Discover Boating Launches Updated Advertising Campaign...

New additions to campaign make it easier for potential buyers to get started

CHICAGO, March 6, 2008 - - The 2008 Discover Boating advertising campaign kicked into high gear this week with new components specifically designed to make it easier for interested boat owners to order the Discover Boating DVD and, ultimately, drive these potential buyers to manufacturers and dealers. These new campaign additions include mobile (cell phone) advertising, special advertising messages inserted into TiVo programming and a toll-free number featured in television spots. The campaign started the last week of February and will run through the first week of June for a total of 15 weeks.  

 “Our primary objective with this year’s advertising campaign is to continue to build brand awareness while sealing our lead generation results,” says John Dorton, CEO of MasterCraft Boat Co. and chairman of the Grow Boating Marketing Committee. “Our advertising has been a crucial part of the success of the Grow Boating Initiative, as it’s a major driver of leads. It is exciting that we’re able to add these new targeted, lead-generating elements this year.”

The campaign is again national in scope, meaning it reaches every home across the United States via cable television, magazines, the internet and now, mobile technology. A total of 8,000 spots, an increase of approximately 1,000 over 2007, will air from March through May on several major cable TV networks throughout the country, including: CNN; Country Music Television (CMT); FOX News; MSNBC; National Geographic Channel; Travel Channel; and The Weather Channel. Discover Boating will test the toll-free number on its TV commercials during the month of April and brings back its TiVo advertising following the success experienced with this program during the 2006 ad campaign.

“Eight thousand spots that run nationally translates to 8,000 spots running in every city, big and small, across the country, with no skew to any particular region,” explains Carl Blackwell, vice president of Marketing & Communications for both Grow Boating Inc. and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). 

Discover Boating print advertising will run prominently in the March through May editions of 14 national magazines: Automobile; Country Weekly; Family Handyman; Field & Stream; Golf; Handy; Ladies Home Journal; Men’s Journal; Money; Motor Trend; Outdoor Life; Popular Mechanics; Popular Science; and Science Illustrated. In addition, 19 million business reply cards will be inserted in the May editions of these publications, giving consumers even more ways to easily request information about how to get started in boating.

Internet advertising is ramping up again in 2008, with banner ad placements on more than 700 websites, including Weather.com, WeatherBug.com, AccuWeather.com and CMT.com. Keyword advertising on search engines like Google, Yahoo! and MSN will continue year-round. And for the first time, mobile phone advertising will be included in the Discover Boating advertising mix. There are 60 million internet-enabled phones in the U.S. , and research indicates that information about weather conditions is the most sought-after content. As a result, Discover Boating will advertise with the Weather Channel’s Weather.com , a top-ranked mobile content provider.

For more information on the 2008 Discover Boating advertising campaign, visit GrowBoating.org, where you can also view a video detailing the campaign’s strategy from the Miami Grow Boating Update presentation.

For more specific information on the campaign, contact Carl Blackwell at (312) 946-6277; cblackwell@nmma.org .

The Grow Boating Initiative is an integrated effort among organizations with an interest in the recreational marine industry to promote the boating lifestyle and improve the boating experience. A strategic set of programs focusing on all areas of boating, including water access, dealer and product certification, marketing and research is designed to increase participation in boating and improve sales of marine products and services. For more information, visit GrowBoating.org .