Media Tracking
Report
07/24/2008
Article Index
Archive
National Marine
Manufacturers Association Coverage
Grow Boating: A $ 12.5M Marketing Outlay
[Soundings (Trade Only), 07/01/2008]
By Beth Rosenberg
Grow Boating took in more than $12 million in 2007, the bulk of
which was spent on marketing campaigns, according to its recently
released annual report. The initiative is an integrated effort among
recreational marine groups to promote the boating lifestyle and improve
the boating experience..."I think it's definitely paying off. We are
getting more people interested in boating, and that was our goal," said
Thom Dammrich, president of Grow Boating and the National
Marine Manufacturers Association. "I feel confident that when the
economic turmoil that we're in clears up we're going to see lot of
first-time boat buyers in dealers' showrooms." Research shows that at
least 6 percent of Grow Boating's target audience has moved from
"not interested" to "interested," Dammrich added. It can take up to
three years for someone to move from "not interested" to buying a
boat...
NMMA Awards Top CSI Scores
[Boating Industry (Online), 07/14/2008]
The National Marine Manufacturers Association has named the 2008
Marine Industry CSI Awards recipients, the association said in a press
release this morning. A total of 73 boat and engine manufacturers were
recognized for excellence in customer satisfaction as part of NMMA's
Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) program..."These seventy-three
companies have made a solid, long-term commitment to continuously
improve quality and customer satisfaction--steps that are sure to pay
dividends not only for award recipients, but for our entire industry,"
said Thom Dammrich, NMMA president. "As manufacturers focus more
and more on the key components that drive consumer satisfaction,
retention, sales and market share, access to robust consumer data is
paramount," says Terry Leitz, NMMA director of CSI programs...
Pursuit Boats To Host MIDC Workshop
[Boating Industry (Online), 07/18/2008]
Pursuit Boats of Fort Pierce, Fla., will host a Marine Industry
Dealership Certification Launch Workshop Aug. 27, following its 2009
Annual Dealer Sales Conference, at the South Seas Island Resort in
Captiva Island, Fla., the Marine Retailers Association of American
reported in a release yesterday..."We are very appreciative of the
support and hospitality Pursuit Boats has extended in opening this
program to any dealer wishing to attend," says Thom Dammrich, president
of Marine Certification Inc. and the National Marine Manufacturers
Association. "Their willingness to support their dealers'
involvement and other interested parties in the industry is a great show
of support for this program which has helped more than 400 dealers
achieve higher levels of success."...
Boaters And Watercraft Manufacturers Do Their Part To Be Environmentally
Friendly
[Times (IN) (Online), 07/17/2008]
By Bill Paige
...Green living and custodianship is a way of existing with and
protecting our environment and natural resources. The boating industry
has been doing its part for many years. "I think that boats have always
been green to some degree," said Ellen Hopkins, the director of
communications for the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
"Boaters are one of the original conservationists."...Sailing boats,
kayaks and canoes are clearly very green because their power comes from
the wind or from rowing," Hopkins said. "But in terms of power boating,
the industry has been doing quite a bit over the past decade to
improve...According to Hopkins, most boaters are conscientious in
operating their boats. "Even those with larger engines aren't using them
as they would a car," she said. "They are not running all the time.
"These boaters are anchoring a little more or are spending more time on
the dock. This all helps save on fuel prices and emissions while still
enjoying being on the water."...
A Breath Of Fresh Water
[Columbus Dispatch,
07/14/2008]
By Spencer Hunt
...A set of new rules the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is
expected to enact this summer would make manufacturers build
more-efficient, cleaner boat engines and fuel systems. "It's going to be
a big change for the industry," said John McKnight, environmental
compliance director for the Chicago-based National Marine
Manufacturers Association, which represents U.S. boat-makers. The
EPA estimates the new standards will increase the average cost of a boat
by $290 to $430. They also should eliminate lingering fuel odors and
fuel spills. "You'll have none of that," McKnight said...
Industry Grapples With Fuel Tank Mandate
[Soundings (Trade Only), 07/01/2008]
By Reagan Haynes
...Legislation seeking to reduce evaporative fuel tank emissions could
require boatbuilders who install gasoline-powered engines to comply by
the year 2012, said John McKnight, the National Marine Manufacturer
Association's director of environment and safety compliance. "It's
going to be a big rule," McKnight said. "It's going to require a
re-engineering of the boat's entire fuel system."...How the system will
come together, nobody is sure yet.
"That's probably going to take a lot of different companies coming
together - as far as companies making the canisters, companies making
the fuel tanks and hoses - to be able to re-engineer those things into a
boat in a safe manner," McKnight said...
Fuel Prices Leave Boaters On The Docks
[USA Today, 07/21/2008]
By Andrew Seaman
...High gas prices are hitting recreational boaters and the boating
industry across the USA in a variety of ways, says Scott Croft,
spokesman for the Boat Owners Association of the United States, which
represents approximately 650,000 boaters. Croft says boaters he's spoken
to say they are not running their engines as much as they were. "They're
consciously making the decision to use less gas," Croft says. "A lot of
people are spending more time at the slip," added Mike Anderson,
director of the American Boating Association. Higgins says it is more
cost-effective to stay docked because he does not have to run his
generator, which burns about 2 gallons of gas every hour. Boat sales are
also feeling the effects of rising gas prices. Ellen Hopkins, director
of marketing communications for the National Marine Manufacturers
Association, says sales are down through May about 15%-16% compared
with May 2007...
Fuel Efficiency Important To Today's Owners
[Dallas Morning News, 07/13/2008]
By Ray Sasser
...High fuel costs have created an economic challenge for boaters, but
industry spokesmen say the boating lifestyle is so firmly entrenched
that enthusiasts are willing to make sacrifices elsewhere to finance
time on the water. Of 2,400 boaters surveyed on behalf of the
National Marine Manufacturers Association, only 1 percent said they
do not plan to use their boats in '08 because of fuel costs. Boat dealer
Tommy Yetts of Rockwall Marine in Rockwall, Texas, said fuel efficiency
has become more of an issue for today's boaters. Luckily, the marine
industry has responded. Modern outboards boast 35 to 40 percent better
fuel efficiency than their counterparts from just a few years ago..."My
customers are not concerned with downsizing their boats -- at least not
yet," Yetts said, "but they are interested in technology that allows
them to save fuel. Novice boaters, in particular, can save money by
learning the proper way to trim their boat for maximum efficiency."...
Boaters' Guide To Spending Less
[State (SC) (Online), 07/19/2008]
By Tim Flach
...Popular boats: Depending on your style of play, lots of boats are
available on a lake where sailing is possible year-round....Deals: Price
cuts of 10 percent or more are being offered on new watercraft. So are
low-interest loans. Unlike a car, a boat can be financed longer -- up to
20 years in some cases. Monthly payments on a $30,000 boat -- a typical
family buy -- run about $500, according to the National Marine
Manufacturers Association. Buying used: A boat falls in value about
20 percent after a year, dealers say. Add 10 per-cent more depreciation
for every year until a boat is 10 years old and its worth stabilizes. As
with cars, values fluctuate with condition. Go to www.nadaguides.com to
check on dealer estimates...
Discover Boating Coverage
Baseball Star Schmidt Enjoys Life On The Water
[Dayton Daily News, 07/13/2008]
By Jim Morris
Growing up in Dayton, Baseball Hall of Fame star Mike Schmidt didn't
have a boat, save for a battery-powered toy he used to put in the
swimming pool when visiting his grandparents in Florida. Today, 20 years
after retiring from baseball, he has a passion for boats and enjoys
cruising up and down the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway from his
Jupiter, Fla., home...The National Marine Manufacturers Association
found out about Schmidt's love of boating and asked him to be its
celebrity spokesman. He promotes its Web site (discoverboating.com)
and says he has owned more than 30 boats. "They even have sort of a
tongue-in-cheek promotion called a Spousal Conversion Kit, a list of
reasons wives or husbands should go along with buying a boat. "I know I
have had to convince my wife about a new boat several times," Schmidt
said with a laugh. "One of the reasons I enjoy boating so much is it's a
whole-family activity. It teaches the kids respect for the machinery and
the water. And while I go fishing a couple of times each month, what I
enjoy most is just cruising."...
New DiscoverBoating.com Website
[Marine Fabricator, 08/01/2008]
The updated DiscoverBoating.com web site features an updated
design and focuses on boat-related activities such as fishing, sailing,
powerboat cruising and watersports. The web site also offers the Boating
Affordability Tool/ Budget Planner and a humorous Spousal Conversion
Kit. The DiscoverBoating.com web site is part of the Grow
Boating Initiative, which promotes the boating lifestyle and
improves the boating experience.
Baby Boomers: Get Boating With Friends, Family
[Sunday News Herald (MI), 06/29/2008]
By Van W. Snider Jr.
...So, this is a great opportunity to expand interest in boating by
helping guide boomers toward boat ownership, in addition to what
the industry is already doing to introduce or re-introduce boating to a
broad range of our population, regardless of age, as part of its Grow
Boating Initiative commonly know as the Discover Boating
Campaign...One of the best ways I can spend my precious time is spending
it on the boat with my children and grandchildren...If you are a member
of the boomer generation (whichever part of it you want to claim), the
quality experience of spending time together with your family is
invaluable. My advice, if you're not a boat owner now, become one and
see how your children and grandchildren react when you become one.
You'll know you made the right decision.
Businesses Spin A Snappier Web
[Soundings (Trade Only), 07/01/2008]
By Beth Rosenberg
...Based on that finding from www.Infoplease.com, it's no surprise
marine- related companies and organizations are rushing to spiff up
their Web sites. More than 40 have undertaken re designs since 2004, all
intended to entice consumers to come in, browse, purchase a product or
somehow take part in the boating lifestyle...When the National Marine
Manufacturers Association updated its Discover Boating site,
the intent was to keep it fresh, appealing and interesting. "We'd had
about 6 million visitors, so we felt it was time to freshen it up,"
explains Carl Blackwell, NMMA vice president of marketing and
communications. "We also felt we could make the site a little easier to
navigate for the consumer, so we added some sections based on boating."
The changes also included new sections for baby boomers and a "spousal
conversion kit" to help wanna-be boaters convince their significant
other to buy a boat. Blackwell said the changes have paid off, pointing
out many of the new pages have risen to the top 10 most visited pages of
the site...
Boat Show Coverage
51st Annual Boat, RV & Sport Show Set For January
[Business First Louisville, 06/27/2008]
The summer boating and recreation season barely has
started, but organizers of the Louisville Boat, RV & Sport Show
already have set a date for next year's show, which is the 51st annual
event. The event, which this year drew more than 200 exhibitors of new
boats, recreational vehicles and outdoor gear, will be held Jan. 24 to
Feb. 1 at the Kentucky Exposition Center...The boat and RV show is
produced by the National Marine Manufacturers Association, a
Chicago based industry group. For more information on the show, visit
www.louisvillehoatshow.com.
September--Boat Shows
[Soundings (Trade Only), 07/01/2008]
...Sept. 4 - 7 Atlantic City In-Water Power Boat Show,
Farley State Marina, Atlantic City, N.J., (215) 732-8001. www.acinwaterboatshow.com...
Sept. 5 - 7 Tampa Boat Show, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa,
Fla., National Marine Manufacturers Association, (954) 441-3220.
www.tampaboatshow.com...Sept. 5 - 7 Central New York Fall Boat
Show, New York State Fairgrounds, Syracuse, N.Y., Boating Industry
Association of Upstate NY, (585) 526-5460. www.cnyboatshow.com...
New York
[New York Daily News (Online), 07/11/2008]
...The 33rd edition of the Norwalk International
In-Water Boat Show at the Norwalk Cove Marina in East Norwalk,
Conn., is set for Sept. 18-21, l0 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. View highlights
at www.BoatShowNorwalk.com for advance tickets, which cost $15
adults or $8 for ages 13 to 15...It's good to plan way ahead, too, for
the New York National Boat Show at Javits Center. For its 104th
annual staging, this granddaddy of them all has changed its dates from
the hectic Christmas/New Year's week to the bit more convenient Dec.
13-21 time frame. Check on what's planned at www.NYBoatShow.com.