Press Releases

Alexandria, VA  (May 25, 2021) – The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF),  the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) today announced the Get On Board consumer marketing campaign will launch during National Fishing & Boating Week, June 5-13. After a historic year with record sales and participation in boating and fishing, the 2021 industry-wide campaign will focus on retaining the recent surge of newcomers, while recruiting the next generation of boaters and anglers.
 

“More Americans are discovering fishing and boating are not only fun activities the whole family can enjoy close to home, but also a lifeline to wellness,” said Stephanie Vatalaro, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for RBFF. “This year we will continue to encourage people from all walks of life to get outside and enjoy fishing and boating to boost their mental health. These efforts will support our industry with new customers and sales, and the critical conservation programs that are funded by participation.”
 

Following the success of the first-of-its-kind industry collaboration between RBFF's Take Me Fishing and NMMA and MRAA's Discover Boating in 2020, this year’s integrated campaign will include:

• TV and radio public service announcements (PSA) featured across thousands of stations and networks, including Disney and ABC affiliates, ESPN and more
• A satellite media tour (SMT) and press outreach leveraging new national media spokesperson Dr. Jessica Clemons, MD, Board-Certified Psychiatrist and recognized leader in mental health and wellness
• Robust influencer program with a diverse fleet of 60+ social media content creators
• Custom blog and video content through media companies, including Hearst, Buzzfeed and Complex to connect with new audiences
• Paid advertising and digital marketing across channels and avenues such as Disney, Hulu, Verizon, The Weather Company, Spotify and more
• Social media promotion across Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok
   

“With demand for boating and fishing at record highs we’re seeing younger, more diverse first-time buyers and participants, signaling that our industry is making inroads as we work to welcome the next generation,” said Ellen Bradley, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for NMMA. “Working together on the Get On Board campaign, our goal is to continue increasing participation for the long-term by engaging the next generation now, all while nurturing the newcomers who entered the market in 2020.”

A variety of free, customizable Get on Board campaign tools are available for industry stakeholders to support their existing customer growth and retention efforts. These resources include social media assets, retention tools, promotional videos, press materials and more.
 

“We’ve seen how uniting the industry to help amplify our collective voice has yielded unprecedented campaign results and attracted new participants with three million new fishing license sales and record new boat sales in 2020,” said Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA. “We encourage the industry to engage and educate new boaters and anglers and utilize the free, easy-to-use Get On Board marketing assets this summer.”
 

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 Director of  Public Relations and Communications, at bcarincotte@rbff.org and Maggie Maskery, NMMA’s Director of Consumer Public Relations, at mmaskery@nmma.org.

For real-time updates, follow RBFF on Twitter and LinkedIn. Sign-up for RBFF news alerts.

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. An embeddable Places to Fish & Boat Map help customers discover places to fish and boat near them.

About the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)
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.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA):
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.