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Today, RBFF and NMMA announced the creation of an industry-wide marketing campaign to launch this summer as states start to relax stay-at-home restrictions. With the industry working to rebuild coming out of COVID-19-related quarantine, the campaign will share the restorative power of recreational boating and fishing at a time when the wellbeing of Americans is front and center.

“Consumer insights show people are longing for a return to the outdoors, and fishing and boating can be a safe and fun way to social distance and relieve stress,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. “We want to help people find their way back out to the water while helping our industry rebuild coming out of this global pandemic.

“Throughout history, boating and fishing have provided an escape—a way to chart your own course and create your own adventure—that can only be experienced on the water,” notes NMMA President Frank Hugelmeyer. “In addition to the restorative feeling that comes from this kind of freedom, being able to trailer your own boat to your local waterway and be in charge of who you encounter, provides a bit of control in what is one of the most uncertain and uneasy environments of our time. By coming together as an industry, we have a shot at telling this story like never before and demonstrating how boating and fishing can be the remedy we’re all seeking.” 

In unprecedented coordination, Take Me Fishing and Discover Boating, in addition to engaging other industry groups including the American Sportfishing Association, the Marine Retailers Association of America, BoatUS, marine trade associations and others, will tell our industry’s story around the country. By pooling resources, the groups will gain access to marketing channels in new ways and help the industry come out of the pandemic.

The campaign will feature a public service announcement (PSA), online advertising, social media, and public relations—all of which will be targeted to local areas and ensure a focus on responsible and safe boating and fishing.

To create a unified voice and amplified, consistent message when it launches in June, all industry stakeholders will be given access to carefully created materials developed by Take Me Fishing and Discover Boating for social media, websites, newsletters, and local PR.

Take Me Fishing and Discover Boating have both posted significant gains in web traffic over the last several weeks, an early indicator of increasing interest in getting on the water. In addition to the awareness it will create, the campaign will guide people to TakeMeFishing.org and DiscoverBoating.com to learn, explore, and find ways to go boating and fishing this summer and how to do so safely and responsibly.

“Boating and fishing offer a way to cope with our new reality—being outdoors, spending time with those closest to you, and doing so safely,” added Peterson. “With so many different stakeholders working as a team on this campaign, it gives us a tremendous path to rebuild our industry, together.

Details on the new campaign will be shared in the coming weeks in the RBFF Newsroom and on NMMA.org. Please contact RBFF’s Stephanie Vatalaro at [email protected] or Discover Boating’s Ellen Bradley at [email protected] to learn more.

 

About RBFF: RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating, thereby protecting and restoring the nation's aquatic natural resources. RBFF's recently announced 60 in 60 effort strives to attract 60 million anglers to the sport by the end of 2021. To help recruit, retain and reactivate participants, RBFF developed the award-winning Take Me Fishing™ and Vamos A Pescar™ campaigns creating awareness about boating, fishing and conservation, and educating people about the benefits of participation. These campaigns help boaters and anglers of all ages and experience levels learn, plan and equip for a day on the water. The campaign websites, TakeMeFishing.org and TakeMeFishing.org/es, feature how-to videos, information on how to get a fishing license and boat registration, and an interactive state-by-state map that allows visitors to find local boating and fishing spots.

About NMMA: The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is the leading trade organization for the North American recreational boating industry. NMMA member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats, engines, trailers, marine accessories and gear used by millions of boaters in North America. The association manages the industry’s Discover Boating campaign and serves its members and their sales and service networks by improving the business environment for recreational boating including providing sales and marketing platforms, decreasing the cost of doing business, and helping grow boating participation. Learn more at www.nmma.org and follow along on Twitter and LinkedIn.