Boston Whaler takes home big honors during Miami International Boat Show

Boston Whaler 330 Outrage © Boston Whaler

Boston Whaler received several notable industry awards during this year's Miami International Boat Show, earning recognition for product innovation, customer satisfaction and marketing excellence.

These honors included an Innovation Award from the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Boating Writers International (BWI); an NMMA Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) award; and a Neptune Award and Honorable Mention from the Marine Marketers Association (MMA).

Boston Whaler's new 160 Super Sport earned an NMMA Innovation Award in the Deck Boats category. Crafted to ensure load-and-go readiness and effortless operation, the 160 Super Sport marks a keel-up redesign of the popular series, bringing the boat even more in line with consumer preferences. Notable attributes include optimized use of onboard space and new features including dual aft swim platforms and lockable console storage. Kim Koditek, one of eight BWI members on the judging committee, called it "a great entry-level boat with simple and adaptable seating."

"It's important to consider all segments of the market, and this boat will be a great draw for younger generations of new boaters," said Committee Co-Chair Zuzana Prochazka. The 160 Super Sport is the eighth Boston Whaler model to win an Innovation Award in the last 12 years.

This year also marked the fifteenth consecutive year Boston Whaler earned the Marine Industry Customer Satisfaction Index Award, in the Fiberglass Outboard Boats category. The CSI program honors boat and engine manufacturers who actively measure customer satisfaction and pursue continuous improvement to better serve their customers, achieving an independently-measured standard of excellence of 90 percent or higher.

"It's always an honor to receive CSI recognition," said Jeff Vaughn, Boston Whaler Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Customer Service. "We place top priority on the quality of our customers' experiences with our brand, and that extends beyond the water to the service and care they receive. The Customer Satisfaction Index Award speaks to the efforts of our incredibly talented team and our world-class dealer network."

Boston Whaler was also recognized for its marketing efforts: The annual Neptune Awards competition, now in its eleventh year, recognizes excellence in marketing campaigns and initiatives. With entries up 12 percent over last year across 20 categories, Boston Whaler was awarded in the following categories:

• Neptune Award, Best Online Advertising: "350 Realm" This multipronged digital campaign, created with agency partner the Dino Marketing Group, focused on three primary aspects of the 350 Realm model: cutting-edge technology, award-winning layout and innovative design. The campaign employed varied messaging, which was tested and leveraged based on effectiveness.

• Honorable Mention, Email Marketing: "MIBS Drip Campaign" During and after the 2018 Miami Boat Show, Boston Whaler leveraged its mobile boat show app to implement a successful follow-up drip campaign. Customers who enter Whaler's lead-nurture stream receive a series of emails that are automatically tailored to their actions and designed to inspire them deeper into the purchase funnel.

Throughout the Miami Boat Show (Feb. 14-18), Boston Whaler demonstrated its focus on new technology, displaying exciting breakthroughs including Seakeeper gyrostabilization, NAUTIC-ON remote-monitoring capabilities, Mercury's Joystick Piloting for Outboards (JPO), Raymarine's DockSense assisted docking system, and more. With the recent announcement of the Brunswick Fiberglass Boat Technology Center (BFBTC), slated to open this fall at Whaler's Edgewater headquarters, Boston Whaler has laid the groundwork to accelerate its trajectory of leadership.

"At Boston Whaler, we are committed to providing our customers with the most seamless and enjoyable boat ownership experience possible, both on and off the water," said President Nick Stickler. "Our investment in pursuing new technologies and design breakthroughs, as well as the strong advancements we have made in terms of customer care, all reflect that commitment."