A project team composed of representatives from the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (IAFWA), and Sea Grant will develop a strategic national campaign with the following objectives:
To establish a baseline of knowledge, attitudes, motivations and behaviors with respect to the aquatic invasive species problem and the possibility of the aquarium hobby/industry serving as a vector,
To create a national unifying brand that includes an effective outreach prevention message based on industry and consumer focus group assessment,
To develop and pursue multiple campaign strategies via outreach products targeting many levels within the industry and aquarium hobbyist clientele, a) To raise their awareness about the threats that aquatic invasive species pose to natural ecosystems, b) To expand their ownership of natural ecosystems and the threats aquatic invasive species pose, c) To empower them to actively prevent spread of aquarium plants and animals via hobby industry and activity, and
To evaluate the effectiveness of this national campaign by assessing change in attitudes and behavior in the aquarium industry and among hobbyists.

Concurrent with the increased popularity of the aquaria and water garden hobby has been the release of aquarium plants and animals into our nation's waters. To address this issue, we need leadership, development of partnerships between industry, government and experts in ANS research, outreach and communications, and an effective campaign strategy based on sound marketing principles. This proposal presents a unique opportunity to address mutual priorities. Sea Grant, the USFWS, PIJAC, and IAFWA, regard aquarium hobbyists and the industry as a top priority to address through a strategic national outreach campaign. This effort will serve as a model of how Sea Grant can effectively partner with government and state agencies and industry to find common ground, and leverage significant commitment, funding, and resources to accomplish mutual goals.

As a joint effort, Sea Grant along with PIJAC, USFWS, and IAFWA will jointly sponsor a national outreach and public awareness campaign that targets the aquarium industry, hobbyists, and industry and hobbyist associations with messages aimed at preventing the release of aquarium plants and animals into the environment. Modeled after the highly successful Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! campaign, this initiative will use social marketing strategies to develop a unifying brand that includes a standard prevention message, a graphical theme, appropriate tag lines and a Web site address. A comprehensive strategic plan was developed for this campaign by the project team and consists of five phases -- 1) Data Collection: As a contribution to this project, the USFWS plans to convene focus groups of the different Industry levels and hobbyists. Focus group outcomes will be used to develop messages and a national brand. 2) Issue Branding and Development: As another contribution to this initiative, the USFWS plans to contract with a creative marketing firm specializing in branding processes and brand development to create a brand in collaboration with project partners, which will serve as a centerpiece for all campaign materials. 3) Campaign Implementation: Sea Grant and IAFWA will play an integral role at the national level and efforts to "step down" the campaign at the state level. The campaign will be promoted via presentations at industry conferences, through distribution of partnership packets, displays at tradeshow and hobbyist association meetings, editorial or feature stories and placement of free/paid advertising in industry and hobbyist trade magazines. As a major contribution to this project, PIJAC will support efforts by industry members to produce in-kind a variety of point-of-purchase outreach print materials including: campaign participant certificates and door/window decals, outreach materials for end cap displays, and hobbyist tip cards/counter-top holders - all which will be collaboratively designed in consultation with the project team. PIJAC sponsorship of this initiative through its influence, promotion, and distribution network will help ensure that its membership as well as industry and hobbyist associations is engaged as a campaign partner and that outreach materials reach consumers. 4) Evaluation: Sea Grant will lead take a lead role in evaluation project outcomes including a pre- and post-wave survey of aquarium hobbyists in two targeted states.