March NewsWaves
Table of Contents
New Literature Review to Guide R3 Model
A new scientific research review has been completed as a first step of the AREA-RBFF partnership to develop national angler recruitment, retention and reactivation (R3) strategies. This comprehensive literature review will provide a foundation of defendable knowledge that will allow this project to identify effective approaches to increase angling and boating participation.
AREA and RBFF announced their partnership in August 2015 to develop the framework for industrywide angler R3 programs. The guidelines will incorporate current R3 strategies developed by the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI), and will build upon the foundation provided by RBFF’s Best Practices Workbook for Boating, Fishing and Aquatic Resources Stewardship Education. The program will conclude in early 2017 with information being shared throughout the process.
This partnership, and the resulting R3 guidelines, are the foundation of RBFF’s new aspirational goal to increase fishing participation to 60 million in 60 months, by March 31, 2021. To reach this goal, RBFF plans to work as a catalyst for change, focusing on national recruitment efforts and supporting state agency efforts by both serving as an incubator for innovative R3 programs, and leading the community in implementing a national R3 plan. RBFF is committed to this goal, however full buy-in from state and industry stakeholders will be paramount in reaching the 60 million angler mark.
“With the current churn rate we’re seeing in recreational fishing, it’s become more evident than ever that our industry needs to change its approach,” said Frank Peterson, President & CEO of RBFF. “The goal of 60 million anglers in 60 months should work as a reminder that coordinated, strategic R3 efforts must be used to reach this aspirational number.”
New Take Me Fishing Website and Map Well-Received
Hundreds of thousands of anglers and boaters throughout the country have made their way to the redesigned TakeMeFishing.org, and preliminary results are very positive. In the website’s first month, the site achieved around 10,000 daily sessions – a great number made even better knowing there are limited marketing dollars behind the new site as of yet.
One key feature of the new website is the revamped Places to Fish and Boat Map. The Map, which is the go-to destination for finding great fishing and boating locations across the United States, includes nearby bait shops, marinas, outfitters, license vendors, fishing and boating spots and more. To avoid any confusion over public and private waterways, most private bodies of water have been removed and the map’s locations will continually be checked for accuracy. Additionally, our state agency partners are encouraged to submit any corrections directly through the Map and consumers can rate bodies of water and provide comments via Facebook Connect. Take the Map for a spin or learn about how to seamlessly integrate it into your own website.
In addition to the updates to the Places to Fish and Boat Map, the new TakeMeFishing.org has been optimized for all screen sizes and formats through responsive design. The site also has a new, streamlined layout, enhanced state information, new advertising options and an updated corporate section and resource center for stakeholders. Important state information and resources are now prominently highlighted on the new site and conservation messaging has been added throughout.
Check out the site today and be sure to share its countless resources with your customers and followers.
Record-Breaking Top Places to Fish & Boat Sweeps
Preliminary results are in for RBFF’s 2016 America’s Top Family Fishing & Boating Spots Sweepstakes, and the promotion was a resounding success! Thanks to our state and industry partners for sharing the news of the promotion and a bolstered social media advertising strategy, RBFF was able to shatter many of its benchmarks from the previous year’s promotion by the halfway point of this year’s sweepstakes, resulting in even more visibility for our nation’s aquatic resources and fishing and boating opportunities.
Our team closely monitored social engagement across all channels and was pleased to see many states sharing word of the promotion. This, along with growth in media support, helped us reach a 51% increase in sweepstakes entries over last year’s promotion. The growth of entries also factored in to a 75% increase in registrants opting-in to receive email communications from Take Me Fishing. As part of our ongoing communications plans, we will add these individuals to our database and continue to send them exciting fishing and boating how-to information, links to fishing license and boat registration information, and, of course, the list of the Top 100 Places to Fish and Boat.
The sweepstakes earned nearly 400 hits in local and national print, online, radio and television media, including many Spanish-language outlets, which is new this year. We fully expect to significantly increase the earned media coverage with the launch of our PR campaign announcing the Top 100 Places to Fish and Boat.
Thank you to all of our partners for helping drive engagement in this popular and effective promotion for generating awareness of the many family-friendly fishing and boating opportunities available to our consumers. Be on the lookout for the Top 100 Places to Fish and Boat list to be announced just ahead of National Fishing and Boating Week, June 4 – 12.