RBFF Lapsed Boater Program

RBFF Boat Registration Marketing Programs

Stephanie HusseyDirector of State Initiatives

September 12, 2011

RBFF’s Mission

To implement an informed consensus-based national outreach strategy that will increase

participation in recreation angling and boating and thereby increase public awareness and

appreciation of the need for protecting, conserving, and restoring this nation’s aquatic

natural resources.

Integrated National Outreach

Our Approach

TakeMeFishing.org

Annual Referrals To State Boat Registration Pages

Boat Registration Pilot Program• Marketing program to increase boat

registrations• Encourage ‘lapsed’ boat owners to re-

register boats• Direct mail program with three mail pieces– Fishing-focused, color– Boating-focused, color– Standard renewal form, black and white

Participating States• Oregon• Ohio• Florida• Tennessee

Ohio DNR – Div. of WatercraftJoint Partnership

Target Audience

• 23,376 owners of boats with expired registrations

• In Ohio, boaters mark the ‘primary use’ of their watercraft on the registration form– Approximately 22% of the lapsed boat registrations

marked ‘fishing’– The remaining 78% were used primarily for pleasure

Fishing-focused Remittance Form

Boating-focused Remittance Form

Standard Remittance Form

Ohio Program Results

Fishing-focused

Boating-focused

Standard ALL Boats

Final Reconciled List

4,967 8,933 8,933 22,833

Newly Registered Boats

335 492 527 1,354

Response Rate

6.7% 5.5% 5.9% 5.9%

Registration Rates

Ohio Program Results

Target Group/Mailing

Lift (% points)

Lift (Boats)

All Boats – Treatment Overall

3.5 796

Lift Analysis Overall

Ohio Program ResultsRevenue

Registration Revenue

$29,353.69

Program Costs $13,441.47Net Program Revenue

$15,912.22

SFR & Boating Trust Fund

$2,474.19

Program Success

• ODOW is pleased with the results and plans to build on the program results next year

Next Steps• Expanding program with up to 15 additional states– RBFF provides funding– RBFF handles printing and mailing– RBFF handles data analysis and evaluation– Agency provides state boat registration data– Agency provides customized state information and

approval of mailers– Agency receives revenue– Together, we increase boat registrations

Stephanie Husseyshussey@rbff.org(703) 778-5152

Thank You