• Marketing campaign fueled by extensive research revealing women who fish are happier and healthier

ALEXANDRIA, VA (May 2, 2023) – The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) this week launched the Take Me Fishing™ “Find Your Best Self on the Water” campaign to create awareness of fishing and boating among diverse new audiences and motivate participation. The national integrated marketing campaign, rooted in extensive research, helps women uncover the life-changing benefits of fishing and boating.

“Women are the gateway to the greatest growth in fishing and boating participation,” said RBFF SVP of Marketing & Communications, Stephanie Vatalaro. “The opportunity is clear. Research shows women do most of the family activity planning and drive 85 percent of consumer spending decisions. Most kids fish with Moms more than with Dads and brands who put women front and center in their advertising are held in higher regard by both women and men.”

​​​​​​The business opportunity is also clear. A 2022 Southwick Associates study found the average female angler in the U.S. spends $962 annually on sport fishing gear and services. A 10 percent increase in women’s fishing participation could provide an additional $1 billion in revenue to the sportfishing industry. 

The “Find Your Best Self” campaign is based on research conducted by IPSOS in 2022 that revealed women who fish are happier and healthier. Conceived and developed by a women-led team, the campaign depicts female anglers experiencing the benefits of fishing and boating first-hand. The campaign includes 60- and 30-second ads, public service announcements, print, digital, and social media extensions, integrated media partnerships, influencer partnerships, and earned media activations.

“Campaign testing showed the new ads motivated both women and men to go fishing, so we’re excited to see how both audiences interact with the campaign this Summer,” said RBFF Sr. Director of Marketing, Rachel Piacenza. “Find Your Best Self on the Water strives to accurately and inclusively depict women in fishing, ideally inspiring more females to feel comfortable trying this life-enhancing activity.”​​

​​​​Despite record levels of female participation in fishing, the activity still has a long way to go toward welcoming women. Research shows that 43 percent of female anglers do not feel respected by the fishing community and 1 in 4 female anglers believe negative stereotypes exist about women’s ability to fish.

Lack of representation is intimidating and prohibitive for at least one in every four female anglers, and women of color tend to agree even more with this statement.

RBFF‘s 2023 consumer-facing marketing campaign aims to confront these barriers and inspire every woman in this nation to challenge themselves to try something new to help them find their best self while supporting a more inclusive fishing and boating community.

Visit takemefishing.org/find-your-best-self for more on the campaign and additional insights and information on women’s research.

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ABOUT 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. To help recruit, retain, and reactivate participants, RBFF developed the award-winning Take Me Fishing™ campaign 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 and an embeddable Places to Fish & Boat Map to help their customers discover places to fish and boat near them.