The importance of promoting value-add products and services that improve the boating lifestyle and overall experience
The word “experience” has become somewhat of a buzz word in the boating industry in recent years. Smart marine marketers are jumping on the idea of creating an “improved boating experience”… and with good reason. Boating is all about experiences and our industry should be focused on delivering a positive experience that attracts and retains boaters.
Creating an enjoyable experience on the water is what boaters seek when they get into boating. From spending precious together time with the family to the exhilarating rush of reeling in the catch of the day, the boating experience is like no other. It’s a lifestyle that can create memories and experiences that last a lifetime.
Delivering the Experience Promise to Boaters
Our job as dealers, marinas, builders and suppliers is to continually improve upon that experience. We need to deliver on the promise of the boating lifestyle in every product and service that we offer.
Discover Boating has made the boating experience an integral part of their Grow Boating™ marketing campaign with a mission to “promote the boating lifestyle and improve the boating experience”.
Big industry players are already making the boating experience a big part of their marketing efforts. Top boating blogs highlight the boating experience like Sea Ray’s Launch Pad and MarineMax’s lifestyle content. Brands like Boston Whaler, Sea Ray and Grady-White are producing lifestyle magazines focused on showcasing experiences with their boat lines, along with special customer events like Aquapalooza and Grady Fest.
And it’s not just marketing hype. To continually improve upon the experience, builders are integrating new and innovative products that enhance a boater’s experience – from improved performance and technology gadgets to essential comfort features like integrated sunroofs or shade systems.
SureShade has made “enhancing the boating experience” a central theme throughout marketing efforts for our retractable shade systems. We truly believe that improved convenience and comfort features like our shade helps boaters enjoy time on board more. The market has reacted positively to that message – we’ve seen tremendous growth in boat models adding our shade as a factory feature or option in addition to aftermarket installation requests from dealers and boaters.
An Integrated Experience
There is no one answer to the question – how do I market a boating experience? It’s not one print ad, one customer event or one well positioned company blog. It takes an integrated approach to marketing that consistently communicates the experiential value of boating [with your product, your service or your company].
Make an “improved boating experience” the focus of all your sales and marketing efforts. From the first customer experience with your dealership or marina, to the service provided with your product or the fun customer events you create, it’s all part of the ongoing experience of boating.
How do you market an improved boating experience? Share your ideas with us below!
Dana Russikoff
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