R3 through Marketing with Pilot States

Marketing is an effective way to accomplish R3. The fish and wildlife community is learning this and beginning to see what agencies can do and how much should be invested in marketing. Furthermore, with the new allowances in WSFR since PR modernization passed, there are new ways to fund marketing in states that have not been able to. This makes information about the most effective marketing techniques to accomplish R3 very timely.   ACI, with over 40 state fish and wildlife agency members who are practitioners of marketing and R3, is an organization that exists only to advance agency communication abilities. Since PR Modernization, ACI has garnered three grants to accomplish R3 through marketing. We have published the 2020,2021 and 2022 case studies and are amid the 2023 campaigns being implemented. ACI has led 15 completed projects and is currently leading five more pilot states to innovate and continually improve R3 via new marketing techniques; it has helped states with little to no resources directed toward marketing invest in these activities and see the value that marketing can bring to these efforts. The 15 states involved have learned much through these pilot projects and are constantly sharing their case studies with community members. If we want all agencies to continue adopting marketing as an integral practice to accomplishing R3, we need to continue these efforts!   This project will further develop the practices for states to innovate and continually improve R3 marketing techniques. Over the 2020-2023 awarded R3 marketing grants, we have an established committee, and 20 states have been able to put $50,000 each toward marketing tactics that have accomplished R3. This year, we will have an application process as we have in years past, and the ACI Committee will choose five projects that rise to the top. We will strive to have one project from each AFWA region.   Over the past several years, we have proven the benefits of this program through implementing effective, trackable campaigns tied directly to the revenue that the campaign returns. The investment of these grant dollars in marketing has been multiplied and returned to each agency that has received this project’s grant funding for the last four years. There is still a great need to pilot new efforts and share the successes and challenges of doing those efforts with others working to use marketing to accomplish R3.