The National Marine Manufacturers Association supported Marine Industry Certified Dealerships in a big way again this past boat show season, giving Certified Dealers promotional opportunities at NMMA boat shows, including special customer promotions in their respective markets.
During the 2014-15 boat show season, NMMA helped promote Certified Dealers with a series of ads that appeared in NMMA’s Boat Show Guides for 18 individual boat shows. In the ads, NMMA listed the names of Certified Dealers in the local show area, so showgoers easily could identify which dealers located nearest to them are Marine Industry Certified.
“NMMA boat shows are the premier consumer recreational boating sales and marketing events in key markets throughout the United States, and it’s incredible to have this kind of support and solidarity for the program,” says Sonja Moseley, MICD Program director. “Boat shows represent an important venue by which a potential boat buyer could locate a Certified Dealer. The advertisements help draw attention to the benefits of buying a boat from a Certified Dealer, which are underscored by the fact that Certified Dealers, on average, score higher in CSI surveys than non-Certified Dealers.”
In addition to the advertising opportunities in its Show Guides, NMMA supported the MICD Program through editorial content in its consumer exhibitor newsletters that ran throughout last year, helping further communicate the value of the program to a broader audience.
The estimated value of these 2014-15 in-kind contributions is around $120,000. Following the success of the program, NMMA plans to continue support of Certified Dealers again during the 2015-16 boat show season.
“NMMA sees the value in promoting Certified Dealers through its boat show advertising and marketing, and we wanted to do what we could to support MICD Program efforts and espouse its value to consumers,” says Cathy Rick-Joule, NMMA’s vice president of Boat Shows. “Ultimately we want consumers who visit our shows to have an exceptional experience at the retail level, and the MICD Program helps dealers not only meet, but consistently exceed customer expectations.”
For more information about the MICD Program or to enroll, contact Sonja Moseley at 763-333-2424 or sonja@mraa.com.
About the Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program
Managed by the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), the Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program (MICD) is dedicated to improving the customer experience at the retail level. The first step in the Certification process focuses on establishing a high level of customer satisfaction through communication, appearance and quality. The second tier of Certification continues to enhance the customer experience by implementing processes for overall dealership functionality. At the program’s Five Star level, established organizational procedures are implemented to ensure smooth operations and happy customers. To learn more about the MICD Program, visit MRAA.com/certification.
About the National Marine Manufacturers Association
National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is the leading association representing the recreational boating industry in North America. NMMA member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats, engines, trailers, accessories and gear used by boaters and anglers throughout the U.S. and Canada. The association is dedicated to industry growth through programs in public policy advocacy, market statistics and research, product quality assurance and promotion of the boating lifestyle. For more information, visit NMMA.org.
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