Active Interest Media’s Marine Group has promoted Eric Dallin to vice president of marketing innovation. He was previously vice president of digital marketing development for the group.

“Eric has demonstrated tremendous initiative in expanding our digital services deeper into the boating industry,” Gary DeSanctis, AIM Marine Group president, said in a statement. “This is not just a promotion, but the start of a new department within our group. Eric is a true ‘digitologist’ who will expand our digital products and services as we transition into a full-service media company.”

Dallin said that shifting consumer behavior reveals new opportunities for the AIM Marine Group. “We have an advantage because we know the marine space so thoroughly,” he said in the statement. “We live and breathe boating through our publications and websites, so it made sense to offer our services to the boating industry. We think our knowledge gives us a leg up over competitors from outside the industry.”

The group’s digital marketing division provides marketing services so clients can stay ahead of fast-changing patterns of consumer behavior.

“Everything is changing quickly, so it’s important for companies to develop a top-to-bottom marketing strategy with different components,” Dallin said. “Our services include email management, paid social media advertising to engage with a niche market like boating, and paid search traffic. The goal is to maximize the effectiveness of our clients’ marketing budgets. Businesses can spend a lot of money on paid searches, for instance, and not get results. We understand the keyword architecture and can ensure that clients get a good return on their ad spends.”

The department can also work with a variety of clients, ranging from small to medium sized companies. “Many companies are great at making and selling boats, but might need help with digital marketing strategies,” said Dallin. “Just take email management as an example. We lay out a program consistent with best practices, administer the program and help clients measure performance to make sure their emails are hitting the target market. The end goal of all these programs is to help our clients gain qualified leads, and not just clicks and likes.”

Dallin has worked in the digital space since the late 1990s. He owned many internet companies before joining AIM Marine Group in 2017.