Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation

STATE ENGAGEMENTTHE OBJECTIVE OF THE STATE ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM IS TO GROW THE NUMBER OF ANGLERS AND BOATERS BY WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH STATE AGENCIES TO DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT AND EVALUATE INNOVATIVE RECRUITMENT, RETENTION AND REACTIVATION (R3) ACTIVITIES. RBFF SHARES RESULTS AND DETAILS OF R3 EFFORTS WITH ALL STATE AGENCIES SO THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL AGENCY CAN SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT THESE PROGRAMS.SEE SCHEDULE OSTATE ENGAGEMENT (CONT'D) MANY STATE PARTNERS ARE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS AND STRATEGIC TOOLS FOR EFFECTIVE ANGLER RECRUITMENT, RETENTION AND REACTIVATION, A PLAYBOOK FOR ASSESSING AND IMPROVING CURRENT R3 TACTICS AND DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE NEW ONES. BUILT UPON PREVIOUS WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE EFFORTS, THE RESOURCE WAS DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AQUATIC RESOURCES EDUCATION ASSOCIATION WITH SUPPORT FROM THE ANGLER R3 STATE AGENCY WORKING GROUP.THE 2021 ANNUAL STATE MARKETING WORKSHOP, HELD VIRTUALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME, ATTRACTED THE HIGHEST ATTENDANCE OF ANY STATE MARKETING WORKSHOP TO-DATE, WITH NEARLY 500 REGISTRANTS. THE WORKSHOP FOCUSED ON DIGITAL MARKETING AND ADVERTISING, WITH 11 STATES PRESENTING R3 UPDATES AND MARKETING SUCCESSES. DR. SUE VARMA SPOKE ON THE MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF GETTING OUT ON THE WATER. THERE WAS ALSO A FOCUS ON RETAINING THE MILLIONS OF NEW FISHING AND BOATING PARTICIPANTS RECRUITED IN 2020.THE YEAR'S WEBINAR SERIES ALSO HELPED GROW STATE PARTNERS' MARKETING CAPACITY. WEBINARS FOCUSED ON STATES' DIGITAL MARKETING EXPERIENCES, THE GET ON BOARD CAMPAIGN, R3 PLANNING, USING SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING AND IDENTIFYING NEW ANGLERS AND BOATERS FOR RETENTION EFFORTS.FY21'S ANNUAL STATE MARKETING PROGRAMS TOGETHER YIELDED UNPRECEDENTED RESULTS. THE BOAT REGISTRATION REACTIVATION PROGRAM ALONE RESULTED IN ALMOST 29,000 BOAT REGISTRATIONS AND GENERATED OVER $1.2 MILLION IN FEES FOR THE PARTICIPATING STATE AGENCIES.TO SPUR ADDITIONAL INNOVATION, RBFF AWARDED $308,000 OF R3 PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT GRANTS, FUNDING DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PROGRAMS IN 24 STATES.TWO NEW GRANT PROGRAMS WERE ESTABLISHED IN FY21. RBFF AWARDED DIGITAL R3 MARKETING CAMPAIGN GRANTS TOTALING $330,000, WHICH ENABLED 8 STATE AGENCIES TO DEVELOP AND CONDUCT DIGITAL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS. ALSO, THE MOBILE FIRST CATCH CENTER GRANTS CONCEPT WAS EXPANDED TO PROVIDE MOBILE LEARNING CENTERS, BRANDED WITH TAKEMEFISHING SIGNAGE, TO 18 STATES WITH A TOTAL VALUE OF OVER $200,000.

INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENTTHE OBJECTIVE OF THE INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM IS TO PARTNER WITH INDUSTRY MANUFACTURERS AND RETAILERS TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT MARKETING PROJECTS DESIGNED TO INCREASE CATEGORY GROWTH THROUGH RESEARCH AND TO DEVELOP CONSUMER INSIGHTS, KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS THAT THE FISHING AND BOATING INDUSTRIES CAN USE TO GROW THEIR INDIVIDUAL BRANDS.SEE SCHEDULE OINDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT (CONT'D) INCREASED PARTICIPATION IN BOATING AND FISHING IS A BULWARK AGAINST A CHANGING CONSUMER ENVIRONMENT. THE MORE BOATERS AND ANGLERS OUT THERE, THE GREATER THE DEMAND FOR INDUSTRY PRODUCTS. IN FY21, RBFF'S TAKE ME FISHING-BRANDED R3 ACTIVITIES INCREASED PARTICIPATION. RBFF ALSO CONTINUED INITIATIVES TO HELP INDUSTRY PARTNERS THEMSELVES REACH AND ENGAGE NEW CUSTOMERS. IN FY21, RBFF COLLABORATED WITH THE NATIONAL MARINE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION (NMMA) AND ITS DISCOVER BOATING ARM, ALONG WITH THE MARINE RETAILERS OF AMERICA ASSOCIATION (MRAA) TO JOINTLY IMPLEMENT THE GET ON BOARD CAMPAIGN. NEARLY 400 MARINE INDUSTRY BUSINESSES SUPPORTED THE CAMPAIGN, WHICH SUCCEEDED IN LURING A PANDEMIC-STRESSED NATION TO BOATING AND FISHING. IN ADDITION, RBFF AND WEST MARINE PARTNERED TO PRODUCE FOUR FISHING "HOW TO" WEBINARS FOR BEGINNING ANGLERS. THE WEBINARS, WHICH SUPPORT RBFF'S RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION EFFORTS, FEATURE BLOGGER AND AVID ANGLER DEBBIE HANSON, AND ARE PACKED WITH INFORMATION ON HOW TO GET STARTED, THE BEST TIMES AND PLACES TO FISH, NEW SKILLS TO IMPROVE YOUR FISHING, AND SALTWATER FISHING BASICS.FOR MANY OF THE NATION'S FY21 NEWCOMERS TO FISHING AND BOATING, A FIRST QUESTION WAS WHERE TO HEAD TO GO FISHING AND BOATING AND WHERE TO GET SUPPLIES. WITH THE TAKE ME FISHING PLACES TO FISH & BOAT MAP EMBEDDED IN 106 STAKEHOLDERS' OWN WEBSITES, ANSWERS WERE AT NEWCOMERS' FINGERTIPS AND LINKED WITH EACH STAKEHOLDER'S BRAND. ANGLERS AND BOATERS ENGAGED IN OVER 700,000 SESSIONS WITH THE EMBEDDABLE MAP IN FY21.RBFF CONTINUES TO PARTNER WITH INDUSTRY TO FACILITATE NATIONWIDE EVENTS AND ENGAGEMENT. THE CONTINUING PARTNERSHIP WITH DISCOVER BOATING REMAINS STRONG. THIS YEAR, IT RESULTED IN OVER 220,000 CONSUMER REFERRALS FROM TAKEMEFISHING.ORG PROPERTIES TO DISCOVERBOATING.COM.INDUSTRY SUPPORT FOR THE GEORGE H.W. BUSH VAMOS A PESCAR EDUCATION FUND CONTINUED IN FY21 WITH CONTINUED DONATIONS FROM BASS PRO SHOPS. THE PROGRAM FUNDED 16 GRANT PROPOSALS ACROSS 8 STATES.