The National Marine Manufacturers Association and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas have merged Grow Boating Inc. into NMMA as part of a strategic partnership between the associations.
The shift in structure is designed in part to expand the campaign’s reach, as well as reduce unnecessary cost and bureaucracy, the groups said.
In addition, NMMA Canada will work with the U.S.-based NMMA and MRAA to develop coordinated campaigns supporting a “more unified North American brand,” the groups announced.
The Grow Boating board of directors saw an opportunity to “harmonize” how Discover Boating is activated through NMMA and MRAA by leveraging NMMA’s boat show portfolio to put the campaign in front of millions more people, said Yamaha Watercraft Group general manager and Grow Boating board of directors chair Brian Seti.
“By merging Grow Boating, Inc. into NMMA and putting forward one brand — Discover Boating — we will be able to leverage NMMA’s 18 boat shows, connecting the brand with sales events and adding significant value to our industry’s investment in the campaign,” said Seti in a statement.
Since its creation 15 years ago, Grow Boating, Inc., the parent company to the Discover Boating consumer brand, has operated as a standalone 501(c)6 corporation managed by the Grow Boating board of directors.
The separate structure initially helped establish collaboration and amicability between the boating retail and manufacturing sectors with the goal of propelling the industry’s first consumer marketing campaign forward.
Over time, however, with its resources siloed from NMMA and MRAA, the two organizations that guide the Discover Boating strategy, this structure limited Discover Boating’s reach and effectiveness and created unnecessary cost and bureaucracy, the groups said.
The MRAA and NMMA partnership and the merger of Grow Boating, Inc. into NMMA were unanimously approved by the manufacturers, dealers and industry stakeholders who make up the Grow Boating board of directors.
Additionally, in Canada, Discover Boating has operated separately from NMMA Canada and Grow Boating, Inc., with its own board of directors.
The NMMA Canada board of directors unanimously moved to dissolve the separate Discover Boating Canada board of directors and align with the U.S.-based NMMA and MRAA around a North American Discover Boating brand in an effort to reduce brand fragmentation and duplication of efforts.
“The momentum to date of the Discover Boating campaign created a compelling case to look at ways the brand could be expanded to increase its impact across North America while operating in the most efficient and nimble way possible,” said NMMA president Frank Hugelmeyer. “We applaud the Grow Boating board of directors for spearheading this industry-wide strategy as their leadership and vision build upon Discover Boating’s foundation and create an exciting path forward for our industry.”
