October NewsWaves
Table of Contents
Georgia, RBFF Successful in Retaining First-Time License Buyers
While millions of individuals take up fishing each year (6.2 million in 2015), roughly just as many leave the sport for various reasons. To combat this trend and retain first-time fishing license purchasers, RBFF and the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division partnered on a New Angler Retention Pilot Program. Through the year-long program, the organizations were able to measure the impact of email communication on a new angler’s purchase of a license the following year.
Five groups, including a control group, received various combinations of email messages during the program. All five groups received a thank you message following the purchase of their license and each treatment group received a series of license renewal reminders at the end of the license term. Treatment groups received combinations of newsletters and a follow-up survey and/or a discounted license renewal price promotion to continue the dialogue and encourage anglers to renew their license the following year.
Overall, the email communication to the four treatment groups generated:
- A 4.7% increase in the license renewal rate compared to the control group.
- An additional 1,448 licenses sold.
- More than $18,000 in added revenue.
- Furthermore, anglers in the treatment group renewed their licenses more quickly than those in the control group.
- Average time to review licenses:
- Control group - 30.5 days
- Treatment groups - 18.8 days.
The treatment groups overall generated more than $92,000 in revenue for the agency. There was no cost to implement the program; just the investment of staff time to distribute the emails. And when considering the lifetime value of an angler and the economic impact, the contribution is even greater to the agency, state and industry.
“Communications and marketing are an integral piece of the efforts to grow this sport,” said Georgia Wildlife Resources Division Director, Rusty Garrison. “The results of this study show how putting the right communications strategies into effect can keep people fishing and affect their license buying behavior in a positive way. Through this partnership with RBFF we will grow the sport of fishing so that generations to come will get to enjoy it.”
RBFF will be packaging the email templates and results into a retention toolkit for distribution to all state agencies later this fall.
The full report, including details on the discount promotion, newsletters and monthly results, can be found in the Take Me Fishing Resource Center.
Bass Pro Shops Continues Support of Fishing Education Fund
RBFF is happy to announce that Bass Pro Shops is continuing its support of the George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund with a $50,000 donation. This donation will help to increase awareness of, and participation in, fishing, boating and conservation activities through grassroots educational programs and on-the-water activities held in high-density Hispanic communities.
“It’s great to see continued support of this critical Fund by our industry counterparts,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. “For several years now, RBFF has done its part in engaging more diverse audiences in fishing and boating, aiming to make the sports more inclusive. It’s promising to see Bass Pro Shops continue its support for the Fund and its mission to bring more Hispanic individuals and families to the water.”
RBFF’s 2016 Special Report on Fishing shows gains in Hispanic fishing and boating participation, however, this audience is still underrepresented overall. Out of 46 million total anglers, only 3.4 million, or 7 percent, are Hispanic. In contrast, Hispanics currently make up 17 percent of the U.S. population (54 million), and are projected to grow to 20 percent of the U.S. population by 2020 (according to the U.S. Census Bureau), making this a critical audience to engage for the future viability of fishing and boating.
“We are pleased to continue our support of the George H.W. Bush Vamos a Pescar Education Fund to help more Hispanic families discover the joy of fishing and boating,” said noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder/CEO Johnny Morris. “Bass Pro Shops is an industry leader dedicated to helping families of all backgrounds connect to nature and each other through fun outdoor recreation activities. We are proud to partner with our friend President Bush and the RBFF community in support this initiative.”
The George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund was initiated with a $125,000 donation from Bass Pro Shops Founder and CEO Johnny Morris to bring conservation education and fishing and boating experiences to Hispanic families in key metro areas. With the help of continued support from Bass Pro Shops and donations from other individuals, companies and associations, the Fund supports local programs to engage the entire family in fishing and boating, and focuses on multiple engagements rather than one-day events to foster long-term participation in the sport. Earlier this year, the first grant recipients of the George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund were announced at an event held at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas and featured the former president. We are currently soliciting grant proposals for 2017 that will further the reach and mission of the Fund.
More information about the George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund, including how you can contribute to ensure the ongoing success of the Fund, is available at TakeMeFishing.org/educationfund. More information about Vamos A Pescar and all of RBFF’s programs and products is available at TakeMeFishing.org/corporate.
The Walt Disney Company Continues Support of Hispanic Fishing and Boating Education Fund
RBFF is pleased to announce The Walt Disney Company has continued its support of the George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund with a $50,000 donation. The donation will help to increase awareness of, and participation in fishing, boating and conservation activities through grassroots programs, classes and on-the-water activities held in high-density Hispanic communities.
“We are encouraged by the renewed support from The Walt Disney Company for this important, conservation-based education fund,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. “Engaging diverse audiences, especially Hispanics, continues to be a primary focus of RBFF and strong support from our partners goes a long way in making our goals a reality.”
As the Hispanic population continues to grow in size (it’s projected to reach 20% of the U.S. population by 2020), so does its buying power. According to a new Nielsen Report, Hispanic buying power increased 167% from 2000 to 2015 at a time when buying power only rose 82% for U.S. consumers on the whole. While progress is being made in engaging Hispanics in fishing and boating, this audience is still underrepresented overall, according to recent participation reports.
To help grow participation among the Hispanic population, the George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund was initiated with a $125,000 donation from Bass Pro Shops Founder and CEO Johnny Morris. With the help of similar donations from other individuals, organizations like the Walt Disney Company and associations, the Fund supports local programs to engage the entire family in fishing and boating, and focuses on multiple engagements rather than one-day events to foster long-term participation in the sport. Earlier this year, the first grantees of the George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund were announced at an event held at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas.
For more information on the George H.W. Bush Vamos A Pescar™ Education Fund, including how you can contribute, please visit TakeMeFishing.org/educationfund.