California marinas band together to promote houseboating

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Ten Northern California Marinas today have launched a new website and an advertising campaign targeting the Bay Area. The campaign highlights all the fun experiences of houseboating with friends and families. The campaign includes 30-second TV spots and heavy social media outreach that will direct vacationers to its web site, Gohouseboating.com. The web site makes renting a houseboat and planning a unique, fun-filled vacation an easy and exciting part of the process.

“Best vacation ever” is how most people describe their houseboat experience, said Dave Schmall, president of Schmall World Marketing, who along with the Marina Recreation Association, helped the marina consortium bring the campaign to life. “The campaign entitled, ‘Explore a New Destination’, captures the experience of being on the water and the emotions that build great vacation memories”, Schmall added.

To develop top-notch creative elements and accommodate a very tighten production schedule, Schmall World tapped Porter Communications in Sacramento to produce the advertising campaign.

• The Gohouseboating.com web site is designed as a portal that helps first-time houseboaters quickly learn how to plan a houseboat vacation and links them directly to individual houseboat rental marinas throughout Northern California to book their reservations.
• The two television ads incorporate a myriad of activities that are common while houseboating and vacationing on the water in Northern California. One TV spot focuses on family and fun for all ages while the other targets “Millennials” who want a unique gathering with friends.

• Television ads will run from mid-May through end of June in seven zones throughout the Bay Area and direct viewers to GoHouseboating.com to start planning their houseboat experience.
• Digital ads and social media will direct users to GoHouseboating.com and ultimately to their individual houseboat rental options on Northern California lakes.The collaborative effort of the marina consortium is a first in more than sixty years of houseboat rentals and couldn’t come at a better time. While the drought and water conservation dominate today’s headlines in California, there remains hundreds of feet of water in area lakes to recreate and hundreds of miles of shoreline to explore from the water.

The lakes are open, recreation and houseboat vacation opportunities abound and by launching the GoHouseboating advertising campaign, the marinas are encouraging everyone to enjoy their summer on the water, and there’s still plenty of water. “Once you get on one of the area’s beautiful lakes, you won’t have a care in the world!” Schmall commented.

For more information regarding recreation on California’s lakes, please visit gohouseboating.com, or email dave@schmallworld.com. The media is encouraged to contact marina personnel at a lake near them for personal boat tours and interviews. A list of participating marinas is included for your convenience.