As the recreational boating industry navigates economic turbulence, manufacturers and dealers have an increasing urgency for effective strategies to drive growth and customer engagement. 

The Future Begins Outside the Sales Pipeline

As NMMA looks ahead to its Fiscal Year 2026 strategic plan, one priority has emerged loud and clear from members and NMMA’s boat dealer exhibitors: we must drive demand and better respond to evolving consumer behaviors. They want more from Discover Boating and NMMA’s focus on market expansion. MRAA, NMMA’s partner in Discover Boating, received similar feedback from their members.

From feedback shared during our planning sessions to what we’ve heard on the show floor and in member meetings, it’s clear we need to define Discover Boating’s role and how success is measured. Our team is taking that to heart — and taking action. 

In response, and to inform NMMA’s 2026-2028 rolling strategic plan, NMMA Board Chair and Correct Craft CEO Bill Yeargin established a Market Expansion Advisory group, made up of some of the top marketing minds across marine manufacturing and retail. This group is charged with helping shape a forward-looking recommendation that clearly defines Discover Boating’s measures of success. 

Their recommendation will then be brought to the NMMA Board of Directors in October at IBEX and will be developed in partnership with MRAA, with the involvement of Matt Gruhn as part of the advisory group. As part of their work, the group will spearhead new consumer research to better understand the current and next generation of boaters — and hearing directly from board members about what they desire from Discover Boating.

Discover Boating’s efforts extend beyond media campaigns to expand the market. It now also includes NMMA’s 11 consumer boat shows. Exhibitors and members have expressed that they want more value, more innovation, and more integration across the brand experience. That feedback is critical, and it’s informing our strategy moving forward.

Discover Boating’s Role in Growth Today

At its core, when Discover Boating was founded, it was to spark interest in life on the water and bring new people into the boating lifestyle. The work of Discover Boating, through a strategic partnership between NMMA and MRAA, was tasked with the goal of delivering a unified approach across the manufacturer and dealer ecosystem.

One of the most pressing challenges facing the recreational boating industry is demographic: the median age of a boat owner has climbed to 60 years old. This aging trend signals a potential decline in future demand unless the industry proactively engages the next wave of potential boaters and buyers. To ensure long-term sustainability, it’s essential to connect with new audiences who are both open to the idea of boating and have the financial means to make it a reality.

This is precisely where Discover Boating delivers unique value. Rather than casting a generic net, the initiative uses data-driven insights to target growth audience segments that are primed for interest — people in their 30s to 50s with disposable income, an affinity for outdoor recreation, and a desire for quality time with family and friends. By positioning boating as a rewarding and attainable lifestyle choice, Discover Boating builds interest where it matters: among an interested next generation who can carry the industry forward.

Selling Boating vs. Selling Boats

It is important to clarify the role Discover Boating plays for our industry today: Discover Boating sells boating. 

And despite a modest budget — roughly one-quarter that of Go RVing and half of Take Me Fishing — it has become an organic, PR, share-of-voice powerhouse, attracting 5x more organic (non-paid) website traffic than Go RVing and 2x more than Take Me Fishing, and approximately 50% more earned media.

People turn to Discover Boating to learn, explore and figure out how boating could be part of their life—they seek out Discover Boating’s Boat Loan Calculator, how-to articles and boat shows. 

Discover Boating isn’t built to close sales. It’s built to open doors — to drive top-of-funnel interest and send brand-new prospects to manufacturer and dealer websites. These are early-stage opportunities: people just beginning to imagine boating as part of their lives.

Some have asked whether Discover Boating is “fishing where there are no fish.” That’s an important question to ensuring we’re going after people who have real potential to become boaters. The research being embarked on between now and October will get at this question head on and the insights will be shared with the industry to inform decisions about how to grow the market. 

Today, Discover Boating targets where future boaters are most likely to be — based on lifestyle data, income, and media habits. The campaign produces creative that resonates with traditional buyers — those who love to hunt, fish, and own — as well as growth audiences who may not have grown up boating but have a lot of the same interests and characteristics of current boat owners. And yet, they’re also different. They demand options, convenience, flexibility and connection. And they expect it before they ever consider making a purchase.

Discover Boating’s creative approach reflects this. The team constantly tests content and leans into what performs. With limited resources, rather than create dozens of micro-targeted campaigns, Discover Boating uses performance data from platforms like Meta and YouTube to guide where and how to invest.

Another frequent question: Do Discover Boating leads actually convert? Discover Boating doesn’t plug directly into every brand’s or dealer’s CRM. Rather, it sends qualified website referrals — people who require thoughtful, strategic nurturing. That’s where manufacturers and dealers can put their marketing strength to work to move them closer to their brand, continue to excite them about boating, and help them become boat owners over time, nurturing them through the sales and desire funnel.

Stronger Together With a Unified Voice

This role is particularly valuable in a down market. When brands strategically curate their marketing budgets or shift focus to short-term sales, Discover Boating maintains a consistent, inspirational voice that keeps boating in the cultural conversation.

In fact, Discover Boating is a dominant voice for the boating lifestyle. This matters because consumer attention is fragmented — and whoever captures attention today wins consideration tomorrow. Keeping boating top of mind is a key element of our industry’s growth strategy and Discover Boating is out in front to do just that.

The Discover Boating campaigns accomplish this by focusing on a comprehensive, year-round marketing strategy that includes social media, search engine optimization (SEO), digital content, public relations, email campaigns, and paid media. This multi-channel approach has proven effective in reaching target audiences and helping keep current boaters engaged.

Discover Boating is making boating feel possible — and positioning it as a desirable, meaningful way to spend time and money.

Discover Boating alone cannot grow the market. Nor can NMMA, MRAA, or any single entity. It takes all of us — associations, manufacturers, dealers, etc., the whole ecosystem — working together to convert awareness into action and, ultimately, ownership.

This next chapter is about working together, sharing our collective ownership in Discover Boating and strategic alignment to grow the market. We’re listening. We’re acting. And we’re ready to build a smarter, stronger, more unified approach to growth. 

While we have work to do, we sell memories, community, relaxation, freedom, wind in your hair, sun on your face and fun. And that’s an exciting place to be.

Ellen Bradley is chief brand officer at the National Marine Manufacturers Association.