Boston Whaler Wins Four Neptune Awards for Marine Marketing Excellence - Boston Whaler
Edgewater ,FL. (Feb 22, 2018) - Boston Whaler was recognized in four categories in the 2017 Neptune Awards for Marine Marketing Excellence, receiving two award wins and two honorable mentions. The awards, organized by the Marine Marketers of America (MMA), were presented during the Miami International Boat Show on Thursday morning.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by the MMA for our marketing efforts,” said Boston Whaler Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Customer Service Jeff Vaughn. “These Neptune Award wins reflect the tremendous amount of creative and strategic thinking that our marketing team and agency partners put forth year-round. We work hard to build awareness and consideration for our lineup of incredible boats, and it’s gratifying to have that hard work celebrated by the industry.”
The annual Neptune competition, now in its tenth year, was open to any organization producing and publishing marine industry marketing materials between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2017. In total, over 60 marketers from throughout the marine industry were involved in the judging process. The field drew entries in 21 categories covering all areas of marketing, from national magazine ads and newsletters, to video, product literature and social media.
In addition to the category award winners, 11 “Honorable Mentions” were also presented to companies including Boston Whaler whose submission scored within a prescribed range of the category’s winning entry.
“The results of this year’s contest prove that innovation and creativity are alive and well in the boating marketplace,” said Sally Helme, MMA Vice President and Neptune Awards Chairperson.
Boston Whaler’s four Neptune Awards are as follows:
Best Online Advertising (Winner): “Dauntless Family” – Created by Boston Whaler and Dino Publishing. This digital campaign focused on the versatility of the Dauntless family of boats. Produced in a variety of sizes and utilized across a range of targeted websites, the online ads featured compelling lifestyle imagery, attractive product photography and clear messaging. Bold CTAs (“Fish Undaunted”, “Go Boldly”) drew viewers to a dedicated landing page, where they were then encouraged to sign up for more information. Anyone filling out the lead form received, in response, a link to two free digital magazine downloads — providing a more in-depth picture of the Dauntless models.
Best Social Media (Winner): “12 Days of Whaler Holiday Campaign” – Created by Boston Whaler and Meghaphone Marketing. For the 2017 holiday season, Boston Whaler created the character of “Captain Elfie” (a live-action, voiced puppet) as a fun way to engage with customers and fans on social media. On each of the 12 days leading up to Christmas, Whaler posted a video showing Captain Elfie somewhere in the Boston Whaler factory, finding inspiration for gift ideas as he demonstrated parts of the manufacturing process. Each post invited fans to enter the day’s gift giveaway, and prize winners were named the following day.
Sales Promotion (Honorable Mention): “New Year, New Whaler Winter Promotion” – created by Boston Whaler and Dino Publishing. This promotional campaign, with its clear, enticing message and imagery, netted strong click-thru rates and landing page conversions. The campaign’s landing page on bostonwhaler.com provided details about the promo and easy links to find a local dealer and take the next steps toward a “New Whaler” for the New Year, while special limited-time pricing provided added incentive.
Video Single (Honorable Mention): “Boston Whaler Brand Video” – Created by Mark Rackley Productions & UpDown Productions. Filmed over the course of several weeks at its headquarters in Edgewater, Fla., Boston Whaler’s brand video celebrates the proud heritage and exciting future of the company. Timed for release during the company’s 60th Anniversary Kickoff Celebration and Dealer Meeting event in August 2017, the video features interviews with a range of Boston Whaler employees, all speaking passionately about their areas of expertise. The view can be viewed online on Boston Whaler’s YouTube channel.
The winning entries may be viewed at marinemarketersofamerica.org.