Press Releases

New Take Me Fishing Campaign Has Stronger Call to Action
TakeMeFishing.org Now A Key Destination for Boaters & Anglers

ALEXANDRIA, VA (April 15, 2008)The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) announced that the organization’s most recognized brand – Take Me Fishing™ – will be made over with a new look and feel and a stronger call to action starting today.

“It’s an exciting time for us and our stakeholders because we are transforming our successful Take Me Fishing brand and taking it to the next level,” said President & CEO Frank Peterson.

After six years of advertising, RBFF research showed that the Take Me Fishing message was creating awareness, but not a conversion to participation in boating and fishing. As a result, the organization decided last fall to take a different approach.

RBFF selected a new advertising agency, Colle+McVoy. Following that, RBFF updated the Take Me Fishing creative, redesigned the Web site, improved its media buy and mix, implemented a critically important direct mail marketing component and integrated its public relations efforts.

“The new look and feel of the Take Me Fishing campaign is about capturing the excitement and the memories associated with boating and fishing. The centerpiece of the campaign is the new TakeMeFishing.org Web site, which will be the key destination for those who want to plan a trip, buy a fishing license, design their dream boat or check out the latest equipment,” said Peterson.

“I’m pleased that boating plays a more prominent role in the campaign than ever before. Most of the imagery includes boats and the new Web site is designed to generate new prospects for Grow Boating, Inc.,” said RBFF Board Chairman and National Marine Manufacturers Association President Thom Dammrich.

Visitors will still find the Web site’s 12,000 places to boat and fish. Several new interactive features were added to keep visitors engaged while fostering loyalty and building brand equity. These features include:

Boat Selection Tool:

  • Find the boat that’s right for you based on your boating and fishing lifestyle. 
  • Compare boats, find links to manufacturers and register for a free Get Started in Boating DVD (in conjunction with Discover Boating).

Fishopedia:

  • Truly the A - Z of fishing, Fishopedia will educate visitors about specific fish, where they live and how to catch them.
  • Information will feature an engaging mix of copy, visuals and animations.

Hot Spots:

  • Visitors can search through 12,000 locations for boating and fishing and map out how to get to each destination. Plus, Google mapping will pinpoint boating and fishing locations.
  • In the future, registered members will be able to add locations, rate locations and review them, while communicating with fellow anglers.

Little Lunkers:

  • A portion of the site devoted to the youngest of fishing enthusiasts.
  • Features fun games that focus on teaching kids about boating and fishing.
  • Games include: Fish Memory Game, Create a Fish, Fish Finder and Fish Hangman.
  • Allows kids to post pictures of their proud catches.

State Pages:

  • Pages for every state that provide access to local fishing and boating information.
  • The pages contain links to information about: Where to buy a license, Where to boat and fish, Local events and Conservation efforts

All of the new features on TakeMeFishing.org will help RBFF achieve its overall goal of increasing boating and fishing participation.

“We’re improving our traditional advertising buy to include regional radio, more regional online and more print. For the first time, we’re solidly integrating public relations efforts to support the campaign. And we’re pleased to announce that we’ll be advertising for 12 months a year instead of three with the same-sized media budget,” added Peterson.

For more information about the new Take Me Fishing campaign, visit RBFF.org where currently, you can view the media plan and logo. RBFF will launch additional components including its Take Me Fishing Event Planning Kit and Marketing Guide in the coming weeks. Updates will be sent when these components are ready, and will be posted on RBFF.org.

About RBFF
RBFF is a nonprofit organization established in 1998 to increase participation in recreational angling and boating. RBFF helps people discover, share and protect the legacy of boating and fishing through national outreach programs including the Take Me Fishing campaign and Anglers’ Legacy.

Heather Sieber

703-778-5160