MARKETING
Wanda Kenton Smith
INSIGHT
At last, they’re beginning to get it:
it’s not just a white male market
There was no one more delighted than advertising? Well, the companies who figure it
me at the Boating Writers Internation- out and help non-whites see themselves in
al meeting at the Fort Lauderdale boat boating, who make boating inviting to them,
show. For the first time in industry history stand to reap a major reward in new business
— to my knowledge — there was a panel on and sales,” Dammrich says.
diversity in boating. The theme said it all: I’m stoked that our industry’s top guy clear-
“Expanding the Boating Universe beyond ly recognizes the demographic trends that are
Middle-aged Males.” creating seismic shifts in the market sphere.
As regular readers know, I’ve been pleading I’m equally pleased BWI and organizer Mike
with the industry for years to promote mar- Sciulla had the smarts to bring the issue to
keting to minorities in order to grow the center stage.
sport beyond our tired WASP demographic. The panel generated a lot of feedback. I
I’ve written several times about the need to served as the spokesperson for the marketing
wake up to the potentially lucrative markets to women segment; Raymond Blue represent-represented by women, ed the Black Boaters Club
African-Americans and “ of America; and Pedro Hispanics. I’ve shared Diaz, editor and president statistics pointing to the There is growing of Mar & Pesca, addressed opportunities each seg- the Hispanic market. ment could bring to boat- evidence to support my Blue, a retired Federal ing, along with the buy- long-standing claim that Aviation Administration ing power of the highly executive, talked about influential youth market, women are, in fact, the Atlanta-based Black and the lifestyle-oriented gay and lesbian market viable prospects for known for its liberal dis- boat ownership. cretionary spending. The issue finally is get- ting some traction, per- haps because the economic maelstrom is forc- ing more of us to recognize the need to devel- op new revenue streams. Whatever the reason, I’m just tickled pink. I was ecstatic when NMMA honcho Thom Dammrich championed the benefits of market- ” Boaters Club of America, which now includes near- ly 100 members and has three more metro-market chapters in the works. It was founded by a group of avid boaters that included Blue’s wife, Wanda. The goal was to expose African-Ameri- cans and other cultural groups to boating. Blue says social and economic restraints of the past had stood as a barrier between blacks and the “luxury of recreational boat-
ing to minorities. As keynote speaker at the Ma- ing.” He discussed those obstacles — both
rine Marketers of America awards ceremony, real and perceived.
Dammrich addressed “The Waves of Change” For example, in the 1960s, public pools were
and the future of boating. off limits to blacks in many areas, inhibiting the
“In the next 40 years, the U.S. population is pursuit of water-based activities. He says 58
projected to grow by 50 percent — from 300 percent of African-American children today
million people to 450 million,” he said. “If we lack swimming skills, compared with 38 per-do our job promoting the boating lifestyle and cent of their counterparts. Part of the club’s
get 33 percent of them to just go boating, that initiative is to introduce boating to youngsters;
will nearly double boating participation. And I to that end, they’ve partnered with F.I.S.H. to
think we can do better than that. host youth-oriented activities.
“But, caution: most of that 150 million more In the days of slavery, Blue explains, blacks
people — in fact most of the 450 million U.S. were forbidden by their masters to swim, for
population in 2050 — won’t look like me or fear they’d escape. Combine these past realties
us,” he warned. “They will be black or brown, with the lack of boating industry marketing ini-and we need to adapt to that. See Kenton Smith, Page 53
“Look at all the beautiful product catalogs at
this show. Look in our boating magazines.
Look at the thousands of boating Web sites.
Now tell me, if you are black or brown or
other than Caucasian, do you see yourself in
those catalogs? In those magazines? On those
Web sites? Do you see yourself in any boating
Wanda Kenton Smith has 28 years marine
industry marketing experience. She is president of Kenton Smith Advertising & Public Relations and president of Marine Marketers of
America. For comments on this column, e-mail
wanda@kentonsmithadv.com
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