Mercury Marine Releases ‘Go Boldly’ Video
02-02-2017 | 02:16 PM
#11
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I'm sure you understand that it can't be explained in a few paragraphs, and remember, I said as a whole. But this video (IMO) doesn't sell the dream, it shows off product. it doesn't embrace the manufacturers who hang the product off the back, you know, the guys who sell it. Yes, it shows the boats, but not like they should.
To me, they see their product as an endpoint, and that is why EVERY boat builder focuses on specs and things that isolate the actual product from becoming a killer visual sales tool. They have been following the "other" guys since, what? 1970? Look at a brochure today, compared to 40 years ago, almost identical layoutLook at the auto industry, it's a different product with a different need, but they are in the EXACT same business of selling to consumers.
I enjoy the industry, and love boating, but this is a generalization of what I see as a major problem.
To me, they see their product as an endpoint, and that is why EVERY boat builder focuses on specs and things that isolate the actual product from becoming a killer visual sales tool. They have been following the "other" guys since, what? 1970? Look at a brochure today, compared to 40 years ago, almost identical layoutLook at the auto industry, it's a different product with a different need, but they are in the EXACT same business of selling to consumers.
I enjoy the industry, and love boating, but this is a generalization of what I see as a major problem.
The marine industry always has struggled to bring in new blood, no doubt about it. The biggest predictor of whether you will get into boating remains if your parents were into boating. Families are getting smaller, so that's not a recipe for sustainable growth, much less attracting new blood from outside the boating world. I would reckon (my fancy word for guess) that most current powerboat owners see that video as "cool" simply because they're into it (the OSO audience is a good example) but that it might fly under radar for newcomers.
A lot of folks point to the booming tow boat market, and there definitely are lessons to be learned from in it terms of "modern" features. But the crossover is tricky. In, say, wakeboarding, the boat is a vehicle that makes the activity possible while also serving as a social platform. In high-performance boating, the boats are the activity and the boats, while brilliant for that, lack as social platforms. The ongoing boom in performance-oriented center consoles is in part at least a reaction to this.
Last edited by Matt Trulio; 02-02-2017 at 02:20 PM.
02-02-2017 | 04:57 PM
#13
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From: Further South East of Dome Island
Bottom line, I fell boating is still a very, very expensive hobby and is not needed (like a car is needed in life) Purely a luxury item that needs to be marketed some what differently than cars. Some segments do well, like pontoons and wakeboarders, and they tend to be cheaper than 50' Cruisers or performance boats.
02-04-2017 | 07:10 AM
#15
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From: Southeast Michigan
Cool video. They didn't put any entry/mid level performance boats in because "Go boldly and get towed in when your Bravo takes a dump" isn't a cool slogan.
I guess the Mercury marketing department must not have the phone numbers for Active Thunder and Sabre.... both companies have video of killer outboard performance boats, and it's pretty clear the target audience is eggbeater buyers.
I guess the Mercury marketing department must not have the phone numbers for Active Thunder and Sabre.... both companies have video of killer outboard performance boats, and it's pretty clear the target audience is eggbeater buyers.
Last edited by Speedracer29; 02-04-2017 at 07:20 AM.
02-04-2017 | 08:43 AM
#16
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From: Troy, Mich
I see this differently: The market is shifting away from Big HP go fasts and towards Center Consoles with O/B power. Nor -Tech is filled with orders for the 390/392/450 and few Hi performance boats. I won't go into the tragedies we have had in the last 3 years but that doesn't help either.
