Get On Board campaign helps summer boom for US boating

The Get On Board campaign, an industry-wide collaboration between the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation’s (RBFF) Take Me Fishing and the National Marine Manufacturer Association’s (NMMA) and MARAA’s Discover Boating initiatives, helped reach new boaters and aided the summer boom for boating and fishing in the USA in 2021.

The 2021 campaign generated 3.4 billion total impressions – a 42 per cent year-over-year (YOY) increase – and 20 million YouTube views – double the amount of views since last year’s campaign. The campaign was supported by an integrated marketing mix featuring public service announcements, digital advertising, social media and public relations.

“Over the last few years, RBFF, NMMA and MRAA have been priming the pump, reaching out to diverse new audiences to increase awareness of fishing and boating and inspire participation,” says Stephanie Vatalaro, senior vice president of marketing and communications for RBFF. “This year’s Get On Board campaign featured some of our most successful multicultural outreach to date.”

Many Americans spent more time outdoors as a result of pandemic-related social distancing, with many choosing fishing and boating for recreational activities particularly with travel bans in place. The Get On Board campaign tapped into this lifestyle trend and continued building momentum from 2020, which the campaign says resonated with a broader, more engaged consumer audience.

Highlights include 2.6 billion impressions on organic news outlets (121% YOY increase), 22 million impressions on social media and 11,000 page views on the Get On Board Toolkit.

“With record sales and participation in boating and fishing, we’re seeing younger, more diverse audiences enter the market, which has given us the unique opportunity to engage the next generation of boaters and anglers to continue increasing participation for the long-term,” says Ellen Bradley, senior vice president of marketing and communications for NMMA. “In collaboration with RBFF and MRAA, we not only focused on recruiting future participants but also retaining the recent surge of newcomers.”

“We are proud of how the industry acted together in a united effort once again this summer with the purpose of growing boating and fishing participation,” says Matt Gruhn, president of MRAA. “We’re thrilled about how well the dealer community engaged with the marketing tools and resources made available by the Get On Board toolkit, which helped us connect even more new boaters and anglers with the rewards of being on the water.”