Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/511164
14 • May 25, 2015 • Powersports Business INDUSTRY LEADERS www.PowersportsBusiness.com T he goal of marketing is very simple: Start with a message and try and reach your target audience. For Tim McK- ercher, president of LOOK Marketing in Mel- bourne, Fla., marketing is nearly as familiar as breathing. McKercher was one of the main minds behind Sea-Doo's #SPARKSOMEFUN campaign, which gave Sea-Doo a leg up in the PWC industry in social media develop- ment and engagement. By incorporating contemporary artists and highlighting the "simple fun" that the Spark could bring to the world, McKercher helped take the product to the next level, reaching new customers and locking in a target audience. Spark's launch has been in lockstep with continual year-over- year monthly sales growth from the PWC industry as a whole. McKercher has a long history with BRP. In his earlier years, McKercher says he spent many hours working as a testing specialist at BRP's research and develop- ment center. He attended University of Cen- tral Florida at the same time and focused his studies on marketing and public rela- tions. McKercher says he has had roles "on both sides of the [marketing] fence" with 15 years experience on the corporate side and eight years leading agency efforts. What has been the biggest challenge in your current position, and how have you dealt with it? The biggest challenge for most profession- als is change. While change is always chal- lenging, I live by the mantra, "Where there is change, there is opportunity." My core specialty began in PR and promotional event marketing and how we do it now compared to 10, even five years ago is so different. Social Media has really changed the face of PR, and we embraced it early and have integrated that into our efforts with a very integrated approach. Social is such a moving target, so we are constantly trying different strategies to generate the biggest brand impact. The other challenging element of social is to not just showing cool pictures but to provide content that sparks retail, that is an area so many brands miss. What's the biggest opportunity for the PWC industry, and how can the industry take advantage of it? Obviously we are behind the Sea-Doo brand, but regardless, I truly believe the Spark model offers the greatest tool to grow the PWC indus- try. This product addresses and knocks down nearly every purchase barrier that has been raised over the past 10-plus years in regard to accessibility in every sense of the word. The Spark offers the basics of pure, simple fun on the water and is perfect to draw the next gen- eration of boaters to the water. What is the best advice that you can give oth- ers in the PWC industry? The key to success in the PWC industry is to focus on delivering the key benefit of a PWC, which is the fun. Get people on the water and give them reasons to ride more. The more they use their product, the more it will be part of their life and the more they will live to ride. Show people how the new technology makes owning, using and riding easier and more fun than ever before and more than many other forms of family recreation. Describe LOOK Marketing. How has the expe- rience been working with Sea-Doo, especially over the past year? We're a small agency — some people like to call them "boutique agencies"— and we focus very much on the powersports and marine indus- tries, but we're pretty diverse in the services we offer. Basically, we do everything marketing- wise in the purchase funnel, all the way from awareness to consideration, to purchase and to the post-purchase experience. With that we're able to integrate the effort; we feel better and more seamless than some of the other larger marble-floor type agencies that specialize in certain things. The fact that we're involved with so many elements of the promotional plan, or the marketing plan, we're able to integrate them and reach some economies of scale budget- wise, but also make a better messaging impact. INDUSTRY LEADER — TIM McKERCHER TIM MCKERCHER LOOK MARKETING PRESIDENT