Discover Boating Launches Updated Advertising Campaign This Spring

Look for new television, print and online banner ads to appear beginning in March

CHICAGO, February 27, 2007 - - Discover Boating recently unveiled its new creative and 2007 marketing campaign strategies during the Grow Boating All-Industry Update meeting in Miami, before a standing room-only crowd of more than 500 industry stakeholders and marine media.

This year’s campaign kicks off beginning the first week of March and runs through the Memorial Day holiday, largely considered the official start of boating season. The media mix remains relatively steady, incorporating national cable, magazine and internet advertising, but with a few new twists on the successful components of 2006—including new television, print and online creative executions, increased frequency and more value-added opportunities.

“The main objective of the Discover Boating advertising campaign in 2007 is to build on the brand awareness cultivated during last year’s advertising schedule and scale up our lead generation opportunities,” says Carl Blackwell, vice president of Marketing & Communications for both Grow Boating Inc. and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA).

This year’s television commercials include the return of a 30-second spot originally run in 2006, as well as the addition of a brand new creative concept involving man’s best friend and a valued member of many American households—the dog. The television spots, entitled “Dogs” and “Wave,” will air from March through May on several major cable TV networks throughout the country, including: Animal Planet; CNN; Country Music Television (CMT); FOX News; MSNBC; National Geographic Channel; Travel Channel; and The Weather Channel.

Several value-added vignettes, produced at no additional cost to Discover Boating, were negotiated along with the cable television media buy. They include: A “Best Boating for Families” segment on the National Geographic Channel; CMT’s “Top 20 Countdown” filmed at the Miami International Boat Show; and customized Discover Boating messages based on local weather conditions courtesy of The Weather Channel.

In print, Discover Boating will likewise use the “Dogs” theme to draw attention to boating messages, along with two additional ads called “Kids” and “Generations,” which reinforce the philosophy “Life’s Better on a Boat.” The Discover Boating print campaign will run prominently in the March through May editions of 11 major magazines: Popular Science; Popular Mechanics; Family Handyman; Men’s Journal; Golf, Field & Stream; Outdoor Life; Motor Trend; Family Circle; National Geographic Traveler; and Real Simple Travel.

In addition to the ads, 18 million business reply cards encouraging consumers to request a free copy of the “Get Started in Boating” DVD were negotiated as part of the print campaign at no cost, a total value of approximately $475,000. These cards, found in the May editions of several national publications, will help Discover Boating not only drive, but also track consumer leads.

“Instead of treating consumers as passive observers—as was the case with last year’s print executions—the new television and print ads changed perspective,” says John Dorton, CEO of MasterCraft Boat Co. and chairman of the Grow Boating Marketing Committee. “This year’s advertisements are designed to provide a first-hand account of what it’s like onboard a boat, creating the sense a viewer/reader is actively engaged in the activity.”

Internet advertising is also ramping up this year, with more than 180 million banner ad placements being served on more than 400 websites, including Weather.com, Discovery.com, CNN.com and AOL.com. Keyword advertising on search engines like Google, Yahoo! and MSN will continue year-round in 2007, a significant change from the 2006 internet strategy. Discover Boating will also advertise during online broadcasts of the NCAA Basketball Tournament in mid-March. Last year, the NCAA online broadcast was the largest live video-streamed event in history, with more than 30 million individual video streams recorded. In 2007, that number is expected to grow even larger and surpass the 2006 total.

Negotiated as another value-added bonus, the Boat Selector Tool—one of DiscoverBoating.com’s most popular features—will be imbedded in the editorial sections of a handful of popular websites, including AccuWeather.com, ESPNOutdoors.com, OutdoorLife.com and Weather.com. This piece alone is expected to create more than five million consumer impressions for Discover Boating in 2007.

For more information on the Discover Boating advertising campaign, visit www.GrowBoating.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 www.GrowBoating.org

Source: NMMA