Weekly 5: Consumer confidence mixed for January

The BI Weekly 5 is a collection of tips, news and data affecting the boating industry this week. Be sure to look for the BI Weekly 5 every Tuesday on BoatingIndustry.com.

1. Consumer confidence mixed for January

Consumer confidence increased for the second month in a row according to The Conference Board.  The index stands at 80.7, up from 77.5 in December.

At the same time, consumer sentiment, as measured by the University of Michigan, declined in January, dropping to 81.2 from 82.5 in December.  On the positive side, the final January reading was higher than the preliminary number of 80.4

2. Analyst: Brunswick stock “oversold”

There could be a good opportunity to buy Brunswick Corp. stock as shares were being oversold last week, writes Forbes.com.

3. Boating tourism contributes 3.7B pounds to UK economy

A new report from the British Marine Federation says that boating tourism was responsible for 3.7 billion pounds and supports 96,000 full-time jobs.  That makes its impact larger than the 2012 Olympics were for the United Kingdom.

4. Bitcoin makes an appearance in boating industry

In what’s the first we’ve heard of it in the marine industry, Advantage Yacht Charter & Sales in Miami has booked a rental using the much-hyped Bitcoin.

The company started accepting the digital currency in October but had its first Bitcoin-funded booking last week.

5. Why your brand needs a social media voice

Connecting with your customers on social media is one thing – here are six reasons you need to have a distinct voice.