Can an Email Make People Buy a License?

The GA Department of Natural Resources (GDNR) targeted first-time license buyers with structured email communications to determine if their fishing license buying behavior could be improved.  70% of first-time license buyers that only fished once in a year do not renew their license.  Our goal is to increase the license renewal rate utilizing a communications plan that provides anglers with information and financial incentives to go fishing and renew their license.

 First-time license buyers were segregated into 5 groups including a control group so that we could validate any differences between how communications affected their behavior.  These groups received different amounts of touch points including expiration reminders, newsletters, and even discount incentives all timed strategically with purchase behaviors and fishing opportunities.  Final analysis will not be completed until September 2016 because GDNR’s annual fishing license is valid for 365 days from date of purchase.  However, preliminary results will be presented at the conference.