When I founded Marine Marketers of America in 2007, one of the primary drivers was to create higher visibility for marketing professionals in the boating industry. At the time, there were no awards programs, organized networking opportunities or platforms designed to connect marketers who shared the same passion for the industry.
You can only begin to imagine my sheer delight at what has become a top-notch, national association serving more than 2,300 marketing professionals. The pinnacle is the annual Neptune Awards, branded by our first vice president, Sally Helme, and a few early board members who poured much time and energy into shaping the program’s foundation. Today, the Neptune Awards are recognized as the premier professional achievement in marine marketing, celebrated annually at an upscale, red-carpet gala that draws industry elite across multiple sectors.
This year’s Neptune Awards attracted 250 marketers and industry executives for an evening soiree at Miami Beach Botanical Garden, near the Miami International Boat Show. The program had 15 sponsors along with 112 marketing directors, vice presidents and chief marketing officers who judged a wide range of submissions across branding, digital, video, design and strategic platforms.
This year’s entry pool yielded 24 award recognitions, including two new categories: Dealer Experiential Marketing, sponsored by the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, and Start-Up Marketing. According to MMA president Alisdair Martin, the most popular categories for overall entries included the Integrated Marketing Campaign, New Product/Model Launch, Website and Short Video.
“These most-popular categories reflect where the marine industry is placing increased emphasis: multichannel storytelling, strong digital experiences and video content that communicates the lifestyle and accessibility of boating,” Martin said.
“One of the most encouraging developments this year is the significant increase in the overall quality and sophistication of the entries,” he added. “The standard continues to rise each year, and the judging panel consistently comments that the work being produced in the marine industry now rivals that of many larger consumer sectors. We are also seeing many marketing approaches inspired by ideas and techniques from outside the marine industry. Brands are borrowing ideas from automotive, technology, travel and lifestyle marketing, and adapting them to boating audiences.
“Another positive development is the broader cross-section of companies represented,” he said. “Entries are coming not only from large boat manufacturers, but also from technology companies, service providers, dealers and agencies working within the boating space.”
During his opening remarks at the awards gala, Martin addressed a major improvement in overall marine marketing capabilities: “I’ve been working in the marine industry since 2000, and during those 26 years, I’ve heard the phrase that the marine industry is 10 years behind everyone else. As an industry, we’re slow to adopt. Risk-averse. Late to innovate.”
This year, he continued, the overall pool of submissions reflected a higher degree of innovation, the deployment of smarter strategies, application of newer technologies, and an overall pool of significantly more sophisticated entries.
“It was such an encouraging reminder that this is what it’s all about,” he said. “Winning a trophy is great — the recognition feels good — but the real reason we shine the spotlight on excellence is that it raises the bar for everyone else. If one brand harnesses a new technology and sells more boats because of it, that’s a signal. Catch up. If another brand creates a campaign that draws new audiences of boaters into boating, great. Take inspiration. Learn from it. Build on it. That’s what we’re here for.
“It doesn’t feel like we’re 10 years behind anymore. It feels like we’re surging forward,” he added. “We are inspiring each other. We’re learning from each other. It’s not all friendly. It’s a fight to be the best. But it’s a fight that makes us all stronger.”
I’d like to highlight one particular standout from the awards that deserves special attention. The top of the heap is winner Brunswick Corp. for its Marketing Collaboration entry, which also earned distinction with the King Neptune Award, the best of the best from all category winners.
Brunswick and its Boston Whaler brand collaborated with Tombolo, an eco-friendly, resort-wear clothing brand recognized for its “irreverent escape-wear, including cabana shirts and cheeky designs.” Tombolo attracts a coastal, affluent and travel-oriented demographic, including a slew of celebrities, such as Adam Sandler, Harry Styles, Rob Gronkowski, Seth Rogan, Duane Johnson, Jimmy Fallon and Bradley Cooper.
By partnering with Tombolo, Boston Whaler hoped to reach younger, non-boater and lifestyle audiences; to tap Tombolo’s hip and trend-driven design; and to launch a platform with authentic, wearable storytelling components that would allow Whaler to position and share its legacy with a modern twist. Tombolo expected to benefit by associating with an iconic marine brand, delivering inspiration for deeper storytelling, and expanding its retail footprint into the marine lifestyle segment.
The campaign featured the renovation of the vintage Boston Whaler Cea Pea, with photo shoots and imagery that documented the boat’s transformation, including a repower by Mercury Marine. Whaler’s design was preserved as Tombolo infused a fresh creative flair in the resulting licensed apparel line.
Two product launches were held nine months apart and engaged both brand audiences. Promoters hailed the first drop of the Tombolo-Whaler co-branded sportswear as a “massive success,” generating the most sales volume Tombolo had ever seen for an early access or launch date outside of Black Fridays. Three products in the initial mix sold out. The second drop expanded to include not only fishing shirts, board shorts, UPF sun shirts and foul weather gear, but also canvas tote bags. From the use of mood boards to the adopted design replicating maritime hues and Whaler detailing the use of eco-friendly materials, the focus on heritage and authenticity was reflected in the nautical, co-branded product offering.
Tombolo’s go-to-market execution included a takeover of its New York City flagship store, with window and in-store merchandising displays. A website homepage takeover and joint giveaway promotion including in-store and online sign-ups were flanked by email and P.R. promotions, social media and influencer campaigns, custom content, and paid and organic advertising. A second drop launch featured a lifestyle video that became Tombolo’s most-viewed reel ever, with 550,000 views.
Whaler followed suit with emails to its customer base and inclusion in owner newsletters, social media posts and Mercury promotional participation as part of its repower initiatives. During Whaler’s Bimini and Abacos owner events in the Bahamas, the company revealed product sneak peeks, with brand teams outfitted in the co-branded collection.
With both brands heavily promoting the marketing collaboration, there was powerful momentum with press coverage online and via social media. Whaler customers posted photos and stories aboard their boats wearing Tombolo-inspired gear, with one of the Whaler sweaters selling out in two hours. That same crewneck was splashed editorially in the pages of Esquire and was tagged as “One of the Best 8 Sweatshirts for Men.”
It was a cool concept, it turned heads, and it delivered. From Tombolo’s dashboard, 12,200 units were sold from July 2024 through November 2025; net sales over the same period generated $1.3 million; a whopping 13,900 leads were stockpiled through joint giveaway efforts and email sign-ups; 3.3 million impressions were documented during the launch period; multiple product sellouts and restocks occurred; and as noted, the launch video broke company records with 550,000 views.
Whaler even attracted Japanese retailer Baycrew’s, which purchased product for its Tokyo and Osaka retail locations. In addition, Whaler met key goals including increasing its brand awareness and expanding its audience, fostering engagement, and generating new revenue opportunities through licensing and collaborative activation.
As Martin suggested, marine marketers can all learn from and be inspired by the winners and their marketing successes. He said a few top category winners will be featured in panels as part of the Marine Marketers of America webinar series. (A list of all winners can be found at marinemarketers ofamerica.org.)
This story originally appeared in the May 2026 issue of Soundings Trade Only.
