September NewsWaves
Table of Contents
RBFF Enters Historic Cooperative Agreement with U.S. Forest Service
RBFF recently entered into a new cooperative agreement with the U.S. Forest Service. Through the agreement, the Forest Service will help provide funding for the Take Me Fishing™ campaign while RBFF will promote the available fishing opportunities on or near U.S. Forest Service lands.
“The U.S. Forest Service manages some of this nation’s most pristine lands, and the fishing is top-notch,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. “This new agreement allows us to bring more recognition to these great fishing opportunities, helping to bring new anglers and boaters to the water, generating more funds for conservation programs.”
More than 193 million acres of forest and grasslands are managed by the U.S. Forest Service, and their programs reach millions of Americans, whether directly or indirectly, through partnerships. However, younger, more diverse audiences are underrepresented on U.S. Forest Service lands, all while the general population is becoming more diverse by the day. RBFF will help address this issue by reaching out to, and encouraging, diverse communities to enjoy these resources through awareness and conservation education through its Take Me Fishing and Vamos A Pescar™ campaigns and websites.
“The National Forests belong to every American and we are glad to work with the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation to connect people to these lands to enjoy and help conserve for the future,” said Forest Service Deputy Chief Leslie Weldon. “Our National Forests provide many benefits including clean water, clear air and a great outdoor experience.”
“Reaching out to new, diverse audiences fits right in with our 60 in 60 goal, which this cooperative agreement will go a long way in helping to realize,” added Peterson.
In addition to the promotion of recreational fishing on U.S. Forest Service lands, RBFF will assist with providing fishing gear for youth in need. The U.S. Forest Service will actively participate in RBFF’s 60 in 60 campaign through the new five-year cooperative agreement.
60 in 60 Gains Momentum at Fall Industry Events
Earlier in September, RBFF challenged state agency stakeholders to help reach the 60 million angler mark through the use of R3 efforts at the 2016 Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies Annual Meeting. This ultimately brought about a resolution from AFWA to support RBFF’s R3 and 60 in 60 efforts, which was subsequently adopted at the meeting. Through the resolution, state agencies are being asked to prioritize and improve their R3 efforts.
Members of RBFF’s staff will continue to carry the momentum of 60 in 60 throughout the month of October, where we will be attending:
- October 4 – 7, American Sportfishing Association (ASA) Summit: RBFF President & CEO, Frank Peterson will be on hand, discussing how we plan to grow fishing participation via 60 in 60.
- October 10 – 13, States Organization for Boating Access (SOBA) Conference: Rachel Piacenza, Director of Marketing will showcase RBFF’s Boat Registration Marketing Program and R3 initiatives, and their tie-in to the 60 in 60 goal.
- October 16 – 19, Southeastern Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) Conference: Stephanie Hussey, State R3 Program Director will talk through the collaborative nature of the 60 in 60 goal, concentrating on the state agencies’ role in utilizing R3 tactics to reach the 60 million angler mark.
- October 23 – 27, 2016 Aquatic Resources Education Association (AREA) Conference: Frank Peterson and Stephanie Hussey will both present on R3, with Frank’s discussion focusing on the Hispanic audience and Stephanie’s centering around RBFF’s R3 Partnership with AREA.
To help ensure a positive future for the fishing and boating industry, RBFF is inviting all manufacturers, retailers, state agencies and non-government organizations to join us in our quest to reach 60 million anglers in 60 months. Please visit our new webpage dedicated to how we can reach 60 in 60 and how you and your organization can help us get on the right path today. Just recently, we were pleased to see more industry support for 60 in 60, this time from the American Sportfishing Association, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
If you will be at any of these various events, we encourage you to say hello and let us know if there is any way we can help get more people on the water enjoying fishing and boating. Please send an email to rbff@rbff.org to set up a meeting or request copies of the presentations.
RBFF & Baseball Star Reach Hispanic Audience
Earlier this month, RBFF and American League Rookie of the Year, Carlos Correa teamed up to engage Hispanics in fishing and boating through the Así Vamos A Pescar Sweepstakes. The Sweepstakes, which encouraged Hispanics to share their fishing and boating experiences on Twitter and Instagram for a chance to win prizes, was promoted on the Vamos A Pescar website and social media channels, as well as Carlos Correa’s own social media channels and received impressive results.
On Twitter, the Sweepstakes engaged 21,000 individuals and generated 729,000 impressions. Through organic and promoted posts on Facebook, over 5.3 million individuals were reached by the Sweepstakes, leading to engagement of nearly 100,000 likes, shares and comments. More impressive was that more than 287,000 individuals effectively recalled the Así Vamos A Pescar Instagram advertisement after two days, meaning the message to share fishing and boating experiences struck a chord with our target audience. By utilizing Carlos Correa’s Twitter and Instagram channels, the Así Vamos A Pescar message was brought to over 300,000 consumers, encouraging a broader and more diverse audience to participate in fishing and boating.
In its ongoing quest to reach the 60 million angler mark, RBFF will continue to reach out to diverse audiences, including Hispanics, through the use of social media, advertising, strategic partnerships, education programs, like those through the George H.W. Bush Vamos A PescarTM Education Fund, and various other channels. We encourage all stakeholders to join us in engaging diverse audiences. Please utilize our free resources, including market research, event planning and marketing materials, to help effectively reach these audiences.