Challenges and Opportunities
Broadcasting Boating's Benefits
Boating delivers significant benefits to participants, they say: being outdoors, relaxation, stress relief, escape from worries, socializing with family and friends. Although these are powerful reasons to own, such benefits have not been effectively communicated in advertising and promotional routines by industry marketers. Study findings also indicate that messages focusing on products and brand distinctions confuse prospective and current owners to such a degree that they postpone or even decide to avoid a purchase decision. RPC members have suggested restudying the vital area of "benefits" to better define what boating means to participants and share findings with marketers to accurately portray on-water pleasure.
Survey respondents who are owners said they started boating at 12 to 14 years of age; personal watercraft owners started at 10. About one-half were brought into boating by parents, another one-third entered with friends or friend's family. Knowing that, the industry should investigate the potential of getting more children started in boating so as to expand the market when children later enter boat buying years.
