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The Official Newsletter of Coastal Angler Magazine Franchising, Inc.

JULY 2021

NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION

COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC POSITIONED FOR SUCCESS W

hen the pandemic hit last year, we weren’t sure what was going to happen to our free fishing magazine. Just like most businesses around the country, we braced for the storm. As restaurants and businesses began closing, so too went the places where we distribute magazines. We wondered: Where are we going to drop off our magazines? Will our advertisers cancel? Will a decade of building our brand and all of our franchisees’ hard work come to an end? What will become of the marine industry? This uncertainty about the future that we all felt on many different levels at the beginning of the pandemic led many businesses to get creative and pivot their models. Coastal Angler/The Angler Magazine was among those businesses. We immediately pivoted by inventing and rolling out a new product called The Angler Video Magazine. The “Vid Mag” was intended to offer franchisees a new

stream of revenue. We already offered an e-magazine, but this was to be a separate product and a hybrid with a video on every page! We offered 100 percent of the sales to the franchisee who sold the most each month in the form of a contest. Joe Woody, our Great Smoky Mountains franchisee, won the contest month after month, and said, “This Vid Mag is so easy to sell! I just tell them to go to Vidmag.com, and it sells itself!” The advertisers and the readers love it. Thankfully, all of those “What if?” worst case scenarios we anticipated did not happen. Our franchisee group overwhelmingly embraced the challenges before them during the pandemic month after month with grit, determination and a positive attitude. They pivoted, too. Instead of lying down and closing up, they said, “We are going to keep distributing. We are going to stay in business. We just need to find other places to put the magazines!” And they did. The dedication

INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW! People of all ages love Coastal Angler & The Angler Magazine! Just ask Florida girls Hunter Rowan and Pasiynne Pressley, who enjoyed reading our magazine while waiting to go whitewater rafting.

ENTER TO WIN

@CAMTAMagazine

A FISHING KAYAK!

SUP

INSHORE TACTICS WATCH VIDEO

PHOTO COURTESY OF JUSTIN HOOVER IG: @REDFISHING321 / YOUTUBE: ISLAND ANGLER FILMS

VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 9

F R A N C H I S E

SPRING TRANSITION APRIL 2021

O P P O R T U N I T I E S

A V A I L A B L E

W O R L D W I D E

and determination many of our franchisees exhibited in the face of an early pandemic was inspirational. Another strange thing happened. The massive cancellations from our advertisers that we expected never happened, either. It turns out fishing is a great way to social distance! More people started fishing and boating... and advertisers kept advertising. Our loyal readers kept picking up magazines. As we begin the second half of 2021, it is with renewed optimism. It appears Coastal Angler/The Angler Magazine weathered the storm of the pandemic, and we might have come out on the other side stronger than ever. The tenacity of our franchisees to push through in those early months of the virus, coupled with the growth of the Video Magazine to 1.5 million emails in under a year, and the boom of the marine industry all give us great hope for things to come. We don’t have a crystal ball, but it seems our little fishing magazine is here to stay.

Getting Back to Business at ICAST 2021 This July, the world’s largest sportfishing trade show is headed back to Orlando

his year marks the 64th consecutive recreational fishing trade show produced by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) for its members and the recreational fishing industry. ICAST 2021 is scheduled for July 20 – 23, in the North/South building at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, Fla. “While the health, safety and security of exhibitors and attendees continues to be our top priority,” emphasized ASA President Glenn Hughes, “we are all looking forward to getting back to business. Orlando and the OCCC has been home to ICAST for many years and we are excited to return.” ICAST is the premier destination for every manufacturer that considers anglers their target audience. Many

companies reveal their latest product innovations. Some companies make their worldwide debut. If it appeals to a fishing customer, you’ll find it at ICAST. All the elements that make ICAST the most anticipated annual event for the global sportfishing industry will be back this year: On the Water, the New Product Showcase, the Industry Breakfast, the Casting Pond and Lure Tank, business seminars and the excitement and

energy of the show floor. More than 300 exhibitors have been assigned booths, with more in the pipeline. “Our member exhibitors told me they want to be there,” noted Swango. “From conversations with their reps and buyers, they know that the desire is there to do in-person business and to see all the new products available. In 2021, ICAST is the only venue that fills that need.” Attendee registration opened on March 15. All the information about ICAST 2021 is available at https://icastfishing.org/ including detailed FAQs about health and safety protocols, the expo hall and food and beverage options.

MARINE INDUSTRY BOOM SHOWS NO SIGN OF SLOWING DOWN B

oat sales skyrocketed last year during the coronavirus pandemic as more Americans turned to the lifestyle amid more flexible work environments that allowed people to spend extra time enjoying the outdoors. Sales of boats, marine products and services across the country leaped to a 13year high in 2020 to $47 billion, increasing 9% from the prior year, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association. First-time boat buyers account for a large chunk of purchases, a sign that the growth has staying power. Likewise, publicists for GetMyBoat, an app that connects charter boat captains with prospective clients, said a wild surge in demand beginning in May led to a rental reservation confirmation every few minutes. They claim to have seen a 3,900% growth increase by July, with Miami its top booked location in 2021. And Boatsetter, a Fort Lauderdale-headquartered Airbnb-like service for people to rent out their boats, saw

its business increase by 74%. The trend, which shows few signs of slowing this year, shocked industry players who were certain they were in for rough times as the pandemic shut down the economy. The effects of the pandemic have left a positive impact on the marine industry that will last for years to come. Covid changed society for the better in terms of looking towards your family and your relationships in your free time. As new boaters enter the market, a domino effect is taking place, with their friends and families getting into the activity as well. Last year, the number of first-time boat buyers rose for the first time in over 10 years, up 10% from 2019. Among these new boat buyers, the average age has also decreased for the first time in 20 years, according to the marine association. The entrance of these new young buyers is a bright sign for the future of the industry. Americans are finding that their work-from-

home schedule allows for more flexibility to do activities when they want to. “We have these longer-term outcomes of Covid-19 including flexible working arrangements that I think will allow people to engage in boating more flexibly during that week,” Brunswick CEO David Foulkes said. Brunswick is the parent company of popular boat manufacturing brands like Boston Whaler and Sea Ray.

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2021

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WELCO ME R

Mississippi Edition

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Mark Twain said it best when he said, “The secret of success is making your vocation your vacation.”

WELCOME ABOARD!

ABO

Welcome Rocky Brooks, the new Co-publisher/Franchisee of the Mississippi Gulf Coast edition. Rocky is a life-long resident of Mississippi. He lives in Gautier with his boxer, Gator, where has owned and operated his company, Sea 2 Swamp Outfitters, for the past three years. He advertises Sea 2 Swamp in Coastal Angler, so when he heard the franchise was available in his area, he saw it as an opportunity to continue promoting his businesses and expand his influence in the marine community. Rocky has also owned Reel Clean Reel Service for the past six years and cleans/repairs somewhere in the area of 800+ reels a year!

Rocky Brooks Mississippi Gulf Coast Publisher

In his free time, Rocky tries to fish every local inshore tournament possible and hosts a few at the store from time to time. Rocky says, “I’m just trying to help people learn fishing on our Gulf Coast and give back to the community when possible. “

Okeechobee Edition We are thrilled to welcome Don “Red” Norton to our family of co-publishers! Don has been a resident of Florida since 1989. He and his wife of 53 years, Lexi, have a son and daughter (Chris and Amy) who will be assisting with digital and distribution. Don’s connections in the marine community run deep. He has been a bass fishing guide for 30 years and a custom rod builder for 40 years. He owned three fishing tackle shops in Florida called “REDS Fishing Tackle “ in honor of his father, the nickname that has since been passed down to him. He has been a tournament angler since 1971, formed three bass clubs, and taught classes at the South Florida State College in Avon Park, Florida, on “Bass Fishing Techniques”, “Flipping & Pitching for Bass” and “Custom Rod Building”. Don is also an avid aquarist. He has over 30 aquariums and he has raised every type of fish from oscars to angels, peacocks, largemouth bass, bluegills, smallmouth bass, and many more. Don has an extensive sales background. He retired four years ago as the VP of Sales for for GCA, one of the largest facilities management companies in the United States. He spent 21 years in the senior housing industry as VP of Sales for National Retirement Company, Aston Care, American Retirement Corporation and Marriott Senior Living Services, where he managed over 100 senior living communities and hundreds of sales personnel. His specialty was developing and writing sales training manuals and providing sales training to groups as well as one-on-one.

Don “Red” Norton

Prior to that he owned and operated an independent yellow page company, publishing Okeechobee Publisher telephone directories in Ohio and Pennsylvania with 75 sales representatives. He started his career in sales in the real estate and insurance industries, quickly earning recognition as a top producer by becoming the youngest member of the President’s Club and Million Dollar Roundtable. Working for Summit National Life Insurance Company in Akron, Ohio, he set multiple Hall of Fame records that exist to this day. Currently, Don writes a newspaper column for the News Sun two times per week. He wrote for Coastal Angler Magazine five years ago. While doing research for a News Sun article recently, he stumbled across one of his old Coastal Angler articles and it piqued his interest in the franchise opportunities. (He considered buying a franchise five years ago, but he was too busy traveling with his VP of Sales position and the timing was not right.) Now that he is retired from the corporate world, the franchise is a perfect fit. Don says, “My bass fishing guide service gave me an excuse to go fishing. I turned my hobby of rod building into a business. As the publisher of The Angler Magazine Okeechobee Edition, it all ties together. I will use my sales experience, combined with my love of the outdoors—specifically my passion for fishing—combined with my local connections, to produce the best resource for anglers in South-Central Florida.” Don plans on growing the magazine quickly. He says his goal is to be the top-producing franchisee in the company and win the “Franchisee of the Year Award” at the annual Franchisee Convention.

2021 FRANCHISEE DEADLINES JULY EDITION

OCTOBER EDITION

• June 16 — National/Regional Ads & Reports Due • June 17 — Local Editions Due • July 5 — Video Mag Ads & Reports Due

• September 16 — National/Regional Ads & Reports Due • September 17 — Local Editions Due • October 5 — Video Mag Ads & Reports Due

AUGUST EDITION

NOVEMBER EDITION

• July 16 — National/Regional Ads & Reports Due • July 19 — Local Editions Due • August 5 — Video Mag Ads & Reports Due

• October 15 — National/Regional Ads & Reports Due • October 18 — Local Editions Due • November 5 — Video Mag Ads & Reports Due

SEPTEMBER EDITION

DECEMBER EDITION

• August 16 — National/Regional Ads & Reports Due • August 17 — Local Editions Due • September 3 — Video Mag Ads & Reports Due

• November 12 — National/Regional Ads & Reports Due • November 15 — Local Editions Due • December 3 — Video Mag Ads & Reports Due

ALL DUE BY NOON

The calendar is available on the franchise support site (support.coastalanglermag.com)

1275 South Patrick Dr., Suite A-9 Satellite Beach, FL 32937 www.CoastalAnglerMagazine.com 321.777.2773