Blog
RBFF kicked off the summer celebrating the 20th anniversary of National Fishing and Boating Week back in June. Throughout the week, NFBW public relations and media outreach initiatives achieved great awareness across national and local media outlets, and on social media.
FAM Trip
RBFF invited a diverse group of female writers and Take Me Fishing™ social media influencers, known as Wave Makers, to experience the excitement of fishing and boating on a media trip to Seattle, Washington.
Supported by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and Yamaha, the trip introduced to the participants, new to the sport, a salmon fishing experience, a relaxing boat cruise rise and a complete fly-fishing experience.
As a result of the media trip, writer and journalist Nneka Okona published an earned piece “Remembering Black Anglers of the Past: A Trip to Puget Sound Inspires Appreciation of Fishing” on Detour which was syndicated in the Miami Herald and the Charlotte Observer. Her writing already has an estimated reach of more than 5 million.
Journalist and social media content creator, Chelsea Davis, detailed the trip on another earned media story “The Best of the Pacific Northwest’s Fishing and Boating Experiences” featured on Travel Pulse.
Earned Media Results
Leading up to NFBW, RBFF has already earned 14 media placements generating 127 million impressions; during the celebration, the team earned an additional 24 placements garnering 66 million impressions. Check out more of RBFF stories in the media on our Newsroom.
Social Media
Take Me Fishing drove the organic conversation during NFBW with over 70 pieces of content across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The content generated 3 million impressions, one million video views, over 334,000 engagements and more than 333,000 post link clicks, driving traffic to TakeMeFishing.org
#NFBW2022 and related hashtags were mentioned over 1,400 times throughout the week, averaging 166 mentions a day.
@takemefishing_ Outdoor activities like boating and fishing can help renew your focus and clear your mind ✨ #NFBW #takemefishing #nationalfishingandboatingweek ♬ Home - Edith Whiskers
Influencer Strategy
Six influencers partnered with Take Me Fishing to celebrate NFBW, and an additional eight influencers were seeded Wave Makers dry bags and encouraged to post their experiences celebrating the week on social media. Their content generated more than 110,000 impressions and over 6,500 engagements on their channels.
States and Federal Agencies Engagement
Throughout the week, federal agencies joined the #NFBW2022 conversation: NOAA Fisheries detailed the reasons its staff is passionate about fishing and NOAA Sanctuaries shared information on where anglers can fish in national marine sanctuaries. Multiple departments across the Fish & Wildlife Service participated in the discussion, even the USFWS fire program.
State agencies across the country promoted to local media their Free Fishing Days and events where families could drop a line without the need to purchase a fishing license, therefore exposing the sport to tons of potential new anglers. The Mobile First Catch Center events in partnership with state agencies also joined the fun providing a full fishing experience to families in a few states.
