You can create flow for your dealership’s sales team with HVCO. What? It may sound like something a heating-and-air technician may know something about, but HVCO actually stands for high-value content in the marketing world. By implementing this marketing strategy in your business plan, you can help generate a refreshing movement of hot leads and add more potential customers to your database.

High-value content essentially provides consumers (your targeted audience) with free information and guidance in exchange for their contact details. So when Len’s Cove Marina, an MRAA Member and Certified Dealership, released its new Ultimate Boat Show Shopping Guide, it also built a landing page with a form boating enthusiasts could fill out to receive the free 28-page resource. With every submission, Len’s Cove Marina will add contacts to its CRM and also then target to that audience in the form of a follow-up message in future campaigns. Read more about that in this MRAA blog.

Since lead management, especially at boat shows, includes follow-up, we reconnected with Len’s Cove Marina to dig deeper into its latest HVCO project. We had a short question-and-answer session with Sean Horsfall, the third-generation owner, and Robin Magee, the Marketing & Events Manager. These two comprise the Canadian dealership’s marketing team.

Objective Behind the Guide
“The goal from a business perspective is to offer high-value content (HVCO) for free for the opportunity to then market to them going forward and to stay top of mind as their trusted boating source when they next need something,” said Horsfall. Their database of contacts within their CRM has grown substantially since Len’s Cove shifted gears to earmarking a high percentage of its ad spend and social to HVCOs.

“We are passionate about boating education, and this guide aims to help consumers confidently navigate large events like boat shows and make informed purchases they’re happy with. Happy boaters are the heart of what we do,” explained Magee. The free resource also helps demystify boat shows, making them more approachable for everyone – whether first-timers or seasoned boaters.

Production Timeline & Design
Len’s Cove has produced ebooks like its Ultimate Guide to Boats Shows for at least a decade. Much like it has displayed with its branded Len’s Cove Lessons in Boating on YouTube, the dealership has been an industry innovator with its e-book production. Having that baseline knowledge and existing product line helped to simplify the creative and design process, as Magee took the 2014 version and updated it for the 2024 version, estimating that effort to take roughly 20 hours. This included template creation and editing drafts based on Sean’s advice. “Because we made the guide comprehensive last year, I was able to completely refresh it with updated pictures and two brand new sections in 10 hours for the 2025 edition,” said Magee. To simplify the production timeline she compiled content from the Len’s Cove blog posts on similar topics.

The small-but-mighty duo calls the design a collaborative effort. Horsfall made the original e-book in 2014 and provides topical expertise and edits while Magee was in charge of repurposing the existing content. Most of the boat show guide was written in Horsfall’s words using various pieces of their existing content that Magee then reworked and spliced together.

“As a newbie to the industry, I heavily rely on our old content and other trusted industry resources like Discover Boating,” explained Magee. “Sean and AI play a role as well, mostly for brainstorming and refining ideas. For example, I asked ChatGPT to compile a list of dreams, hopes, fears and frustrations that prospective buyers are asking about when considering buying a boat.” She then used that list to connect the dots and hit on all of the right topics to build the comprehensive guide. 

Magee also creates the templates in Canva for all of Len’s Cove’s HVCOs. This tactical approach ensures the products are visually cohesive and match their brand standards. 

Downloads, Educational Opportunities and Savings
The same day Len’s Cove Marina’s newsletter “A Look Through the Lens” campaign went out with the secondary story about the free boat show guide and download, Magee reported eight people filled out the form to download it. Those eight people, me included, also received a follow-up campaign email, or as Magee described it, a supplementary resource offering more value for those who submitted the form.

Those additional resources was entitled “Don’t miss these resources to become an expert at boat buying,” and arrived in the form of a personalized email letter from Horsfall that provided me with two additional resources. The first is a specialized “Buying a Boat” playlist from his Len’s Cove Lessons in Boating series. The bonus item was a one-page checklist the customer can use when buying a boat. They also shared with me their goals to build trust with me and to empower me by providing me with the knowledge to make informed decisions during my personal boat buying.

Again, the Len’s Cove Marina team always brings an educational approach to whatever they create. Sure, they want to sell boats, but they create meaning, connection and trust using boater education as a foundational connector pin, not just sales.

“By focusing on education and addressing common questions and frustrations, we aim to build trust rather than a hard sell,” said Magee. “Sean’s passion for education has inspired me to adopt it as well, and it’s a cornerstone of our marketing strategy.”

This particular guide also featured an Ottawa Boat and Outdoors Show coupon (a $3 savings) for those who downloaded it. The discount ticket was something created by the boat show’s marketing team and generously given to Len’s Cove Marina for promotional use. Added value at zero cost is always a plus!

Challenges?
The biggest challenge to creating your own HVOC products is simply starting. Finding the time to prioritize and focus on developing content requires a conscious effort said Magee, adding, “Once you commit and set aside dedicated time, the process becomes more manageable. Content like this guide can be repurposed by us across various formats – blogs, emails or social posts – making it a valuable investment of time.” 

For dealers looking to launch similar initiatives, the key is to focus on simplicity and leverage what you already have. “If they aren’t doing marketing emails, there are free email services out there, so send a link to the guide to your email list with a personal note about how it can enhance their boat show experience, boating lifestyle, whatever it may be,” noted Magee. “If you have a storefront or showroom that gets a lot of foot traffic, put up a QR code that sends people to the resource. Something Sean always says to me, ‘Don’t reinvent the wheel.’”

Access the Len’s Cove Marina Ultimate Boat Show Shopping Guide here.

Missed part 1 of this mini-case study with Len’s Cove Marina?

For additional insights and resources to help your team maximize your ROI at boat shows, visit the MRAA Spotlight Page.