Press Releases

RBFF, NMMA and MRAA Extend Consumer Campaign Collaboration to Recruit and Retain Fishing & Boating Newcomers This Summer
Get On Board 2021 will support the industry to retain new audiences and increase participation
Our top priority now is ensuring Americans continue discovering the wellness benefits of the water as conditions begin to transition. Consumer outreach by the entire industry is critical to securing fishing and boating’s continued growth this summer.

March 12, 2021 (ALEXANDRIA, Va.) — The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF), the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) today announced their second-year collaboration on the industry-wide Get On Board consumer marketing campaign to recruit and retain new participants during the upcoming fishing and boating season.

 

“Fishing and boating have become important mainstays for consumers to keep up with their health and safety,” said Stephanie Vatalaro, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for RBFF. “Our top priority now is ensuring Americans continue discovering the wellness benefits of the water as conditions begin to transition. Consumer outreach by the entire industry is critical to securing fishing and boating’s continued growth this summer.”

 

Get On Board is a partnership between two of the recreational boating and fishing industry’s leading consumer-facing brands: RBFF’s Take Me Fishing and NMMA and MRAA’s Discover Boating. An integrated effort, the campaign will include a national media spokesperson, influencer engagement, press outreach, paid advertising, social media promotion, digital marketing and more. The continued partnership reflects the success of RBFF, NMMA and MRAA’s first-of-its-kind collaboration in 2020, which helped the industry achieve historic results, including a year-over-year increase of 3 million new fishing license sales and the highest single-year sales volume of new boats in 13 years.

 

“The past year taught us that, together, the Take Me Fishing and Discover Boating brands can unite the industry and amplify our collective voice in a powerful way,” said Ellen Bradley, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for NMMA. “This year, our partnership positions us to drive an industry-wide focus on retaining the many boaters and anglers we welcomed in 2020, all while maintaining our momentum as we look forward.”
 

The initiative will supply the industry with a variety of free, customizable tools to support their existing customer growth and retention efforts. Available resources will include social media assets, promotional videos, press materials and more.

 

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see so many consumers learn what we’ve known all along — that boating and fishing offer the best outlet for getting away from busy schedules to spend quality time with family outdoors,” said Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA. “As we look to share this lifestyle with even more people and simultaneously look to enhance the experiences of those who’ve already discovered the benefits of being on the water, I encourage every organization in our community to support boating and fishing’s future by making use of the new resources available through this campaign.”

 

Visit www.GOBToolkit.com to download a variety of customizable assets to help promote fishing and boating to consumers. New materials will be made available on an ongoing basis, so users are advised to check back often. Questions may be directed to Bruna Carincotte, RBFF’s Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communications, at bcarincotte@rbff.org and Maggie Maskery, NMMA’s Director of Consumer Public Relations, at mmaskery@nmma.org.

 


About the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF)

RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase recreational angling and boating participation, thereby protecting and restoring the nation's aquatic natural resources. RBFF's 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 to build awareness of boating, fishing, and conservation and educate people about the benefits of participation. The campaign websites feature how-to-videos and an interactive state-by-state map that allows visitors to find local boating and fishing spots, helping boaters and anglers of all ages and experience levels learn, plan, and equip for a successful day on the water. RBFF also offers its industry stakeholders many tools including a Fishing License & Boat Registration Plugin to connect their customers with the information they need in just one click, as well as an embeddable Places to Fish & Boat Map to help their customers discover places to fish and boat near them.

 

 

About the National Marine Manufacturers Association

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 serves its members and their sales and service networks by improving the business environment for recreational boating including providing domestic and international sales and marketing opportunities, reducing unnecessary government regulation, decreasing the cost of doing business, and helping grow boating participation. As the largest producer of boat and sport shows in the U.S., NMMA connects the recreational boating industry with the boating consumer year-round. Learn more at www.nmma.org and get engaged with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

 

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

 

 

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