Growing Boating: Part 2
The challenge? How to encourage interest in boating among the broader public? 
'The industry need to start with education at grass roots level.'
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Over the next few weeks, marketing experts and advertising gurus have their say. Most of them agree the focus should be on talking up the healthy outdoor pursuit of getting out on the water, separating kids from negative peer influences and creating a lifetime of memories, including father-son', 'grandpa-grandson' and wholesome family boating, whether that's on a $3000 dinghy or $3.3m cat.
'Selling the lifestyle' is a technique used since time immemorial - in campaigns for everything from FMCGs (fast-moving consumer goods, like chips, colas and cleaning products), to high-end sectors such as apparel, real estate and automotive.
BCF (Boating Camping Fishing), the Qld company that is the Bunnings of leisure and outdoor, has 50 stores nationwide.
Its latest advertising campaign depicts various dads, each treating his kids to typical modern pastimes, including watching docos on a big screen TV and playing video games, and juxtaposes these situations with lively outdoor fun, running with the tagline: 'This is living'.
The aim is to show that REAL fun is found outdoors, on the water, together as a family.
According to Matt Newell, GM Qld at IdeaWorks, the ad agency responsible for the concept, 'the core idea of the ad is presenting other people's ideas of living, compared to the BCF outdoor enthusiast's point of view, showing families actually enjoying themselves'.
'It's a reminder to people who may have enjoyed boating, camping and fishing when they were young, but as they've got older, they've let other priorities get in the way. The ads show them what they've been missing out on.'
Poised to release its end of year financial results, BCF has successfully grown the category, pulling more customers in to the category. 'BCF hasn't just stolen customers from other retailers, it is attracting new blood to the outdoor lifestyle,' says Newell.
Dean Leigh-Smith, Director at GCCM and dealer principal at Leigh-Smith Cruiser Sales is 3rd generation in the marine industry. 'It really is in my blood,' he says. 'I spent most of my life out on tinnies and running around the waterways of the Gold Coast, learning to enjoy boating, fishing and getting up to mischief.'
One of the keys to growing boating, says Leigh-Smith, would be 'education at ground level'. 
'It could be like driver's ed, where kids learn to drive a tender, navigation and sea handling, how to tie a boat up. We need to ignite people's interest and get people involved in boating.'
It's all about life and lifestyle, according to Leigh-Smith. 'Among all my friends, we have all grown up outdoors, starting with the humble tinnie and outboard. We used our boats for our first taste of freedom at 16, with boat license, not 18. Many of my mates have gone into the boating industry, both for their careers and also for recreation.
Compared to when I was 16, it's never been cheaper to buy a boat and there's never been greater choice. A boat is like a mobile holiday home, regardless of the size or expense of your boat. You can move around, enjoy different waterways swimming at the same sandy beaches and catching fish whether you're on a tinnie or a superyacht.'
Another facet needs to be industry regulation. Says Leigh-Smith: 'Plenty of people have tried boating and had a terrible experience. It's turned them off and motivated them to buy holiday homes and caravan or expensive car instead. We need to ensure that boating is safe and fun, ensuring boaters have the best relaxing experience.'
This would start with dealers. 'There is a duty of care by retailers,' he says. 'When they buy a boat, people need to be taught the correct protocols and procedures with the aim of growing clientele and the industry. There are many different groups that carry out boat licensing and familiarizing. There could be skippers and engineers on bigger boats for handover to check the new owner's competency and make sure they have the skills.'
As technology changes, consumers need to know how to use the advances in equipment, take on new skills and also, in many cases, relearn to drive a boat 'the conventional way'. 
'All of us need to brush up on the basics of education, and boating is no different,' he continues. 'We need induction and training at hobby or intro level, which could be handled by local companies or Rotary, to show people the hazards and benefits of boating.'
Then there's a need for marine accreditation. 'People are invariably burnt by 'fringe dwellers' in the industry, those who are out for quick cash deals. They portray a negative image of industry. There should be a system so consumers can check qualifications and expertise, guarantees and service for their boats.
'Of course, those companies with good pedigree and good practices survive, but the public needs to know what to look for in buying a boat and making sure they have the correct approval and certification.'
In this day and age, where communities and families are more fragmented than ever, boating could be a powerful means of bringing people together. 'Boating is great as it groups people together, families and friends, communities. It shows young people respect for property, the value of a dollar, and can lead to stronger family bonds. Kids today have too much time on their hands. There are heaps of kids without fathers. There's a gap in the community that a tinnie can fill.'
by Jeni Bone 
Click on thumbnails to enlarge and find more photos:
Parkdale, VIC
