Presenters: Brandi Bradford
Alfonso Campos

Commission Agenda Item No. 6
Briefing
Nobody's Waterproof Water Safety Campaign
May 2008

I. Executive Summary: The Department launched a new boating and water safety campaign entitled, "Nobody's Waterproof" in summer 2007. Developed by the Lower Colorado River Authority, this national-award winning program was taken throughout the rest of the state by TPWD staff and partners. Use of the campaign has increased boating and water safety awareness by the target audience: males age 18 to 34 who operate motorboats on Texas waterways.

II. Discussion: The Communications and Law Enforcement Divisions will be working together again this summer to implement Nobody's Waterproof - a comprehensive marketing and outreach program designed to deliver the department's safety message to hundreds of thousands of Texas boaters and water enthusiasts. The department plans to take the program statewide for the second year in a row by targeting historically busy lakes near metropolitan areas.

The message will address the problems seen on Texas lakes.

• Alcohol involvement in up to 50 percent of the accidents involving fatalities;
• Failure to wear a life jacket by boating accident drowning victims;
• High prevalence of boating injuries involving personal watercrafts; and,
• The fact that most accidents involve:
  • Open motor boats;
  • Weekends from Noon to 7PM;
  • Victims that fall overboard without a life jacket; and
  • Male operators between 26 and 50 years of age.

The program's primary message will be to encourage life jacket use. Most common citations historically include:

• Not having enough life jackets on board the boat; and,
• Children under age 13 not wearing a life jacket while the boat is underway.

Nobody's Waterproof consists primarily of promotional campaigns targeting the 18 to 34 year-old demographic that is at a higher risk for boat accidents. Outreach teams reach target audiences where they are - on vessels at major reservoirs, rivers and coastal areas and at boat ramps during high use weekends. Trained staff and boat operators approach water users in a friendly, approachable manner with games and activities stressing the use of personal floatation devices (life jackets), avoidance of drinking while operating a boat, and other important boating and water safety practices.

The National Safe Boating Council recognized LCRA with the "2007 National Boating Education Advancement Award" at the International Boating and Water Safety Conference in San Antonio in March 2007 and again with the "National Water Safety Congress Award of Merit" in San Diego in April 2008. These awards are selected based on a significant contribution or an outstanding effort to enhance or promote water safety at the local or state level. Nobody's Waterproof also was recognized with the "Community Lifesaver Award" from the National Drowning Prevention Alliance in March 2008. The latter honors individuals or organizations for their exceptional work in the advancement of drowning prevention at the community or regional levels.

Sponsors and donors are invited to take part in the campaign through the statewide distribution of promotional materials. One partner, Mr. Tim Lindt, through the Britteny Sage Lindt Fund, donated a boat to the campaign. Mr. Lindt's daughter was killed in a boating accident on Lake Lewisville, and the fund was established in her name.

Results of the campaign from the first summer showed great success. Exhibit A illustrates the accomplishments in partnership with LCRA. This summer, TPWD plans to extend its reach even further by taking the lessons learned and expanding coverage to Dallas, San Antonio and Houston-are lakes. Results of awareness, contacts made, behavioral influences and media generated will again be reported after this summer's successes.

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Commission Agenda Item No. 6
Exhibit A

Nobody's Waterproof™ 2007 Campaign Summary

LCRA's Campaign Goals

• Continue the campaign at lakes Travis and LBJ to promote simple but key water safety tips that can help reduce injuries and deaths on the water and create a safer lake environment.
• Incress awareness of LCRA's role in protecting people, property and the environment in Central Texas.
• Join with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in its efforts to take the campaign to other areas of the state.

Objectives

• Conduct six outreach events between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
• Attend boat shows and give presentations year-round.
• Generate media coverate to promote water safety all summer long.
• Attract at least 5,000 visits to the Web site.
• Establish a baseline for measuring the campaign's impact on water safety behaviors and attitudes.
• Work with TPWD to take the campaign statewide and provide guidance and support for the state agency's campaign development and launch.

Target Audience

• Primary: males ages 18 to 34 who recreate on Texas waters. This group is at greatest risk of injury or death on the water.
• Secondary: target audience's family and friencs, who are key influencers.

Key Messages

• Wear a life jacket while in the water or on a boat.
• Never swim or boat alone; ask friends and family to watch each other.
• Drink responsibly; designate a driver for the boat and a safe ride home.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Obey boating signs and rules, and take a safe boating class.
• Keep proper safety equipment on board.

Campaign Tactics

• Land- and water-based outreach events with fun promotional items and contest prizes that reinforce water safety messages.
• Presentations to civic groups, schools, neighborhood associations and other local organizations.
• Media promotions and advertising.
• Web site contest to increase traffic.
• Statewide spokesperson who appeals to target audience.

Budget

$50,000 budget with EnviroMedia Social Marketing for campaign outreach, advertising and creative services.

2007 Campaign Highlights

Unexpected Challenge

Summer 2007 brought an unexpected challenge to the Nobody's Waterproof team – major flooding that closed Lake Travis for many weeks and canceled several outreach events. Thanks to the campaign's flexibility, LCRA was able to reschedule the events to meet its 2007 water safety outreach and education goals.

Outreach Events

• Six outreach events on lakes Travis and LBJ between June 2 and Sept. 2.
• Land- and water-based outreach events reached about 8,600 people.
• 300 signed pledge cards and 136 random surveys.
• Two of the events at Lake Travis cosponsored by TPWD and LCRA.
• Four additional outreach events held by TPWD at other locations.
• Prizes distributed: 70 like jackets, two wakeboards, four iPods, four Best Buy $15 gift cards, 1,200 T-shirts and hundreds of branded swim noodles, koozies, tattoos and beach balls.

Media Coverage

• 824,000 radio impressions from radio reads, on-site broadcasts and public service announcements.
• 262,804 print media impressions from 21 stories valued at $93,950.
• 1.4 million TV impressions from more than 100 campaign stories and mentions on local TV stations valued at $86,379.
• Media coverage continued all summer long, due to LCRA's strategy of offering of boat ride-alongs at outreach events.

Public Relations and Community Outreach

• Talks to 83 businesses, groups and schools reached 4,800 people and 10,000 students.
• Water safety training to about 150 camp counselors benefited an estimated 10,000 children.
• Lake Travis marinas, convenience stores and other retail outlets displayed campaign posters and distributed campaign safety cards.

Web Traffic

More than 6,300 visits from May to September.

National, Regional and State Awards

• 2007 North American Boating Education Advancement Award and 2007 Boating Education Advancement Award for the Southern United States, both from the National Safe Boating Council.
• 2007 Texas Silver Spur Award for Community Relations, Texas Public Relations Association.

Celebrity Spokesperson

Up-and-coming Texas country rocker Kevin Fowler appeared at a campaign news conference, in campaign TV and radio ads, and at a TPWD outreach event.

About the Campaign

Nobody's Waterproof™ is an award-winning water safety campaign to encourage men ages 18 to 34 and their friends and family to "Play It Safe" on the water.

The campaign's innovative social marketing strategy uses water- and land-based events to reach the target audience on their terms and in their environment where they are most approachable.

Nobody's Waterproof™ has quickly become a model water safety campaitgn, winning state, regional and national awards.

LCRA and EnviroMedia Social Marketing, Inc. launched the campaign in 2006 at Lake Travis as part of LCRA's role of protecting people, property and the environment in its serice area.

In 2007, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and LCRA joined together to take the campaign's unusual and successful strategy to other waterways across Texas.

www.NobodysWaterproof.com

Nobody's Waterproof™ is a registered trademark of the Lower Colorado River Authority.

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