The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation launches hispanic outreach campaign
Category: press release
Apr 24th, 2014 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Apr 24th, 2014 at 12:00 AM
The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) today launched the first phase of a 5-year plan to increase awareness of fishing and boating among Hispanics, and engage the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population in these activities. Starting with a new Spanish-language microsite, VamosAPescar.org, and targeted advertising, the campaign aims to motivate the Hispanic audience to partake in the joys of fishing and boating.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Hispanic participation in fishing has remained stagnant over the past 5 years, while overall participation has risen 11 percent from 2006 to 2011. Fifty-three million strong and growing rapidly, the Hispanic population is projected to reach 65 million in the U.S. by 2020. “The Hispanic population is a critical group to engage, ensuring the long term sustainability of two of America’s favorite pastimes,” says Frank Peterson, RBFF’s President and CEO.
At the center of the multi-channel outreach campaign is a Spanish-language microsite, VamosAPescar.org. Created as an information hub to overcome the lack of familiarity of the sports and knowledge of licensing requirements, the site provides everything a beginner angler or boater would need to know. Built on a responsive platform (a flexible web layout that detects the visitor’s screen size and orientation and changes the layout accordingly), the site includes boating basics, how-to fish videos, an interactive where-to fish and boat map, fishing license and boat registration information, and mythbusters to help dispel the perceived barriers to getting out on the water.
“Hispanics in our target audience tend to be more tech savvy than non-Hispanics in our target, with 81 percent using smartphones compared to 73 percent in the general market, so it’s important we reach them where they are – on their mobile devices,” says Peterson.
Outreach for the campaign will include digital advertising and search engine marketing (SEM), as well as radio and experiential (event) marketing in Texas and Florida. The campaign will target family-oriented outdoor lovers who are seeking outdoor activities.
RBFF is encouraging its stakeholders, which include the boating and fishing industries, state and federal natural resource agencies and non-governmental organizations with a vested interest in growing boating, fishing and aquatic resource conservation, to utilize the campaign learnings and assets in their own outreach to Hispanics. RBFF has created resources for stakeholders including key research, a photo library, TV and radio public service announcements (PSAs), and Spanish-language how-to videos.
More information about Vamos a Pescar and all of RBFF’s programs and products is available at TakeMeFishing.org/corporate.