November NewsWaves
Table of Contents
RBFF, AREA Release Angler R3 Recommendations
RBFF and the Aquatic Resources Education Association (AREA) have released their Recommendations and Strategic Tools for Effective Angler Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation (R3) Efforts. The document is a product of the two-year partnership between AREA and RBFF to develop guidelines for increasing the effectiveness of angler R3 efforts nationally.
“These actionable R3 guidelines will go a long way in helping us realize our 60 in 60 goal as they are adopted by state agencies, industry stakeholders and NGOs throughout the fishing and boating community,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. “By utilizing these comprehensive guidelines, we will be able to create a sustainable base of anglers and boaters for generations to come, leading to more funding for essential conservation programs.”
The primary goal of the Angler R3 Recommendations is to enable state agencies, nongovernment organizations and industry stakeholders to assess their angler R3 efforts and address gaps to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their individual and collective work. The recommendations identify opportunities for state agencies and organizations to improve their capacity to design, implement and evaluate angler R3 efforts; develop strategic angler R3 program priorities; and improve partnerships to collaboratively implement angler R3 efforts.
“AREA is excited to roll out these Angler R3 Recommendations,” said AREA Past-President Barb Gigar. “They will help our members and other organizations maximize their R3 efforts to get their customers outdoors and connected to our aquatic resources through fishing.”
The Angler R3 Recommendations utilize the expertise and strategic tools developed by the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI) and Bob Byrne Consulting for R3 efforts utilized by the hunting and shooting sports, and build upon the foundation provided by RBFF’s Best Practices Workbook for Boating, Fishing and Aquatic Resources Stewardship Education. The Angler R3 Recommendations were developed with the support and contributions of the Angler R3 State Agency Working Group, comprised of state fish and wildlife agency education and marketing staff throughout the country with knowledge and experience in developing and implementing R3 efforts.
A day-long training was held with approximately 70 aquatic education professionals at the AREA national biennial conference in October to roll-out the project work and gather a final round of feedback. The work is supported by a Literature Review of recent angler R3 literature and includes definitions that provide consistent language for future efforts.
RBFF has entered a new phase of work with WMI to develop a national R3 plan. This “playbook” will be developed with help from a stakeholder advisory group and be released next year to help increase the impact of our collective angler R3 efforts and in achieving “60 in 60.” For more information, please contact RBFF State R3 Program Director, Stephanie Hussey.
Fishing & Boating in the News
RBFF and its Take Me FishingTM and Vamos A PescarTM brands have enjoyed tremendous media coverage lately, racking up nearly 23 million impressions in the month of October alone. So far in the 2017 fiscal year, RBFF’s efforts have led to 2,628 stories in press outlets throughout the United States and more than 1.7 billion impressions, leading to nearly 63,000 visits to the Take Me Fishing blog. More recently, much of the buzz has centered around the industry’s adoption of RBFF’s 60 in 60 goal to increase angler and boater participation.
Highlights of recent media coverage include:
Additionally, RBFF hosted several bloggers in Lake Buena Vista, Florida to learn about the joys of fishing and boating, and how these activities are readily available to families visiting the most popular resort in the country. RBFF led attendees, including 6 social media influencers, through a guided fishing excursion, a small speedboat excursion, fireworks boat cruise and a seminar on RBFF’s goals and mission, and how it leverages strategic partnerships to reach those goals. Several blogs have already been posted by ModernMami, Life with Lisa, MomsLA, MommyPR and Live and Let Blog, and more are expected to be written in the coming weeks.
As always, stories mentioning RBFF and its brands can be found in the Take Me Fishing Newsroom.
Take Me Fishing Blog Named #1 on the Web
We are excited to celebrate our Take Me Fishing Blog being named the #1 best fishing blog on the planet by Feedspot. Feedspot, which allows users to read content from popular news websites and blogs in one place, ranked the top blogs in categories such as sports, business, DIY and more.
The Take Me Fishing Blog features inspiring and educational boating and fishing articles written by experts in the field. Featured bloggers, as well as RBFF staff, cover tips and tricks, personal stories, fishing etiquette, conservation and more. A variety of seasonal information is posted to the blog each week.
Taking Google search ranking, influence and popularity on social media, quality and consistency and Feedspot’s expert editorial review into consideration, Feedspot constructed a list of the top 30 fishing blogs. The list includes big names such as Field & Stream, Orvis Fly Fishing and Mad River Outfitters, with the Take Me Fishing Blog topping the list.
New content is posted weekly, so be sure to check the blog frequently and share the content with your customers and constituents.