monarch marketing, llc 2019 - quarterly report alligator ... · authorized persons only and is not...

March 2019 - Quarterly Report

Monarch Marketing, LLC


PO# 2000340734

Alligator Marketing and Technical Representation

Dear Mr. Linscombe,

Monarch Marketing, LLC is pleased to present the March 2019 Quarterly Report for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries as it relates to our work.

During our fourth quarter of working for the AAC, we have been continued to work on some specific marketing goals and objectives for promoting wild alligator domestically through direct interaction with leather goods industry members as well as through social media and outreach.

Although it is not in the scope of this contract, Secretary Jack Montoucet reached out and asked for some assistance on the California Penal Code 653o task to include a report on economic impact of the Louisiana alligator industry in California.

Our efforts for January-March 2018 are detailed in the attached report which include:

• Prepare for and attend the International Crocodile Farmers Associationmeeting in Milan, Italy February 2019

• Prepare for an attend the ACQ Swiss Watchstrap Association meeting in Milan,Italy in February 2019

• Attend Louisiana Farmers and Ranchers Association Meeting and present onanimal rights group strategies in Lafayette, LA in February 2019

• Assisted Matt Grey with sending out industry wide correspondence forCalifornia Penal Code 653o. Assisted Secretary Montoucet with economicimpact of Louisiana Alligator product sales in California

• Continue to promote Louisiana Alligator through targeted marketing, multiplesocial media channels, and direct communication. Began planning for LeatherSymposium and YouTube video tutorials.

• Continue to expand database for industry communication

• Worked with USFWS to change and amend the CITES permit applicationprocess for alligator skins and products / Worked with USFWS in NYC to educateon import export process with designers at Lineapelle New York.

• Began producing and distributing short videos related to conservation ofLouisiana alligators

Thank you for the opportunity to serve the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Alligator Advisory Council. Please feel free to ask any questions for clarification in this report.

Sincerely,

Christy PlottMonarch Marketing, LLC

Mr. Jeb Linscombe, LDWF Biologist Program ManagerLA Department of Wildlife & Fisheries P.O. Box 98000Baton Rouge, LA 70898

Delivered via E-Mail to [email protected]

Date

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03/30/2019

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PO #2000340734

730 Park Road, Bldg A / Griffin, Georgia, 30224, U.S.A. Phone: 770.316.9280 Email: [email protected]


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PO# 2000340734


DETAILED ACTIVITY REPORTS:Technical Representation:

Work with USFWS to Amend CITES Permit Applications:The US Fish and Wildlife Service recently changed the CITES permit application process for alligator skins and products. There is currently no inventory sheet, and we worked with Inspector Caroline Harlow at DMA in Washington, DC to assist in creating a formatted template for CITES permit applications. Additionally, we noticed that there are no addresses for submission to offices of law enforcement, only DMA. That means slower processing times.

We send Ms. Harlow a number of suggested templates to consider. Ms. Harlow said that for the moment she was not going to use them because the USFWS would be reformatting the permits soon. We continue to follow up with her monthly for updates, but we have not yet received one.

Work with CSG about Various Questions / Issues:

We are actively working with the CSG on several issues including marketing and outreach efforts to raise money for the CSG. We determined in February that New Zealand now takes exception to the personal effects resolution in CITES. https://www.cites.org/sites/default/files/notif/E-Notif-2018-072.pdf It could be beneficial to take a survey from all parties at COP to determine which countries require CITES permits on personal effects. The CITES website is not up to date: https://www.cites.org/sites/default/files/eng/com/sc/62/E62-40-A3.pdf

Work with CSG about Various Questions / Issues:

We worked with USFWS Valley Stream New York to provide outreach and education to designers and manufacturers at Lineapelle New York in January 2019. We provided booklets, marketing literature, and on site wildlife agent training on alligator and crocodile specimens.

Complete CITES Registration / Obtain Sri Lanka CITES / Travel Plans

We registered for and planned all travel to Sri Lanka for Conference of the Parties.

increase demand of both farmed and wild alligator skins/meat and to promote the sustainable use story of Louisiana alligator. Louisiana recognizes the need to create balance and stability between the farmed and wild markets for skins and meat, and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, along with the help and guidance of the Alligator Advisory Council, has sought external assistance for marketing.

Current Environment

Monarch Marketing LLC is committed to supporting the Louisiana alligator industry by creating and implementing a successful marketing strategy to grow the consumer base for leather and meat, as well as increasing public goodwill towards the sustainable use story.

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The information contained herein is for use byauthorized persons only and is not for general distribution

Monarch Marketing, LLC.

Proprietary

https://www.cites.org/sites/default/files/notif/E-Notif-2018-072.pdf



https://www.cites.org/sites/default/files/eng/com/sc/62/E62-40-A3.pdf



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PO# 2000340734


Marketing Representation:

ICFA / AQC Presentation and Meetings - Milan, Italy, Lineapelle Milan

We attended the International Crocodile Farmers Association Meeting and the AQC Meeting in Milan, Italy in February. We presented to the group on Louisiana's verification of legal acquisition of alligators. The presentation is attached. Jeb Linscombe attended meetings with Christy Plott, and they also spent time at Lineapelle Fair (Italian Leather Show) during the week of February 10-16, 2019

Louisiana Alligator Farmer and Rancher Association Meeting

Christy Plott attended and presented at the annual Louisiana Farmer and Rancher's Association Meeting in Lafayette, LA on February 24. The presentation topic was animal rights NGOs and how we can work to create a strategy to change public perception of animal use groups. Presentation attached.

Support for California Penal Code Contractor:

We worked closely with Matt Grey of Advocacy Consulting and LDWF to send out industry wide corresponce for California Penal Code 653o. Please see attached emails and survey sent using our Constant Contact program and database. We also prepared some financial analysis for Secretary Montoucet on the economic impact of the Louisiana alligator trade on California. Report attached.



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December 2018 - Quarterly Report

PO# 2000340734


Promote Louisiana Alligator through Targeted Marketing and Social Media:

Facebook / Instagram / Twitter:

Louisiana Alligator is currently being promoted on multiple social media channels. We will use these outlets to promote alligator to the general public, tanners, shoe and leather goods manufacturers, and brands. Currently our follower counts are as follows:

Instagram: @louisianaalligators / 131 posts / 957 FollowersTwitter: @louisianagators / 26 FollowersFacebook: @louisianaalligator / 293 Followers

We continue to promote both wild and farm raised alligator skins and products to the public and work to educate them on the sustainable use program.

It's interesting to note that on Facebook we posted a photograph of a baby alligator hatching from an egg with a caption that talks about sustainability. The photo was shared 128 times and its total reach was over 20,000 people according to Facebook analytics, attached. The base followers on Facebook is 293 followers, so reaching 20,000 is quite interesting.

We also created a short video which was shared on Louisiana Alligator Facebook page and has been viewed over 10,000 times combined on Instagram and Facebook. The same video was posted on numerous leather industry companies pages including the following: American Tanning and Leather LLC, Pan American Leathers, Italhide, Whiteline srl, 24thStreetCo (Dubai), Maishu Leather Goods (France), Atelier Co Ltd (Thailand), Mettique (Thailand), Hinda Leather (Kuwait), Peter Nitz (Switzerland). The video was sent to the LDWF media department. We plan on creating more videos to distribute in April and May 2019.



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December 2018 - Quarterly Report

PO# 2000340734


Leather Symposium Planning:

The Louisiana Alligator Leather Symposium venue is TBD, and we are exploring options which will allow us to have as many people as possible to attend. We will attend the World Leather Symposium in July 2019 to see the format to move forward in our planning.

Database Development:

We continue to work and develop the database of industry participants to include CITES contacts, governmental affairs persons, farmers, traders, tanners, and potential customers for alligator leather, meat, and byproducts.

We currently have over 1,600 contacts in the database, and we have purchased a list of over 20,000 attendees for Lineapelle Fair in Milan. We purchased a list of Lineapelle attendees from a database company, however, we have not added those to our Louisiana list yet. That database list is attached.

Government’s Role in Supply Chain Transparency & Verification

American Alligators

Louisiana Alligator Advisory CouncilChristy Plott | Marketing & Technical Representative

By placing an economic value on alligators, landowners are offered incentives to conserve wetlands and enhance them, ultimately increasing alligator populations

Alligator is a renewable natural resource.

Populations have increased from the brink of extinction in 1972 to nearly 2 million in the wild today.

The watchstrap market has directly and positively impacted the conservation of alligators.

Louisiana Alligator

The Louisiana Department of W ildlife and Fisheries oversees, manages, and regulates the wild and

farmed alligator harvest programs. LDW F’s goal is to

research and improve the alligator species survival

The US Fish and W ildlife Service administers C ITES requirements for the USA. USFW S requires Louisiana

to comply with federal regulations and prove non

detriment to species in order to be approved for

alligator harvest.

The Louisiana Legislature Act (Act 550) gave the

Louisiana Department of W ildlife and Fisheries full authority to regulate the

alligator management program for Louisiana

The C onvention on International Trade in

Endangered Species seeks to regulate cross border

trade in protected species. Its aim is to ensure trade

does not threaten survival of species. O ver 180

countries are a member.

Louisiana’s Authority for Alligator Management

LDWFSTATE(Louisiana)

FEDERAL(USFWS)

GLOBAL(CITES)

Regulation & Oversight of

Farming

Egg Collection Oversight

How LouisianaVerifies

Population Surveys

InspectSkins & Validate

Each year, since 1972, wildlife biologists perform aerial surveys via helicopter to mark nests with GPS coordinates. They analyze data to scientifically validate populations in order to grant egg collection permits and wild harvests

Population Surveys

Oversight & Regulation of Farming

Each alligator farm in operation must apply for licenses and be approved to operate an alligator farm.

Farmers must prove to LDWF that they are able to comply with all science based animal welfare standards established by the government

Farms are subject to annual inspection by LDWF, the state Health Department and other government bodies for license operation renewals.

Egg Collection Permits

Government: Louisiana Department of Wildlife

Landowner: Must legally prove they own the land.

Farmer: Must have licenses and letters of authorization to allow for collection, transport, and hatching of eggs.

Alligator Release Program

Farmers must, by law, release 10% of the alligators back on to the original land owner’s property

Alligators must be a minimum of 1 meter (3 feet) in length when released.

Farmer: Must have licenses and letters of authorization to allow for collection, transport, and hatching of eggs.

Farmed AlligatorInventory Verification

LDWF’s strict policy towards egg collection & verification allows LDWF to have for updated inventory counts for each farm.

Farm is issued CITES alligator tags only for the number of animals housed on the farm

Each alligator tag is numerically serialized and allotted to a specific farm. LDWF maintains detailed record keeping for all CITES tags to ensure legal trade and farming practices

Louisiana Tag / SkinShipment Validation

When the farm raised alligator skins are scheduled to be shipped outside of Louisiana and enter interstate or foreign commerce, each tag is checked and verified by LDWF staff.

Shipping permits are only granted to farms with valid licenses to ship skins. Licenses must be up to date and are subject to annual renewal.

Upon inspection and validation, each farmer must pay $4.25 per tag severance tax, payable to LDWF. These fees go into a special Alligator Resource Fund which covers the annual expenses of the alligator management program, education expenses and other conservation efforts

CITES Export Process

The LousianaValidation is only the first step of many to ensure legal trade of American alligators

CITES permit shipments must also be inspected upon export from the USA.

Before a shipment of tanned alligator skins reaches a manufacturer, each skin’s tag is checked for legality more than 7 times, making it one of the most trusted luxury leathers for consumers worldwide

Farming Regulation

CITES Tag Inspection & Validation

Egg Collection& InventoryOversight

Louisiana Alligator:Sustainable, Traceable, and Verified

PopulationSurveys

Louisiana Alligator Advisory CouncilChristy Plott | Marketing & Technical Representative

What is Public Perception of the Exotic Leather Industry

and How Can We Change It?

“Banning exotic skins in recognition of the serious animal welfare issues that exist in this industry is a natural next step for the responsible retailer” – C laire Bass, Humane Society International

Using Alligator Is IRRESPO NSIBLE

Farms Have Poor ANIMAL W ELFARE. The Industry is C ruel.

Luxury Goods are SELFISH. No one NEEDS an Alligator Bag.

Public Perception:

Animal Rights NGOs approach retailers.

O verstock.com, Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, Instagram Direct C lick to Sell, and now

Selfridges, the first major department store to ban the

products.

Animal Rights NGO s seek to influence public policy to

make trade difficult:

Attend C ITES & are VO C ALPush for STATE Laws:

-Nevada (exotics)- C alifornia (exotics)- San Francisco (fur)

Animals Rights NGO s harass brands to stop using

exotics. Rather that fight back, many quit because

it’s easier. Peta then publicizes it to encourage

more brands to drop exotics. C hanel is first

luxury brand to ban exotics.

O rganizations like Peta, HSI, and ASPC A have

“humanized” animals. They show videos, photos, use

music to evoke emotion from viewer. They use shock

value and misinformation to get maximum views and

reaction.

How Animal Rights Groups Are Winning:

Retailer Pressure

BrandPressure

Regulatory Influence

ConsumerInfluence

Brands and RetailersBanning Exotics:

Nike

Adidas

Puma

Victoria’s Secret

H&M

ASOS

Bebe

Nine West

Mango

Victoria Beckham

Etsy

Overstock.com

Facebook Marketplace

Instagram (click to buy)

Selfridges

Chanel

Prada (Vowed No Adversement)

Brands and RetailersBanning Fur:

Fendi

Gucci

Versace

Armani

Calvin Klein

Ralph Lauren

MaisonMargiela

Gaultier

Influence Consumers

Brand / Retailer Pressure

How Do WeCounter?

What isthe

perception?Influence

Regulations

In order to develop an effective strategy in to influence consumers and brands and retailers, we first must know: What is the Perception in EACH MARKET?

What is the Perception:

Ok to kill alligators

because they eat livestock

& pets

Ok to kill alligators for livelihoods of

local communites

Ok to kill alligators for greater good of wetlands

Perception:

Ok to kill alligators for

medical research

Consumer Influence:

Create Simple Retail Marketing Literature- Stores are our Troops on the Ground- Educate Retailers- Educate Designers / Manufacturers

Education : Elementary / Fashion Design Schools:News: Regular Press Releases: Alligators are Dangerous…. Alligators are a Food Source/ Alligators are used for Research for Disease / Wetlands / Positive News &Press

Targeted 30-40 second videos on Social Media: - simple, clear, emotional reaction, science- Example: Vaccinate for West Nile, - Improving Standards of Living for Locals,- Conservation benefits

Influence Regulations /Policies:

STATE: We have hired a lobbyist in California. LDWF works with other state wildlife agencies. Cross Governmental Influence / Collaboration

CITES: We are attending, and working hard to influence policy to be favorable to trade.

FEDERAL: We have hired a lobbyist in Washington, DC. LDWF Staff goes to USFWS in Washington, D.C.

Brand and RetailerPressure:

We should encourage brands who use our products to promote alligator and sustainable trade. We should ask them for celebrity placement, press, and positive commercials about wildlife products.

We should ask brands who use our products to stop selling to retailers who ban exotic leathers. We are an important supplier to them. Why do the brands have all the power? Leverage the importance of limited supply.

When retailers and brands initiate bans, we should publically shame them, as in the Op Ed written in Business of Fashion. Negative press: THIS is the ENEMY of CONSERVATION. Make examples of these companies. There are consequences.

730 Park Road, Bldg A / Griffin, Georgia, 30224, U.S.A. Phone: 770.316.9280 / Email: [email protected]


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