Redefining Discover Boating to Build Back a Falling Boater Population

The marine industry is experiencing falling boat sales as consumers show concern for the current economy, turn to alternatives like boat rentals or clubs or leave boating altogether. While Discover Boating has been the leading marketing entity to counteract falling sales, there has never been a unified plan among all industry players on how Discover Boating can best attract and retain boaters until now.

Measuring Success
The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and the Marine Retailers Association of America (MRAA) have formed the Discover Boating Market Expansion Advisory Group to answer two big questions. According to Ellen Bradley, senior vice president of marketing and communication for NMMA, the advisory group will determine how success should be defined for Discover Boating and how it can be measured and achieved.

“We did a survey, and everyone had a different definition of what they need from Discover Boating and what they believe Discover Boating is for. We heard it was for sales, boat shows, public relations or a website. It’s none of those things,” Bradley said. “It’s not a single tactic but an industry movement to grow the market. We must identify roles that OEMs, dealers and associations should be taking and where gaps and opportunities exist to create a seamless marketing experience for the consumer we’re all chasing.”

The push to form this new advisory group and work toward a collaborative response was triggered by results from both NMMA and MRAA’s member surveys, strategic planning sessions and focus groups. “The message we got is that the industry needs to focus on consumer demand,” Bradley said.

“NMMA’s board chair, Bill Yeargin, took this to heart and designed the Discover Boating Market Expansion Advisory Group as a mix of representatives from both large and small OEMs and dealers.”

The group has held numerous meetings to identify different marketing approaches already being taken, where businesses are spending marketing dollars and how to maximize and optimize a collective spend across the industry.

Understanding Consumers
A research study by IPSOS, a market research and consulting firm, was commissioned to understand who the boating consumers of today are and who they will be in the future. The advisory group created the questions for the study, which were a shift from the typical consumer research that Discover Boating has undertaken.

“This was a more comprehensive look at who the boaters are, their behaviours, and understanding what drives them,” Bradley said.

The study looked at boater behaviours, needs and barriers to entry. It also explored how OEMs, dealers and Discover Boating could approach consumers at different stages of their boat buying experience.

A third-party consulting firm was also hired to provide an unbiased response to the data that IPSOS collected and help frame a recommendation for how the marine industry moves forward. Bradley said the consulting firm is staying involved to help the advisory group find the best ways to measure success.

“For the first time, we have alignment and agreement on the role of Discover Boating, the role of OEMs and the role of the dealers when it comes to marketing,” Bradley said. “That alignment is going to give us clarity to articulate in a clear way how we measure success.”

Both the MRAA and NMMA boards have approved a tentative agreement, but the full rollout of the plan won’t be released until later in 2026. Public webinars will be planned to share the results.

Marina Involvement
While NMMA and MRAA, along with OEMs, have been the drivers of this advisory group, Bradley pointed out that marinas are a key part of this marketing effort. “The research validates that consumers seek trusted experiences and want to experience boating before they buy,” Bradley said. “Marinas have a unique ability to get potential buyers on the water and reach both potential and existing customers in ways we haven’t tapped into.”

Bradley shared that there’s a deep need for more coordinated communications between the members of the various industry associations and organizations and a need for members who are marketers to share their voices. The advisory group has provided clarity, but to date that push has been to senior-level experts who have given the green light to move forward with greater actions. Sustaining a coordinated marketing response is going to require bringing all branches of the marine industry together over and over again to address market shifts and to ensure alignment in a marketing approach.

Coordinating and finding collaboration across an industry that traditionally has been fractured may be a high bar to cross, but Bradley is excited to see the effort finally being made and is convinced it’s what’s needed to secure the next generation of boaters.