ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation recently reported the results from a pilot of its direct mail marketing program, noting that during the 42-day evaluation period, more than 750 boaters who had lapsed registrations registered their boats, resulting in $14,000 in net revenue for the state of Ohio.
In April 2011, RBFF and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources sent direct mailings to more than 23,000 boat owners who didn't renew their boat registration for the year. According to a press release from RBFF, the direct mail pieces reminded owners of the relaxation and excitement associated with boating and fishing and the importance of renewing registrations.
The RBFF compared the results of the group that was sent the mailing and the group that did not receive the information. For the group that received the mailing, there was a 3.3 percent greater response rate than the control group; nearly two times greater. $14,000 in net revenue was generated, above the cost of the direct mail program, with an additional $2,336 coming from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund.
"Reminding inactive boaters through our partnership with RBFF about the benefits and enjoyment of recreational boating has produced a positive outcome for those boaters, as well as added support for Ohio's boating programs," Rodger Norcross, chief of the ODNR Division of Watercraft, said in a press release.
