January NewsWaves
Table of Contents
Take Me Fishing™ Study Shows Influence at All-Time High
RBFF recently released the results of its Take Me Fishing campaign evaluation which show influence is at an all-time high. The study found awareness of the Take Me Fishing™ logo is higher than ever, with recall up to 52 percent from 43 percent a year ago. Brand awareness among lapsed anglers took the greatest leap, increasing in one year from 10 percent to 40 percent, with brand awareness across all groups holding steady above 40 percent. The study tracked the campaign’s gains to the different media channels used to reach audience groups, including TV, print, online and social media. The study also confirmed that adults are far more likely to fish if they fished when a child. Other important findings of the report include:
- Awareness of the “Take Me Fishing” phrase rose from 10 percent in 2010 to 41 percent.
- Lapsed Anglers’ logo awareness as well as brand awareness increased the most of any group’s.
- Awareness, recall and influence levels were high across all media.
- 20% of those who used social media outlets of any kind within a month of the survey recalled seeing one or both of the campaign’s hashtags, #FirstCatch and #FirstCatchSweeps.
- The campaign has increased intentions to boat and fish: Intention to fish is up from 74 percent (2014) to 82 percent, and intention to fish from a boat increased from 65 percent to 71 percent.
- The experience of fishing as a child is by far the strongest predictor of intention to fish as an adult, good reason to urge today’s anglers to take their children fishing.
“The fact that brand awareness, intention to go fishing, and intention to go fishing from a boat have each increased by 20% since 2010 tells us that in only five years, Take Me Fishing has become a recognized and influential part of our target audiences’ lives,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson.
For a more detailed look, please download the report.
State Innovative R3 Program Grants Case Studies and 2016 RFP Now Available
RBFF awarded a total of nearly $75,000 to three state agencies in its first year of its State Innovative R3 Program Grants, to assist them in implementing marketing strategies that focused on increasing fishing license purchases and/or boat registrations in innovative ways. All three programs funded in 2015, which worked to recruit, retain and reactivate anglers and boaters, concluded at the end of the year, with program successes being shared through the following case studies:
- Georgia Wildlife Resources Division’s Boat Registration Interactive Voice Response System tested a program to increase boat registration renewals and shorten the lapse period by providing boat owners an easy and convenient telephone Interactive Voice Response (IVR) option for registration renewal. Boat owners received a call before expiration, which served as a great reminder to spur boat owners to renew their registration. The agency plans to expand this program for hunting and fishing licenses.
“This new interactive voice response system serves as a great reminder to our customers for renewing boat registrations. This has the potential to save money on how we remind Georgia boat owners by not having to incur the cost of mailing a letter,” said Dan Forster, Division Director.
“We believe customer-focused digital communications will keep anglers engaged with Nebraska Game and Parks, remind them of their role in conservation, and that time outdoors is time well spent,” said Commission Director Jim Douglas.
Additionally, emails were personalized and customized based on past license purchase and provided an opportunity for an upsell of licenses. The agency will continue to expand use of this system to send targeted messages and plans to send messages to upsell short-term license holders.
- Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s Reel Fun Vermont campaign looked to capitalize on the recent trend of increased license sales among 20-30 year-olds in urban areas. The urban demographic and people who stay in Vermont state parks were targeted with “Reel Fun Vermont,” a campaign that utilized a combination of media strategies to increase participation in fishing. Using video ads, web, print, radio and social media, the state promoted “Reel Fun Vermont” and fishing opportunities in the local parks to reach new target audiences. The program also helped lay the groundwork for an annual loaner tackle program in Vermont state parks and fostered new partnerships within the agency to launch and promote the campaign. The agency plans to continue to expand the campaign.
“The Reel Fun Vermont program brings together Vermont’s strong history of recreational angling and the fun of staying at our amazing state parks,” said Louis Porter, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Commissioner. “We appreciate RBFF’s role in making this new collaboration a success and expect Reel Fun will be a tradition for years to come.”
It is RBFF’s hope that these case studies provide state agencies across the country with information on how similar angler and boater R3 programs can be implemented in their state.
RBFF is currently soliciting proposals for the 2016 State Innovative R3 Program Grants. State agencies are encouraged to submit their innovative and sustainable marketing initiatives focused on increasing fishing and boating participation for consideration. We are requesting program proposals that are customized to a state, but can also be tailored and replicated across the country.
Proposals are due to Joanne Martonik (jmartonik@rbff.org) by 5:00pm Eastern Time on February 19, 2016. Please email or call Joanne at 703-778-5153 with any questions.
Popular Take Me Fishing Sweepstakes Back for Third Year
The hugely-successful America’s Top Family Fishing & Boating Spots Sweepstakes is soon returning for its third year. Set to launch mid-February, the sweepstakes, which encourages fishing and boating participation and increases awareness of our nation’s great fishing and boating opportunities, will once again ask consumer across the country to select their favorite family-friendly places to fish and boat. Consumers can vote once per day to help ensure their favorite locations are included in the America’s Top 100 Family Fishing & Boating Spots List.
In past years, the sweepstakes has focused on the best fishing and boating opportunities near major metropolitan areas. This year’s list, however, has been expanded to find the best family fishing and boating spots across the country, regardless of location. Also new for this year are several National Park locations, right in time to celebrate the National Park Service Centennial. Another first for this year, sweepstakes materials will be available in both English and Spanish in order to broaden the reach and better serve the Hispanic audience.
Prior to the sweepstakes launch, free resources, including banner ads, sharable social media posts and press release templates, will be provided to all RBFF stakeholders to help spread the news and garner votes for your favorite locations. RBFF will also be engaging state agencies via its social media platforms for localized posts encouraging consumers to vote on their favorite locations in each state.
The America’s Top Family Fishing &Boating Spots Sweepstakes fits in well with RBFF’s larger National Fishing & Boating Week (NFBW) and general fishing and boating public relations campaigns. The sweepstakes, as well as its featured locations, will be promoted in local and national media outlets throughout the duration of the voting period. Following the sweepstakes, the Top 100 locations will be heavily promoted during NFBW and the summer months, which in previous years, has proven to garner some impressive media attention from local and national outlets.