusiasts (who participate alone or with others to build expertise and enjoy the outdoors). Results were also analyzed by Beginner/Intermediate and Avid participants, Boaters and non-Boaters, Male and Female, and Hispanic and non-Hispanic.
KEY FISHING & BOATING FINDINGS:
- Participants boat and fish because they appreciate the outdoors and time spent with family or in the solitude of nature.
- Outdoor Enthusiasts, Avid Anglers and Boaters are more aware of the connection between license fees and conservation than their counterparts (Family Outdoors, Beginner/Intermediate Anglers and non-Boaters).
- Outdoor Enthusiasts, Avid Anglers and Boaters are all significantly more likely to purchase a license both because they are “passionate” about their sport and because fees go towards conservation.
- Almost all anglers and boaters (96%) care about healthy fish populations and our waterways.
- The two highest conservation messages detail out that 100% of fishing licensing fees are invested back into ensuring healthy fish populations.
- Anglers with less experience were, on the whole, less aware of the ties between license purchases and conservation.
- Among the study’s anglers, almost two-thirds own their own boat, and most use their boat to fish.
The full fishing and hunting report including an executive summary of the RBFF/CAHSS Conservation Study, and results by Census regions and divisions, is available online.