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March 13, 2025
NSSF announces release of Black American Gun Owners Report & R3 Communications Toolkit
WASHINGTON, D.C. — NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, is pleased to announce the release of the Black American Gun Owners Report & R3 Communications Toolkit, a groundbreaking resource aimed at helping hunting and shooting sports marketers and advertisers better engage with Black American gun owners.
Through a Multi-State Conservation Grant, the NSSF along with project partners from Responsive Management, JMI, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and the National African American Gun Association worked collaboratively to develop a toolkit designed to achieve three primary goals.
- Drive Growth: Foster meaningful growth in Black American sport shooting participation through targeted, research-based communication strategies.
- Create Pathways: Build sustainable avenues for Black American involvement in sport shooting by addressing barriers and utilizing existing resources.
- Enable Action: Provide stakeholder teams with practical tools and resources to execute effective communication strategies.
“Industry research such as NSSF’s First-Time Gun Buyers 2021 and 2024 reports, NSSF’s 2023 Firearm Ownership & Sport Shooting Participation Report and several Annual Retailer Surveys have demonstrated that Black Americans represent one of the fastest growing segments of firearm owners and sport shooters,” said Salam Fatohi, NSSF’s Director of Research. “This toolkit represents a practical approach on how to use research to create meaningful and personal messaging that will connect with your target audience.”
“This toolkit represents a significant advancement in how the industry engages with Black American sport shooters,” said James Warren, JMI’s VP of Brand Strategy. “Through our communications work, we transformed robust research insights into messaging that authentically connects with this growing community.”
“By working alongside research experts and industry stakeholders, we’ve created practical resources that organizations can immediately implement to drive meaningful engagement,” said Brelan Hillman, JMI’s Director of Account Management. “This project delivers exactly what the market needs – ready-to-use assets built on genuine insights that help connect brands, cultures and communities.”
About the Toolkit
Industry stakeholders looking to engage in a meaningful way with the Black community will find several useful tools in the NSSF asset portal including:
- A 294-page research report that details survey and focus group findings.
- A condensed “Key Findings” report that guided the development of the toolkit.
- A portal with templated marketing and advertising assets that can be customized with logos for use in digital and print R3 campaigns.
- A Social Media Outreach Plan to guide users from ideation to implementation across multiple platforms.
“Our overall goal was to encourage an increase in Black Americans’ participation in R3 programs in general and shooting sports, specifically. We believe to ensure this, the initial experiences with a firearm should be positive. Prior to this project, there was a dearth of messages and images that focus on the unique motivations that drive Black Americans to buy firearms and engage in sport shooting,” stated George P. Braxton, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. “We feel confident we have created a solid foundation for industry stakeholders and outdoor recreation agencies to do this important work.”
A live webinar will be held on Thursday, March 20, at 1 p.m. E.T. For more information on the toolkit and the webinar, visit nssf.org/research/r3.
For further inquiries, please contact John McNamara, NSSF Managing Director Member Services, at [email protected].
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About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearm industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearm retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org.
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NSSF Media contact:
Bill Brassard
203-426-1320 ext. 212
Categories: BP Item, Conservation, Education, Featured, Hunting, Industry News, Media, Press Releases, R3, Ranges, Retailers, Shooting, Top Stories
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