Spotlighting the Profound Life-Enhancing Benefits of Fishing for Women
ALEXANDRIA, VA (May 1, 2023) – Take Me Fishing™, a national brand of the non-profit Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF), has launched a new integrated marketing campaign to help women uncover the life-changing benefits of fishing. The campaign, titled “Find Your Best Self on the Water,” is rooted in extensive research conducted in partnership with IPSOS.
The IPSOS research consisted of a survey of active and lapsed female anglers, as well as non-anglers, to better understand the benefits, behaviors, and barriers they experience. Key highlights from the report include:
- Active female anglers have significantly greater perseverance, grit, perceived health, and life satisfaction than lapsed anglers and non-anglers.
- Active female anglers are 24% more likely than non-anglers to say that setbacks don’t discourage them.
- Active female anglers are 25% more likely to say their health is very good compared to non-anglers.
- Active female anglers are 27% more likely to be satisfied with their lives than non-anglers.
- 1 in 4 active female anglers say fishing helps them manage their moods and long-term stress.
- Almost half of active female anglers say that fishing teaches them patience.
“I know for myself fishing has a profound impact on a woman’s life,” said Rachel Piacenza, Senior Director of Marketing, RBFF. “Having nationwide research confirming that was the pulse we needed for our newest campaign, which is going a long way to accurately and inclusively depict this key audience to the sport, and 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. In fact, research shows that 43% 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.
By increasing women’s representation in fishing- and boating-focused media and highlighting the benefits participation in fishing can have for women, the new Take Me Fishing campaign aims to create a more inclusive fishing and boating environment.
The “Find Your Best Self on the Water” campaign was conceived and developed by a women-led team. In addition to the research findings, the campaign also includes 60- and 30-second ads and public service announcements, print, digital and social media extensions, integrated media partnerships, influencer partnerships and earned media activations.
To learn more about the campaign and research, visit: takemefishing.org/find-your-best-self.
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™ and Vamos A Pescar™ campaigns 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, as well as an embeddable Places to Fish & Boat Map to help their customers discover places to fish and boat near them
