New Market Expansion Advisory Group Set to Address Declining Boat Sales

In a pivotal move to confront declining new boat sales and unify the recreational marine industry around a shared growth strategy, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) have launched the Market Expansion Advisory Group.

Hand-picked for their deep marketing expertise across OEMs and dealerships and with an NMMA board liaison, the Advisory Group will answer two critical questions

1. How should we define success for Discover Boating?
2. How do we achieve that success?

The Advisory Group includes:

• Thomas Bates, Chief Revenue Officer, Correct Craft
• Lauren Beckstedt, Chief Marketing Officer, Brunswick
• Bryce Brown, Owner, MasterCraft Colorado
• Abbey Heimensen, Vice President Marketing, MarineMax
• Amber Holm, Chief Marketing Officer, Winnebago Industries, who also sits on the Board of Directors for the RVIA’s GoRV’ing initiative
• Victor Gonzalez, Chief Marketing Officer, Sportsman Boats
• Rob Parmentier, Chief Executive Officer, Sailfish Boats and NMMA Board of Directors liaison
• Bryan Seti, General Manager, Yamaha Watercraft & National Sales & Marketing for G3 Boats

The group’s recommendation on how the industry defines success for Discover Boating will land on both the NMMA and MRAA Boards’ tables by the end of October, with recommendations for answers to question #2 developed following the boards’ feedback.

To inform this work, Discover Boating is commissioning first-of-its-kind, in-depth consumer research to pinpoint today’s and tomorrow’s boat buyers—their size, motivations and barriers. The research will be completed by the end of September and shared with the industry in the fall. It’s being guided by the Advisory Group and executed in partnership with renowned global research firm, Ipsos.

Members can engage by:

1. Attending the Discover Boating Marketing Summit (October 6 in Tampa, Florida). Do you or does someone on your team handle marketing, PR or social media for your business? Whether a chief marketing officer, dealership admin, or business owner, be a part of the conversation at IBEX on October 6, where top-line findings of the research will be reviewed, a robust discussion with leading marketing minds inside and outside the marine industry will occur, and the next steps for Discover Boating will be discussed. Stay tuned for a “save the date”.
2. Attend Dealer Week (December 7 to 10 in Tampa, Fla.) This event will provide the opportunity to further understand the research findings and learn how to put them into action through relevant and timely marketing and sales strategies and tactics.

For more information or questions, contact Ellen Bradley, NMMA chief brand officer, or Matt Gruhn, MRAA president.