Priority One Dealers Simplify Retail Financing with DealerRock DMS Integration

St. Petersburg, FL (July 27, 2022) – Priority One Financial Services, a full-service finance company offering flexible, business-ready finance and insurance solutions for marine, RV and trailer dealers, recently announced a groundbreaking partnership with DealerRock, a modern, cloud-based dealer management system (DMS). The new system integration instantly connects customers with the financing they need and simplifies information sharing between dealers and Priority One.

Dealers can now send – with the customer’s permission – customer and collateral information directly from DealerRock to Priority One. With a single click, a dealer can initiate a text to a customer containing a pre-filled credit application with information already received by the dealer. The streamlined process reduces data entry errors and condenses the application timeline to a matter of minutes.

“Today’s customer expects efficiency and ease,” said Nicole Armstrong, Vice President of Corporate Initiatives, Priority One, “and the demands on a dealer’s time are higher than ever. Streamlining the way we gather and share information is a win for all of us.”

DealerRock owner, Jason Haines, also owns and operates Current Watersports, a multi-location marine dealership based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Priority One identified DealerRock as a preferred partner because of Haines’ industry expertise.

“Haines understands the nuances and demands of running a dealership, and the DealerRock system reflects that,” said Armstrong.

“We saw an opportunity to make the financing process easier and more efficient,” said Haines. “We are excited to expand our partnership with Priority One and simplify processes for our dealers.”

Operating primarily in the marine industry, DealerRock recently expanded to include DMS capabilities for RV’s.

Dealers already working with DealerRock will see the new features immediately. For a limited time, DealerRock will waive onboarding fees for Priority One dealers interested in signing up with the DMS.

For more information, visit p1fs.com/dealerrock or call your account executive at (800) 419-1341.

About Priority One Financial Services, Inc.
Founded in 1987, Priority One Financial Services, Inc. offers flexible, business-forward finance and insurance solutions for marine, RV, horse trailer and commercial equipment dealers. A division of Forest River, a Berkshire Hathaway company, Priority One’s knowledgeable team brings full-service financing to every customer, helping dealers improve business and move inventory.

Headquartered in Saint Petersburg, Florida, the company also owns and operates Priority One Equipment Finance and Veritas Insurance Group. A 2019 One Tampa Bay and 2017 Business of Pride honoree, Priority One values its diverse community of employees, customers, dealers and the surrounding Tampa Bay neighborhood.

About DealerRock
DealerRock provides an all-in-one, cloud-based dealer management software system that helps dealers simplify their day-to-day operations and operate more efficiently in today’s competitive marine environment. Leading dealerships use DealerRock to run their operations because of its huge focus on usability and responsive design at an affordable price. It allows them to save money, operate more efficiently and manage their business from anywhere in today’s mobile world. For more info visit: www.dealerrock.com.

Change in the Boating Customer

The Future Does Not fit Into the Containers of the Past

To be successful in today’s competitive marketplace, businesses must understand how to market to each generation and what motivates them. There are four major generational shifts happening in society today: Generation Z (born 1997-2012), Millennials (born 1980-2000), Generation X (born 1965-1980) and Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964). These groups have things in common as well as some key differences.

Today’s boat owners are whiter, wealthier and more male than America as a whole
They’re older than the average American, with a median age of 54 and are six years older than the US median age. They are high-income and high net-worth compared to the average American and more likely to be male than the average American and much more likely to be white (92%) than the average American.

Demographic trends show that the Next Generation of boating prospects will most likely be more diverse and less likely to come from boat owning families than previous generations.


This diversification is even more pronounced among younger generations, with the “post millennial” generation predicted to be “the most diverse, best educated generation yet.” The future of boating will not look like the past. So, it’s imperative for the boating industry to appeal to a younger, more diverse group of potential future boaters to show them how boating can include them.

But, to include them, you must first understand them.

  • Understand Next Generation consumers in real-time
  • Identify new opportunities brought about by new needs and wants
  • Scale with technology to extend business reach
  • Enhance capabilities to find and act upon new opportunities in a pre-emptive way — look into the future
  • Invest in human capital to get it done
  • Customers & Consumers create brands — Today more than ever!
  • Yesterday: interruption, one-way, follow the leader
  • Today brands must involve consumers, connect with them, own, share, advocate (remember … the consumer decides)

    Rebooting the business to realign it with the new consumer environment is critical to its long-term health & growth
    NMMA commissioned a research study to find the groups to target who will be open to boating throughout the broader society. We developed a segmentation study of the potential target universe using two factors: participation in sports and outdoor activities and income.

This study defined potential target groups based on their participation in the same outdoor activities that boat owners often pursue. This allowed us to target a much larger base of future boaters with interests that overlap with today’s boat owners.

Three key segments emerged from the research: Traditional Boaters, Growth Segment and Emerging Segment. The Traditional Boaters are who their name suggests — they most closely resemble the current boat owner, while the Growth and Emerging Segments are opportunities to expand the market for recreational boating, representing 91 million people and more than 1.5x the Traditional Boater segment size.

  • Traditional Boaters: This group looks most like today’s boat owners and has the highest penetration of boat ownership and participation in boating activities. They are older and more suburban/ex-urban than other groups.
  • Growth Segment: This group pursues boating-adjacent activities at high rates, including powersports, biking and hiking and is younger. In fact, they are younger than current first-time boat buyers. They are more ethnically and racially diverse and more likely to live in denser areas.
  • Emerging Segment: This group is a large, dynamic and affluent segment of the potential future boat owner population. In their daily lives, while they are not pursuing the outdoor activities predictive of future boating, they are doing those activities on vacation with a potential “pull” via rental activity. They are the most diverse, most affluent segment.

Shared characteristics of the Growth and Emerging Segments include:

  • Likely to attend events like auto shows, food/beverage festivals and music festivals.
  • Consider themselves more environmentally conscious.
  • Are heavy users of social media including Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok.
  • Enjoy foreign and domestic travel.
  • Participate in outdoor recreation activities, including golfing, cycling, running, tennis and yoga.
  • Watch sporting events online.
  • Own autos from brands including BMW, Jeep, Tesla and Subaru.

Lastly, the Next Generation of boaters are not a large monolithic group. Each generation is valuable in the marketplace, and one is not better than the other. Generation Z and Millennials for example are disrupting the way products and services are advertised by rejecting conventional marketing methods. They are more likely to be swayed by what their peers have to say about a product or service, which means that digital and social media sources such as Yelp reviews and online testimonials can make or break marketing campaigns.

Engaging diverse consumers as buyers and employees for instance is simply a good business strategy. Targeting potential boating lifestyle enthusiasts from the three largest ethnic groups in the US (African American, Asian and Hispanic), as well as women and LGBTQI audiences is essential to the growth of the boating industry. What’s more, these segments will only grow in importance in the years to come as their buying power increases. There is enormous potential to market to these consumer groups in almost any sector and industry, and with a focus on reaching and engaging them where they live, work and play digitally and experientially.

About the Author
Kevin Williams is the Vice President, North American Marketing for the National Marine Manufacturers Association. He has more than 25 years of marketing experience, and most recently co-founded Fortitude Interactive Inc., a marketing technology consulting firm focused on brand strategy, content development and syndication, as well as intellectual property in the digital, social and mobile age. He has also served as head of multicultural marketing and diversity and inclusion initiatives for BMW of North America, LLC., where he facilitated multicultural marketing strategies and initiatives designed to reach, engage and motivate diverse consumers for BMW, MINI Cooper and BMW Motorrad brands.

Discover Boating to Detail ‘See You Out Here’ Campaign in Industry Webinar

Discover Boating, powered by NMMA and MRAA, will host an webinar* Thursday, Aug. 4, for all industry stakeholders, to showcase the “See You Out Here” campaign and how it’s working to attract the next generation of boaters while helping retain the influx of new boaters entering the marketplace over the last couple of years.

The 60-minute webinar will outline the Discover Boating strategy and key elements of this year’s campaign across media, PR, digital and more.


Date: Thursday, August 4
Time: 12:00 pm EDT / 9:00 am PST
Reserve your spot today, by registering here.

*This webinar is open to all industry stakeholders. Space is limited and registration is needed to join the webinar live on Aug. 4.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/6XL4z3acbdw?rel=0

2022 Special Report on Fishing Released

RBFF AND THE OUTDOOR FOUNDATION PARTNERED TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT FISHING PARTICIPATION IN THE U.S.

For the 12th consecutive year, RBFF and the Outdoor Foundation partnered to provide a comprehensive look at fishing participation in the U.S. The 2022 Special Report on Fishing — released Monday, July 19 prior to ICAST 2022— explores participation trends alongside insights into motivations, barriers, and preferences of key groups identified as essential for future growth.

As previously revealed, over fifty-two million Americans age 6+ went fishing in 2021, supporting a six-year upward trend.
2022 Special Report on Fishing cover
DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT | DOWNLOAD THE INFOGRAPHIC

Leaky Bucket
While 3.7 million first timers and 8 million reactivated anglers went fishing, 14 million participants lapsed. That -18 percent churn rate resulted in an overall participation decline of 4 percent.


Shrinking Gender Gap
Women composed 37 percent of fishing participation in 2022, the highest level on record. The participation rate among girls ages 6-12 and 13-17 grew 5 percent and 10 percent, respectively. With these increases, the difference in participation rate between boys and girls has shrunk to less than 4 percent.


A Family Affair
Over half of participants tried fishing thanks to an invitation from their friends or family. Seventy-eight percent of anglers associated fishing with spending quality time with family or friends.

Growth Amongst Decline
While overall participation fell slightly from the historic high in 2020, African American participation increased almost 11 percent year over year. In addition, over 300,000 more Hispanics went fishing in 2021 than in 2019.For further information: Bruna Carincotte, bcarincotte@rbff.org, 202-743-9894

Discover Boating’s ‘See You Out Here’ Campaign Spots Gain Additional Exposure

Discover Boating’s See You Out Here campaign continues gaining exposure through its robust marketing mix, including its television public service announcements (PSA) – a first for the campaign in an effort to extend Discover Boating’s reach to bring more potential boaters into the fold. In fact, the PSA, which features a variety of the campaign spots, has achieved strong results within just several weeks of distribution.


Discover Boating
To date, the campaign spots have aired on 35 broadcast stations nationwide including local ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX affiliates in markets such as Dallas, San Francisco and Grand Rapids as well as regional stations such as SNY/SportsNet New York and Bally Sports Network Ohio.

The spots have aired 2,863 times during prominent, non-overnight hours, which translates to more than $425,000 in donated media value.

Industry stakeholders are encouraged to get involved with the campaign and engage their audiences.? Click here to stream, download or embed the ‘See You Out Here’ video content to share in your showroom, on your website, via your social network or in your next email campaign.

The industry’s brand strategy for Discover Boating remains steadfast and three-fold: Invite the next generation; retain the influx of new boaters; and engage legacy boat owners.

Prepare Your Dealership to Satisfy This New FTC Rule

As you and your team are evaluating what you’ll need to do to adapt to a changing market in the second half of 2022, it’s important to keep in mind the new and revised regulations that apply to your marine business.

For example, if you operate dealerships in the U.S., you’ll need a plan in place to satisfy the Federal Trade Commission’s updated Safeguards Rule, which goes into effect this December.

The revised rule safeguards the consumer data your dealership collects and stores. Learn more about the revisions on this dedicated page of FTC website: www.FTCgov/business-guidance.

MRAA Education Champion 700Credit is one of several companies providing services to help dealers prepare for compliance with the amended regulation.

Whether you plan to satisfy the new requirements yourself or partner with a company that offers these services — if this is the first time you’re learning of the changes to this regulation — consider downloading the two-page resource [HERE] 700Credit has created for marine dealers. It provides an overview of what the rule may mean to your dealership.

July 2022: MRAA Adds Three New Partner Members

MINNEAPOLIS — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today the addition of three new Partner Members to its growing list of supporting organizations, that make it possible for MRAA to deliver education, resources and tools to its dealer members.

By joining MRAA as Partner Members, marine manufacturers, suppliers and service providers show commitment to the success of the North American dealer body, and in turn, MRAA has greater ability to expand its offerings and make a greater impact on dealer success.

MRAA’s three new Partner Members offer an array of products and services that help dealers generate more revenue for their business. From audio accessories to marketing solutions and technology support, these three Partners are the most recent to commit to supporting MRAA’s mission:

·      ECOXGEAR: Take Your Music Wherever You Go                                             

·      Dealer OMG (Online Marketing Group): Custom Solutions For Your Marine Dealership

·      Boat Fix: Revolutionize The Way You Do Business

“With every new Partner Member, the MRAA is better equipped to fulfill its mission of serving dealers,” says Allison Gruhn, Vice President of Business Development. “Each of these new Partners value the strength of our industry’s retail network, and we’re proud to welcome them to the MRAA family.”  

Visit https://mraa.com/page/mraapartners to view the entire list of companies who actively support the MRAA across four levels of partnership.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

Barletta Pontoon Boats to Add 184,000 sq. ft. Production Expansion to Meet Growing Consumer Demand

BRISTOL, IN, Tuesday, July 19 — Barletta Pontoon Boats, a subsidiary of Winnebago Industries and an innovative builder of high-quality marine products, is pleased to announce that groundbreaking will occur later this summer on a new 184,000 square foot production facility located on their existing 37-acre campus in Bristol. Barletta’s total footprint will expand to over 425,000 square feet or almost three times the size of its original facility in 2017. The expansion is planned to be available for production in the spring of 2023 and is expected to create more than 200 new jobs.

Barletta Pontoon Boats LogoFounded in 2017 with a focus on innovative products, unrivaled customer experience, and strong dealer relationships, Barletta continues to grow market share and is challenging for a top five share position in the United States in 2022. Barletta was acquired by Winnebago Industries, Inc., in August 2021, joining other RV and marine companies including Winnebago, Grand Design RV, Chris-Craft, and Newmar, as part of the Winnebago Industries family of premium outdoor brands.

“We established Barletta with the goal to redefine the pontoon segment with boats of unrivaled craftsmanship for boaters throughout North America. We have delivered on that objective in partnership with our dealers. This expansion exemplifies the continued progress we have achieved with the commitment and dedication of our team, and the support of Winnebago Industries,” said Bill Fenech, President & Founder of Barletta Pontoon Boats. “Today and into the future, we will continue striving to deliver boats with unsurpassed quality.”

The current Barletta campus includes the original Plant 1 manufacturing facility which houses welding, fabrication, decking operations, and space dedicated to warehousing and offices. Plant 2 was completed in 2021 and houses assembly operations for the Company’s Lusso, Corsa, and Cabrio pontoon boat lines. Both manufacturing facilities are currently nearing capacity, and this expansion adds future flexibility.

“This expansion is the next step in our continued evolution,” stated Jeff Haradine, Vice President of Sales at Barletta Pontoon Boats. “The Barletta brand continues to experience tremendous momentum in the market, and our expanded facility will allow us to continue to meet strong consumer demand. As we approach our five-year anniversary, we are proud of our progress, and we look forward to continuing to set the bar for outdoor experiences on the water for many more customers in the future.”

An official ground-breaking ceremony will take place in late summer/early fall of 2022.

About Barletta Pontoon Boats
Barletta Pontoon Boats is a premium marine manufacturer founded in 2017 with a focus on high-quality, innovative products, unrivaled customer experience and strong dealer relationships. Headquartered in Bristol, IN, Barletta is the fastest-growing company in the pontoon segment with an expansive network of dealer partners across the United States and Canada. The Barletta lineup includes the Lusso, Corsa, and Cabrio series. Visit www.barlettapontoonboats.com for more information. Barletta Pontoon Boats is a wholly owned subsidiary of Winnebago Industries (NYSE: WGO), a manufacturer of premium outdoor lifestyle products. For more information visit www.winnebagoind.com.

Dealer Week 2022 Registration Opens

Three-day event in Austin, Texas, promises to deliver dealers solutions and opportunities for the year ahead

MINNEAPOLIS, July 14, 2022 — As marine dealership teams navigate continual disruption in the market place, switching from an environment where boat pre-orders were stacking up to one where inflation, interest rates and fuel prices are causing boat sales to slow, it’s critical that dealership leaders re-establish a strong foundation for their business to find success in the uncertainty ahead. To help dealerships formulate these plans, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today that dealer registration for the 2022 MRAA Dealer Week Conference & Expo, to be held Dec. 5-8 in Austin, Texas, is now open.

MRAA's Dealer Week 2022 - Discipline Amidst Disruption

Under the theme of Discipline Amidst Disruption, Dealer Week 2022 will offer dealers access to the latest training and educational programs, an expansive expo hall featuring the industry’s leading manufacturers and suppliers, and connectivity and networking where they can learn directly from other dealers.

“There’s no doubt that the economy is shifting back to put the power in the hands of today’s consumers. With more objections and obstacles to overcome, closing business and generating profits is becoming more challenging in almost every department of the dealership,” explains Liz Walz, MRAA’s Vice President of Education. “With that in mind, it’s critically important that dealership leaders get ahead of the curve and evolve the operations of their businesses for a changing market place. Dealer Week 2022 and its educational programs have been designed to help them do just that.”

Dealer Week features more than 20 educational sessions that will showcase the latest trends, strategies and best practices that dealerships should be aware of to prepare themselves for 2023. Organized into three pathways — Leadership, Sales & Marketing and Service & Parts — the training sessions will provide dealers expert advice as well as critical tools to help them walk away with significant value they are prepared to implement when they return.

The 2022 Dealer Week educational line-up focuses its efforts on helping dealerships discover the discipline they’ll need to find success in a disruptive, uncertain market. It will help dealership teams reinforce and update the fundamentals of their sales processes, strengthen their service departments and reduce their Repair Event Cycle Times. They’ll leave knowing how to lead and manage their businesses to success no matter what the marine market throws at them.

View the 2022 Dealer Week Educational Line-Up here

Throughout the event’s programming, the Dealer Week Expo Hall will feature more than 100 exhibitors displaying boats, engines, software solutions, financing and insurance options in addition to many other types of products and services from industry-leading suppliers. Several networking events will provide for easy connections throughout the event, including cocktail receptions, luncheons, and the MRAA 50th Anniversary Industry Celebration.

View the list of 2022 Dealer Week Exhibitors here

“Dealer Week is the boating industry’s only event focused on dealer success,” Walz says. “It is the one-stop program to learn, connect and grow your dealership to new heights. Our proven approach to delivering this education has helped dealers through the downturn of the Great Recession, through the growth cycle of the 2010s, and through the severe ups and downs of the Covid pandemic. We are well-prepared to provide the guidance to help dealers through what’s next. Dealer Week 2022 is where it all comes to life.”

Dealer Week 2022 opens with a networking reception the evening of Monday, Dec. 5, followed by a keynote and a robust line-up of educational sessions Dec. 6-8.

Dealer Week registration is now open and the MRAA is excited to see you this December! With registration opening, you can save up to $900 if you are a member and register in the month of July! The earliest-bird gets the worm. See your options for registration.

About Dealer Week
For 50 years, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has delivered world-class educational programming to dealers, retailers and service operations that power the boating industry and serve today’s boaters. Dealer Week exists to engage, energize and empower the dealer community. The MRAA envisions a brighter future for marine retail, and Dealer Week is the preeminent means for bringing that vision to life. Learn more at DealerWeek.com.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.

Discover Boating Launches Tool to Connect Boaters with Dealers

Discover Boating, powered by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), announced today the launch of a new interactive tool to connect boat-buying consumers directly with nearby dealers. The new Dealer Finder on DiscoverBoating.com is a convenient tool to help site visitors search for—and connect with—nearly 3,600 new boat dealers across the country.

Guided by learnings from recent customer experience research conducted by Jerry Mona with Left Brain Marketing on behalf of NMMA, MRAA and the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, the new tool features easy search and mapping functionality to quickly locate local dealers through zip code or city search, as well as a one-touch option to visit a dealer’s website or call the dealer directly.

Click here to visit the new Dealer Finder tool on DiscoverBoating.com

New Discover Boating Dealer Finder Tool launched

“Recent research showed first-time boat buyers are experiencing some difficulty and frustration when trying to easily connect with dealers and their inventory, underscoring the importance of providing a convenient and enjoyable consumer experience as we invite people into boating,” said Ellen Bradley, chief brand officer for NMMA. “DiscoverBoating.com and the new Dealer Finder are an entry point for millions of boaters, and the more paths we offer to easily connect consumers with manufacturers, dealers, boat shows and other points of sale, the more they feel welcomed and the more positive experience they’ll have—all of which is part of Discover Boating’s long-term strategic digital transformation.”

“At Discover Boating, our role is to attract consumers to boating and to connect them with boat buying opportunities without hurdles and obstacles, and as seamlessly as possible,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “Years in the making, this new Dealer Finder tool directly connects consumers to dealers. It gives them immediate access to the dealers and their product lines in their local communities, helping to improve the customer experience right from their very first click.”

The Dealer Finder tool is powered by the dealer database at the MRAA, which has been compiled and is refined on a daily basis by the MRAA team. The database includes every dealership brick-and-mortar location throughout the United States that MRAA has been able to verify. Dealers looking to update their listing or be added to the Find a Boat Dealer locator tool, can simply fill out this form and MRAA will reach out to help make changes.

Additionally, Marine Industry Certified Dealership (MICD) locations are highlighted and promoted through the Dealer Finder. Founded as a part of Discover Boating and offering dealerships the industry’s only template for running and improving a world-class dealership, the MICD Program criteria helps to ensure Certified Dealerships are delivering an exceptional customer experience and those businesses are therefore highlighted to call attention to their efforts.

For more information on the Dealer Finder on DiscoverBoating.com, please contact Freya Olsen, NMMA’s director of industry relations at folsen@nmma.org, or Liz Keener, MRAA’s certification manager at lizk@mraa.com.