Marketing in a bad economy

[Legacy]

Hi all. I've been asked to give a presentation to the Mass Marine Trades Association (MMTA) about marketing in a difficult economy and the power of new media. Rather than boring them to death with me much talking too much, I'd like to share with them images and examples of things that are done right, and done wrong. If you guys have any opinions, stories, examples or suggestions of good or bad work, from a boating-related company, please let me know. This could include ads & TV commercials, trade show booths, websites, direct mail, customer service, dealer relationships, Facebook pages and Youtube videos, etc.

Thanks!

Rick

[jcollins]

Good - madmariner.com
Good - theboaterstv at theboaters.com
Good - Classic Yacht Magazine http://www.classicyachtmag.com/currentissue
not-so-good - iboats.com
not-so-good, but profitable, boatfix.com
Good - http://www.discoverboating.com

Obviosuly the Internet with everything it has to offer is great for marketing. Products like Constant Contact are becoming very popular. On the other hand, poorly designed, stagnent websites rarely work.

My favorite marketing/design website utilizing flash is http://balthaser.com/b1/home.html The link is actually their old site. Still my favorite.

[Denis]

This is a very relevant topic, not only because of the "bad" economy right now but because the boating industry and most of the surrounding industries have the reputation of not really caring much about the end user. Marinas and boat yards and repair shops have gotten away with so much overcharging and poor customer service it is almost expected and accepted. On another post I asked for some advice about getting my bolster cushions replaced. I contacted the company that helped Albin make the cushions to start with. After two e-mails using the address taken from one of their ads in a magazine and two phone calls over a two week period I never received a call back from anyone. So the next option I had was that I went to the Hartford boat show with the thought I would find someone with a booth at the show that would do that kind of work. There was only one company there that made canvases, seat covers bolsters etc. so I talked to the husband and wife, (I assume) that were manning the booth. I told them what I needed and they were very happy to make my new bolsters, I just needed to get the old ones in to their shop soon because they were not busy right now but would be as spring arrives. I talked to them on Friday night and on Saturday morning I drove an hour to their shop to drop off the bolsters. The couple I spoke to was not at the shop that morning but I left my phone number to have them call me so I could discuss the color and to get an estimate. After two weeks and no phone call I called and left a message that I would like a call back to discuss color and price. I received a call back the next morning saying they would price it up and call me back by the end of that day, I never received a call. It's Thursday and by this Saturday it will be four weeks since I dropped off the bolsters and still no color selection, price or and idea of when I can expect them to be made. This is an example of my first hand account but the stories extend to everyone I know who has a boat. The work is too easy and the money is too plentiful for them to care very much. If it were a competitive business like most other business, I bet things would be much different than it is today. This Saturday I will drive down to pick up my old bolsters and then try to figure out what to do next, probably just leave them off altogether. Maybe I'll find an automotive shop that will do it for me? Denis

[jcollins]

Denis,
In another post I mentioned the good thing about this bad economy. Customer service in retail stores, restaurants, etc. is much better. All of sudden every customer counts and is regarded. EXCEPT in the local boating industry. Worst Marine and other retail giants seem to "get it" but small local shops are still under the impression that everything is o.k. because boaters have deep pockets. My own marina, which is nice and run by a good guy, raised the slip rates. I had to negociate and trade labor for his wireless network, to keep my slip rate at the same level it was last year. Personally I have been doing anything I can to keep my current clients happy. Although some have made cuts to their budgets I am still considered essential / critical service.

In the technology arena it's almost the same. Sales guys are discounting but customer service is still weak. I have always done my best to keep clients happy. It seems to be paying off for me now.

[RicM]

Denis,

I just got an e-mail from Oscar at Bristol Cushions and he would like very much to speak with you about your bolsters and customer service issues at Bristol Cushion. You can reach him at:
Oscar DeLemos
General Manager
Bristol Cushions & Accessories, LLC
tel: 401-247-4499
fax: 401-247-5465
email: oscar@bristolcushion.com

If you call and ask for him he will take good care of you. They are good people who have been hammered by the downturn in the boating industry and screwed by the former ownership of Albin as well. They do great work though, I am very happy with my new bolsters.

Ric

[Mariner]

Here's an example of a company that makes a truly excellent product, but is not capitalizing on the internet to drive sales.
http://www.millscanvas.com/

Wm. J. Mills was the original factory supplier for custom and model specific canvas for Boston Whaler boats. In their heyday, they benefited greatly from this relationship. Mr. Mills is even credited with inspring the name for their legendary Outrage model line. However, when Whaler was purchased by Brunswick, that all changed. They still make the best off-the-shelf canvas solution for Boston Whaler boats, and enjoy an excellent reputation in the online boating community. However, their website doesn't cater to these online-minded buyers. Their site has outdated and undetailed pictures, and does not give people the option of buying online. They don't even have an email address for contacting them with questions or orders. It's all over the phone. Given the number of people who do this kind of shopping in the workplace, many do not want to have to actually call to get a price quote or order product. This is a perfect example of an excellent product that is not effectively marketed online.


An example of an excellent marine related website is Fisheries Supply.
http://www.fisheriessupply.com/online/

This site is clean and simple (which makes it quick to navigate), provides all the necessary details and specifications on the products, makes ordering simple, and comes with first rate customer support in the case that you have questions. They have an email address as well as a toll-free number, and my experience has been that the response is quick and first-rate. My only objection has been that my emails are usually returned via telephone, which can be frustrating, since I can't always take the time to answer calls on someone else's schedule. I find an email that I can come back to read five mintues or three hours later to be much more convenient. This is an example of an old-style personal-relationship-based retailer effectively tapping into the internet to drastically increase their potential market.


One extremely effective thing I've seen companies do lately is invite television shows like Dirty Jobs, How It's Made, or Made In America to feature their production process in an episode. Of course, this only works if your process can withstand the scrutiny of the mass audience, but so long as it does, this can be excellent exposure. The most effectively executed of these is Dirty Jobs, which has featured numerous marine-related jobs and companies. The host, Mike Rowe (narrator for Deadliest Catch), is always given branded clothing for the company being featured and wears it prominently in the episode. They are always careful to give the company a "plug" that lets the viewer know exactly why their product is unique or superior, without sounding like an advertisement. My guess is that the companies do not pay for this exposure. Their contribution is simply the opportunity for the Discovery Channel to produce 15 minutes of entertaining television for minimal cost.

A less effective example of this is How It's Made. When they featured the Bombardier plant that produces Evinrude E-tec outboards, it created quite a buzz among the online boating community. However, when you actually watched it, as is typically the case, it seemed as though the show was produced in such a way that the branding of the product was only shown when absolutely necessary. A viewer has to actually intently watch to see the product label, often as it flys by camera at 100mph. The narrator never mentions the company name, and only refers to them as, "this company". A tremendous opportunity for product placement is being lost here.

Although I haven't seen the show in years, as I recall Made In America was another example of excellent television product placement that didn't feel like a commercial for the company being featured.

YouTube is an excellent opportunity for companies to get their video advertising out to the public for little or no cost. Any smart company should post any advertisements they run on television on YouTube. Most humerous ads get posted anyway by third parties (just search Jack In The Box), but there is no reason a company shouldn't do this on their own, just to make sure they are maximizing their exposure. Then, on that same account, they should be posting other, more informative videos that showcase their products or processes in more detail, or industry television shows on which they've been featured. I'm not aware of any company that currently does this, but if it were me, I would.

[Legacy]

All excellent stuff gents. Greatly appreciated!

I just popped back down to the boat show and was chatting with the owners of my marina. They are trying to get away from the term "transient slips" and moving to "guest dockage."

Show traffic down, sales up over last year. So they say.

Now if only the stock market will stabilize a bit...

Think Spring.

Rick

[jcollins]

I just popped back down to the boat show and was chatting with the owners of my marina. They are trying to get away from the term "transient slips" and moving to "guest dockage."


Rick

1. Passing with time; transitory: "the transient beauty of youth" Lydia M. Child.
2. Remaining in a place only a brief time: transient laborers.
3. Physics Decaying with time, especially as a simple exponential function of time.
n.
1. One that is transient, especially a hotel guest or boarder who stays for only a brief time.

Next they will be calling waitresses and waiters, servers.

Or, dockhands will now be guest dockage concierge.