Hunting in Oregon:

Evaluation of an Advertising Campaign to Encourage Great Hunting Participation

For

the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the Oregon Division of Fish and Wildlife
By

Southwick Associates
May 2011

PO Box 6435 Fernandina Beach, FL 32035 Tel (904) 277-9765 www.southwickassociates.com

This project is supported by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc.

INTRODUCTION In 2010, Oregon's Division of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and the National Shooting Sports Foundation launched a statewide marketing campaign to boost hunting and encourage visits to their online hunting map. The effort included a direct mailing to lapsed big game and other hunters, and statewide advertising online, in newspapers and in magazines. An overview of the advertising media and dates are in appendices A and B, along with a sample of the advertising copy and imagery used in the campaign.

RESULTS Direct Mail Campaign In late summer 2010, postcards were mailed to 34,999 people randomly selected from among past hunters who had obtained a Big Game and other licenses in 2007, 2008 or 2009. The purpose was to test if direct mail promoting new hunting information tools (an online information map) could boost the rate of hunting license renewals. The postcard included a graphic image and message encouraging them to renew their licenses. Other hunters who had also obtained a license during that same period were not sent a postcard and were held as a control group to help measure the effectiveness of the mailing. Following the mailing of the postcard, the treatment and control groups were compared. It was determined that 14,432 hunters on the mail list (41.2%) obtained their licenses. However, from the control group, 41.7% obtained their licenses during the same period (Table 1). The results suggest that the postcard had no effect on hunting license renewal rates since no statistical difference in response rates were seen between treatment and control groups.

Table 1. Purchase Rates of Direct Mail Target Audience by Hunter Type # % Purchasing Control Increase Increase 2010 Group LiftValue inLicense inLicense #onMail Licenseor Purchase Purchase (Percentage &Tag &Tag HunterType List Tag Rate Rate Points) Sales Sales BigGame+Other 4,865 2,492 BigGameOnly 30,134 11,940 51.2% 39.6% 54.0% 39.7% 2.83 0.12 137 36 5.2% 0.3%

34,999 14,432 41.2% 41.7% 0.46 161 1.1% Total Note:Thepurchaseratesofthetreatmentandcontrolgroupsarenotstatisticallydifferent.

Oregonhuntingmap.com Promotions

ODFWs advertising campaign included verbiage that encouraged readers to visit their online hunting map. This map was developed previously via an Hunting Heritage Partnership (HHP) grant awarded by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). A screen shot of a page from the map is in Appendix C. Webpage usage was tracked, and pre- and post-season surveys were conducted asking a range of questions regarding map usage and hunting habits. The pre-season survey was designed to collect contact names for the post-season survey, and offered one of two free upland gamebird hunts as a means to gather this information. The post-season survey also offered one of two free upland gamebird hunts as an incentive to take the survey. Results and benefits of Oregons online map-oriented Models of Success program were calculated using estimates of user visits from Google Analytics and responses to the post-effort evaluation survey. Results include the following: Number of unique visitors to the website during survey period: 36,000 .2 (assumes 80% are incidental visitors) = 7,200 unique visitors Basic utility of website does it serve its purpose? 86% (705) found the map very helpful or somewhat helpful 12.5% (109) were neutral; 7% (61) found it somewhat or very unhelpful 60.4% (255) used the map to help plan their hunts 90.9% (229) of those used it to find a place to hunt (main purpose of map) Benefit to Oregons Economy 60.4% (255) used the map to help plan their hunts 34.8% (88) reported they hunted more frequently as a result of the map Of those, they hunted an average of 6.2 extra days because of map 7,200 unique visitors .604 .348 6.2 days = 9,383 additional hunter days due to the map. 9,383 hunter days $157 spent per hunter day1 = $1,473,000 in new expenditures (travel and equipment) that the map helped stimulate in the four month evaluation period in 2010. Benefit to Hunter Recruitment 84.2% (352) took someone hunting with them 34.4% (115) were people who had never hunted before 31.7% (110) used the map to assist in efforts to take that person hunting .842 .344 .317 = 9.2% of respondents used the map to help take someone hunting who had never hunted before.

Dean Runyan and Associates, Fishing, Hunting, Wildlife Viewing and Shellfishing in Oregon; 2008 State and County Expenditure Estimates

.092 7,200 = 662 hunters that the map helped recruit in the four month evaluation period in 2010.

Benefit to ODFWs Revenue: 84.2% (352) took someone hunting with them 50.6% (170) were people who would not have hunted otherwise 31.7% (110) used the map to assist in efforts to take that person hunting .842 .506 .317 = 13.5% of respondents used the map to help take a person hunting who would not have otherwise. .135 7,200 = 972 hunting licenses/tags that the map helped to sell 972 $54 (resident license + deer tag) = $52,488 in increased state hunting license revenues generated during the four month evaluation period in 2010.

Summary: Overall, the map appears to have generated additional days of hunting, which was the projects goal. The map helped provide a stimulus to the Oregon economy, and appears to have had an unintentional benefit of helping introduce more hunters to hunting. The additional license revenues the map provided Oregon during the four month evaluation period shows a positive return on investment for any other states considering doing the same.

Post-season Survey Detailed Results The tables below show results from all questions in the post-season survey. The results were used in the result calculations above, and are offered to help other states in their own online map design and promotion efforts.

Did you hunt in 2010?

N Yes No Total 435 37 472 % 92.2% 7.8% 100.0%

Approximately how many days did you hunt?

Mean 22.0 Median 15 Minimum 1 Maximum 200 Count 474

Which species did you hunt in 2010?

N Deer Elk Upland Game Birds Waterfowl Bear Turkey Cougar Rabbit Squirrel Other N=425 305 236 235 163 110 96 79 36 26 31 % 71.8% 55.5% 55.3% 38.4% 25.9% 22.6% 18.6% 8.5% 6.1% 7.3%

Did you use ODFW's online Oregon Hunting Map* to help plan your hunt(s)?
N Yes No Total 255 167 422 % 60.4% 39.6% 100.0%

How did you use ODFW's online Oregon Hunting Map* to help plan your hunt(s)?
N Hunting locations Hunting opportunities Hunting regulations Hunting tips License purchase Other 229 114 103 48 40 15 % 90.9% 45.2% 40.9% 19.0% 15.9% 6.0%

N=252 Hunt more frequently?

N Yes No Total 88 165 253 % 34.8% 65.2% 100.0%

How many more days did you hunt this past season that you can attribute to the website?
N 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 15 20 Total 1 3 16 11 7 14 4 4 1 1 13 5 4 84 % 1.2% 3.6% 19.0% 13.1% 8.3% 16.7% 4.8% 4.8% 1.2% 1.2% 15.5% 6.0% 4.8% 100.0%

Did you hunt any new species in 2010?

N Yes No Total 44 208 252 % 17.5% 82.5% 100.0%

What new species did you hunt in 2010?

N Upland gamebird Waterfowl Elk Turkey Deer Rabbit Bear Cougar Squirrel Other 20 8 6 6 5 5 2 0 0 5 % 46.5% 18.6% 14.0% 14.0% 11.6% 11.6% 4.7% 0.0% 0.0% 11.6%

N=43 Did you take anyone hunting with you in 2010?

N Yes No Total 352 66 418 % 84.2% 15.8% 100.0%

Who did you take hunting with you in 2010?

N Spouse Adult relative Youth Relative Youth other Friend Other Total 65 157 108 33 241 12 349 % 18.6% 45.0% 30.9% 9.5% 69.1% 3.4% N=349

Who else did you take hunting with you in 2010?

both kids took turns brother Coworker Dad Daughter's boyfriend Did not know Dog fiance my 4 years old son son Son Count 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1

Was that person someone who had never hunted before?

N Yes No Total 115 219 334 % 34.4% 65.6% 100.0%

Was that person someone who would not have hunted otherwise?
N Yes No Total 170 166 336 % 50.6% 49.4% 100.0%

Did ODFW's online Oregon Hunting Map* assist your efforts to take this person hunting?
N Yes No Total 110 237 347 % 31.7% 68.3% 100.0%

Do you recall seeing any advertisements for the online Oregon Hunting Map*?
N Yes No Total 204 249 453 % 45.0% 55.0% 100.0%

Other: Where did you see the advertisement(s)?

N ODFW website Other website Magazine Facebook Newspaper Television Radio Other 178 16 40 16 8 2 1 28 % 87.7% 7.9% 19.7% 7.9% 3.9% 1.0% 0.5% 13.8%

N=203

Where else did you see the advertisement(s)?

2011 big game regs Big Game Regulations Father-in-law set it to me game regulations Game Regulations Pamphlet hunting regulations ifish.net mail mailer ODFW printed regulations ODFW Regulations Oregon Hunting Association Oregon Hunting reg Oregpn Hunter's Association postcard regulation book regulation synopsis regulations Regulations sportsman wharehouse synopsis Word of mouth Count 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 4 1 1 1 1

How did the advertising for the online Oregon Hunting Map influence your decision to hunt, or hunt more, in 2010?
N Major influence Moderate influence Minor influence No influence Total 12 34 44 113 203 % 5.9% 16.7% 21.7% 55.7% 100.0%

To the best of your recollection, who sponsored these ads?

N ODFW No name provided General industry-wide effort A private company Federal agency Other Don't recall Total 143 3 3 1 0 4 54 203 % 70.4% 1.5% 1.5% 0.5% 0.0% 2.0% 26.6% N=203

To the best of your recollection, who sponsored these ads?

Count guide sevices oregon hunter association Oregon Hunters's Association tax payer. state cutbacks layoffs 1 1 1 1

Appendix A: Media Advertising Flowchart

2010 Medium NEWSPAPER Oregonian Sunday3col.(5.55")x10.75"4/C(Remnant) Daily3col.(5.55")x10.75"4/C(Remnant) HuntingGuide3col.(5.55")x10"4/C NewsReview Thursday3col.(5.542")x10"4/C MailTribune Thursday3col.(5.778")x10"4/C MAGAZINE Washington/OregonGame&Fish P4C(6.75"x9.95") ONLINE Game&FishAdNetwork* ROS 300x250 160x600 728x90 OutdoorLife.com ROS 300x250 160x600 728x90 FieldAndStream.com ROS 300x250 160x600 728x90 OregonLive.com ROS 300x250 728x90 PSASafetyMessage Sports 300x250 728x90 Facebook.com TextAd September 30 6 13 20 27 4 October 11 18 25 #of units

1 1 1 1 1

1 1

2xInsertions 2xInsertions 1xInsertions 2xInsertions 2xInsertions

1 1

1xInsertions

15M 10M 20M

15M 10M 20M

30MImpressions 20MImpressions 40MImpressions

15M 10M 20M

15M 10M 20M

30MImpressions 20MImpressions 40MImpressions

38M 25M 50M

38M 25M 50M

75MImpressions 50MImpressions 100MImpressions

160M 160M 80M 160M 88M 840Clicks

160M 160M 80M 160M 88M 1,050Clicks

320MImpressions 320MImpressions 160MImpressions 320MImpressions 176MImpressions 1,890Clicks

Appendix B: Sample of Print Advertising

Direct Mailer:

Appendix C: Oregons Online Hunting Information Map - Sample