Discover Boating unveils brand evolution plan, MIBS integration

Discover Boating®, powered by the NMMA and Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), revealed today the first of its three-phase brand evolution: a new Discover Boating logo and a re-brand of the Miami International Boat Show to Discover Boating®; Miami International Boat Show®. The brand evolution will further the NMMA and MRAA’s Discover Boating industry growth strategy to attract the next generation of boaters and retain existing boaters.

“We spent a lot of time this past year talking to first-time boat buyers, repeat boat buyers and future boat buyers and no matter where they were on the spectrum of boat ownership, the word ‘freedom’ kept coming up in our conversations. Boaters, especially the next generation, come from all walks of life. The feelings of freedom experienced while boating are as unique as the individual and yet there’s an underlying sense of unity and community when on the water. Our new logo’s clean, light and open lines allow the stories and feelings of freedom of life on the water—whether on social, in our advertising, on our website, or at our boat shows—to be front and center, while continuing to deliver an inherent call to action through our brand name—Discover Boating,” said Ellen Bradley, chief brand officer for the NMMA. “At the same time, the ‘A’ in the logo takes the form of a bow of a boat and is a unifying icon that adds to the logo’s versatility and digital-friendly design.”

Click here to view the new Discover Boating logo and here for the new Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show logo.

In addition to its new brand identity, Discover Boating will expand its reach and impact through an integration with industry-owned boat shows. The first show under the Discover Boating umbrella is the upcoming Miami International Boat Show, now titled the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show, set for Feb. 16-20, 2022. The rest of NMMA’s boat shows will follow suit in the winter of 2023 at the same time other industry shows are invited to join in on extending the brand’s impact.

“Discover Boating is the lifestyle brand for boating, and it remains the most-effective pathway to attracting and engaging consumers into the No. 1 outdoor recreational pastime in the U.S. economy,” noted Matt Gruhn, president of MRAA. “The new logo, boat show integration and the new Discover Boating campaign we’ll launch this spring will help us broaden Discover Boating’s reach and better connect customers with the businesses that help them maximize their enjoyment of boating. This brand evolution couldn’t come at a better time, as we seek to build post-pandemic momentum.”

Discover Boating exists to retain the influx of new boaters, invite the next generation of boaters to get started, and connect and excite current boat owners. To help reach these industry goals, the second phase of the brand evolution will be a new marketing campaign to launch this spring/summer.

As the industry’s lifestyle brand continues its evolution, the following marketing elements will roll out in three phases over the coming year:

• Phase 1/Fall 2021: Debut of new Discover Boating logo and Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show.
• Phase 2/Spring 2022: New Discover Boating campaign launches.
• Phase 3/Winter 2023: NMMA consumer boat and sport shows rebrand under Discover Boating.

In addition to the NMMA’s boat show investment in Discover Boating, the brand will be working with other industry-produced boat shows in 2023 and beyond to integrate Discover Boating and expand the industry’s efforts to attract and retain boaters. Discover Boating marketing materials and industry resources for dealers and manufacturers can be found at b2b.discoverboating.com.