New R3 Grants Case Studies Released
Joanne Martonik
RBFF Releases R3 Grants Case Studies to Help States with Angler Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation
Improving angler and boater recruitment, retention and reactivation is a collective effort among national and state partners. As a result, RBFF provides grant funds each year to state fish and
wildlife agencies to develop angler and boater recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) initiatives.
In 2024, RBFF provided $158,000 to 7 states, which was matched by an additional $290,000 in funds from the states for these projects. Below are case studies and learnings from two of these grants to help states and partners improve their marketing efforts
as well.
Florida: Improving Communications Methods to Increase Hispanic Angler Participation
With Florida's significant Hispanic population, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) conducted research in 2023 through survey development that assessed fishing participation
and license history. In 2024, they implemented those findings through a marketing campaign to identify the best communication channels and content messaging for reaching potential, current and lapsed Hispanic anglers.
The campaign consisted of four marketing channels: email, digital display ads, Meta, and YouTube, each running four ads. The ads all focused on encouraging Hispanic anglers to spend time with friends and family on the water, plus a specific test call to action
to see which was most motivational. The call-to-action messages included purchasing a recreational fishing license; learn or enhance your fishing skills; find where to go fishing; and promotion of the agency’s angler recognition.
The effort surpassed its objectives, reaching 1.3 million unique people, with 25,000 of these individuals engaging with the FWC ads. Analysis of the results found social media platforms were the most successful at generating engagement and with the lowest cost
per click. Additionally, FWC found that fishing access was the message that resonated most across all the platforms.
Utah: Reaching Women and Hispanic Anglers through Diverse Advertising
In 2023, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources began efforts to expand its reach to underserved audiences, specifically to increase female and Hispanic participation. With the help of an R3
grant, in 2024, Utah DWR aimed to build on this previous work with more reach through additional advertising, Spanish-language materials and events for these target audiences.
The campaign ran during the spring and summer months, with ads across a wide array of media channels, and events held around the state to support both Hispanic and female anglers. Much of the ad creative was able to be re-purposed from the prior year, allowing
the Utah DWR team to dedicate more funds to advertising space.
Campaign results were very encouraging. The website saw a 31% increase in users and Utah DWR sales data showed a 2% increase in fishing licenses issued to women compared to that same timeframe the year prior. The “Women on the Water” event maxed out attendees,
and the Hispanic-speaking events increased in attendance compared to the year prior as well.
Thanks,
Joanne Martonik
Senior Manager, Stakeholder Marketing & Communications | Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation
500 Montgomery Street, Suite 300 | Alexandria, VA 22314-1657
office:
703-778-5153
|mobile:
703-282-4820
web: TakeMeFishing.org
pronouns: she/her
| 
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