Facebook, Twitter and ‘Advantage programs’ are not normally associated with boat shows but the NMMA is using all three to reach the consumer, the trade and the press.
The NMMA Advantage is an exclusive online, interactive inventory showcase available to a dealer or NMMA boat manufacturer member who exhibits at an NMMA show. They can feature the boats they’re selling at the show on the show website – before, during and after the show. Introduced during the 2009 boat show season, NMMA Advantage allows prospective boat buyers to “pre-shop” the show and download information, request contact and/or schedule show or showroom appointments. NMMA Advantage had nearly 3,500 boats featured on their show websites that were “pre-shopped” hundreds of thousands of times! Those who take part receive reports that detail the number of times each boat at the show was researched thus enabling them to see how popular their boats were. Over time the same information each year will provide critical insight into the size and types of boats popular in a particular geographic area. Carl Blackwell, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, NMMA puts it this way “We are combining the power and metrics of online research with the romance of touching and feeling a boat at a show.”
Blackwell says that individual NMMA shows, (Miami and Minnesota for example) are using Facebook to stay in touch with show visitors plus ask them “what would you think about this type of exhibit at our show?” (Discover Boating also makes good use of Facebook and just added a “Making Waves” game and the chance to win $25,000 towards the purchase of a new NMMA Certified boat). Twitter, according to Blackwell, is a very powerful tool they are using to “push” show information to the media. It appears that digital marketing is gathering momentum.
Posted by: James
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