Winning at the Point of Contact: Boosting R3 Response Rates Through Professional Communications

Shortly after the grant was awarded, the NEAFWA R3 Committee developed a project team to work closely with Swanson Russell staff to plan the collection of high-quality photo assets. A survey was conducted of NEAFW A members to establish a list of needs and desired scenarios that would be most helpful for implementing R3 and marketing strategies. The completed project successfully delivered thousands of professional photos showcasing people hunting, shooting, and *fishing in landscapes representative of the Northeast region of the United States. The photoshoots captured diverse individuals and families to reflect the regional population better and address the need for better images to engage with these audiences. 
Below is a timeline of the photoshoots with Swanson Russell: 
•Sunday, May 9, 2021 -spring turkey hunting photos occurred at Amelia WMA in Virginia with various models, locations, and subjects. Photoshoots captured various hunting scenarios. The team then went to  Green Top shooting range to shoot sports and firearm-related photos.
•On Monday, May 10, 2021 -*shoreline and paddling fishing photos were conducted at various locations around Richmond, Virginia
 •October 26 -28, 2021 -Swanson Russell staff and photographers conducted an upland bird hunting photoshoot in Pennsylvania
•November 19, 2021-Swanson Russell staff and photographers arrive in Virginia to conduct multiple photoshoots covering fall deer and small game hunting, including squirrel and rabbit.
•December 16 -18, 2021 -Swanson Russell staff and photographers conduct a waterfowl hunting shoot in Maryland.
•May 5-6, 2022 -Swanson Russell staff and photographers conduct photos of sporting clays, indoor archery, indoor classroom, rifle sight-in, trap shooting, and plinking photoshoots.
The team at Swanson Russell handled all the photoshoot logistics, including hiring photographers, talent, equipment, locations, and travel. In January 2022, the first set of photos were sent on hard drives to NEAFW A members and in May 2022, a second set of hard drives were mailed. The hard drives contain all the photos in multiple file formats, providing states with added flexibility for online and print publications. The professional quality of the photos, coupled with the diverse audiences and activities captured, enhance the ability of states to recruit and retain participants and become more relevant to new audiences through their own communication and marketing channels. 
690 photos from these photoshoots are available on the R3 Clearinghouse for any member of the R3 community to use. 
*Please note that separate funding for fishing photos came from the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation and did not come from the MSCGP.
Goal 2. Improve knowledge of new and returning hunting and shooting sports participants. 
Planned Accomplishments: 
Knowledge of the key audiences that started or returned to hunting and shooting sports is essential to retain their interest and participation. This project will seek to understand better these vital groups throughout the Northeast to develop effective strategies to engage with them. 
Actual Accomplishments: 
Throughout this project, the NEAFW A R3 committee conducted frequent conversations on the key characteristics of important groups that started or returned to hunting and shooting sports in recent years based on available license data. During the COVID pandemic in 2020, a significant increase in participation from these groups was seen in the Northeast and across the country. As a result, numerous studies from individual states, such as Virginia, and national data from NSSF and the Council to Advance Hunting and Shooting Sports were reviewed to understand better these groups' motivations, needs, and backgrounds. This deep dive into audience research informed the need for representation of underserved communities within images and helped shape the photoshoots and marketing retention strategy guide by Swanson Russell. For example, many people that started hunting and shooting in 2020 are from the millennial generation, who are more likely to be female and non-white than older generations. As a result, Swanson Russell prioritized the representation of younger and more diverse audiences in photoshoots to reflect the current population better. Audience research also revealed that many new participants have different motivations for hunting than traditional groups. For instance, hunting with friends and experiencing the outdoors together may be a more important motivation than getting a trophy buck. Multiple hunting photoshoots focused specifically on the social aspects of hunting to appeal to these motivations. 
Goal 3. Increase participation of new and returning hunting and shooting sports audiences. 
Planned Accomplishments: 
NEAFW A will work with Swanson Russell, a marketing firm with experience in the outdoor industry, to develop a comprehensive playbook for retention-focused marketing campaigns. The ongoing impact of these efforts will focus on increasing the participation of new and returning hunting and shooting sports participants. This effort will also seek to work with the recently approved NSSF grant project, in which NEAFW A is a partner, entitled Combining States and Agency Resources to Increase R3 Success. 
Actual Accomplishments: 
After multiple consultations with NEAFW A states on their needs and capabilities and a study of vital audience types, Swanson Russell developed a comprehensive marketing retention toolkit titled Hunter & Angler Retention Strategies. This document informs states on best practices for implementing effective strategies to retain participation from new and returning hunting, *fishing and shooting sports audiences. This guide covers website guidelines, social media, paid media, earned media and direct marketing. In addition, Swanson Russell staff conducted multiple webinars to further assist states with implementing their recommended strategies. All NEAFW A members were provided the retention guide posted on the R3 Clearinghouse for the community to use.