Discover Boating and Boating World team up

CHICAGO, Ill. – The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Boating World magazine have formed a strategic marketing alliance to promote boating to consumers across the country, NMMA reported in a statement Tuesday.

Boating World will host its Test Drive events along the route of the Discover Boating and Fishing Mobile Marketing Tour throughout 2004, the association said.

The tour will begin a seven-month, cross-country journey this spring to bring the sports of boating and fishing to hundreds of thousands of consumers. The main attraction of the tour is an expandable, 53-foot semi trailer, which has been converted into a traveling mini-marina that includes interactive features to convey the fun and camaraderie of fishing and boating to consumers, NMMA reported.

Boating World’s Test Drive will follow the tour, arriving at a location a couple of weeks after the tour leaves to give qualified leads the opportunity to test drive an array of different boats from a group of local dealers, organized by Boating World and Motorsports Management, Inc., according to NMMA.

Test Drive participants will also be treated to fishing demonstrations and have the opportunity to get hands-on fishing experience.

“This is the one-two punch we have been looking for,” Steve Tadd, Discover Boating director, said. “We’re getting people excited about getting out on the water, and now they can do that. Through our past experiences with Discover Boating, we know that getting people on the water is effective in selling the experience of boating and getting people to follow through with a purchase.”

Discover Boating will generate leads from the tour and qualify them by having people complete information cards. These leads will be processed immediately following the stop and will be provided to Boating World, so it can send out invitations to the Test Drive event, the association reported.

Within 72 hours following the Test Drive event, participants will be sent a thank you letter along with a picture of them and their family on the boat, and a promotional incentive in the hope that they are ready to make their purchase, NMMA said.

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