Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/657286
PWC PWC sales once again were up for the 12 months ending in January, according to the latest Info-Link Bellwether report. The PWC segment showed the strongest results, up about 15 percent for the last 12 months. The ski/wake boat category also posted double-digit gains, up about 12 percent. The sportfish category was up just under 10 percent. The Bellwether report tracks sales of powerboats, 15-feet and larger, across the country based on new U.S. boat registrations on a rolling 12-month basis. Bellwether states are geographically dispersed states representing roughly half of the U.S. boat market (varies by market segment and time of year). Sales were up about 7 percent across all categories for the period. When it comes to propulsion, outboards were up just under 10 percent, and the stern- drive/jet segment was up about 1 percent. NMMA: PWC SHIPMENTS RISE 16.9 PERCENT IN 2015 The National Marine Manufacturers Association reports that in 2015, personal watercraft shipments increased 16.9 percent year-over-year, continuing to be a high-vol- ume industry growth driver. JET RENU RENEWS PRO WATERCROSS SPONSORSHIP Jet Renu is returning to sponsor Pro Water- cross as the "Official Powerboat & Water- craft Cleaning System" of the tour and world championship. "We are proud to continue our relation- ship with Jet Renu. It's always great work- ing with organizations like Jet Renu that understand our athletes' needs and shares the same passion for pushing our sport for- ward," said Pro Watercross managing direc- tor Nicholas Handler. Jet Renu offers a variety of 15 eco-friendly products that clean and protect every part of a personal watercraft. "We take great pleasure in saying that our experience with Pro Watercross has been a fantastic venture. We are happy to be return- ing for the 2016 Pro Watercross tour this sea- son. Let's make it a great year!" said Nanette Defalco' Moreno, owner of Jet Renu. Jet Renu's wetsuit and vest cleaner with conditioner will be hitting the shelves this summer. SEA-DOO MARKETER WINS AWARDS LOOK Marketing was honored by the Marine Marketers of America with two Neptune Awards for Best Video and Best Social Media of 2015 in the $50 billion marine industry. The Neptune Awards were presented to LOOK in front of the elite of the marine industry at the NMMA Industry Breakfast to begin the Miami International Boat Show. These are the second and third Neptune Awards won by LOOK marketing for their work with the Sea-Doo brand. LOOK, in collaboration with Fiction, brings creative to BRP that tells the Sea-Doo story in a manner that talks directly to the intended audience. This explains the science behind the next level of performance water- craft riding fun. This social media campaign was developed and executed in partnership with Cramer- Krasselt. Sea-Doo asked fans to "Show Us How You #SPARKSOMEFUN" to win the Ultimate Sea-Doo Beach Party that would be filmed by YouTube star videographer Devin Supertramp intended to create something to talk about and promote — a share-of-voice tool for the Sea-Doo Spark and full line of Sea- Doo models leading into the selling season. The effort must have a "hook" element for media and consumers and should be inte- grated across multiple mediums to maximize limited budget. The Spring Push campaign included: Five week photo/video sweepstakes beginning on March 24 — Devin Supertramp asked fans to show how they would #SPARKSOMEFUN by uploading a photo or video to a dedicated aggregator app in hopes to become one of the top five finalists and win the grand prize. Tier one results: Collected more than 40,000 unique visitors and more than 2,500 leads. Five finalists were chosen and forwarded to the second level of the sweepstakes, to a five-day fan vote to determine the winner. The winner received a new Sea-Doo Spark and trailer, plus an all-expense-paid trip for him and two friends to be part of the filming of the Ultimate Sea-Doo Beach Party. Tier two results: Collected over 46,000 unique visitors. LOOK produced an actual Ultimate Sea-Doo Beach Party with a Devin Super- tramp video capturing the May day and launched it June 15 to extend the effort, and reach his massive fan base as the next genera- tion of boaters. Tier three results: The video received over 700,000 views on YouTube with over 1,600 shares. PSB DIGEST Former racer takes over for Larry Meddock, who remains chairman On a mission to promote and protect towed water sports long into the future, the Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA) announced Kevin Michael as the group's new executive director, effective March 1. WSIA president John Archer welcomed Michael to his new position in front of 170 industry members during the WSIA Summit in San Diego. "Sometimes the per- son you're looking for is right under your nose. Kevin's lifelong immer- sion in the industry, starting as a show skier, then on to a career in w a t e r s p o r t s m e d i a and finally as assistant director of our associa- tion, makes him the ideal candidate to lead the WSIA," Archer said. Longtime WSIA mainstay Larry Meddock passes the torch, while remaining heavily involved with the WSIA as chairman of the board, specializing in waterway access issues and government affairs. Meddock was also appointed to the Boating Industry Risk Man- agement Council (BIRMC) board of directors in February. Meddock has been training Michael for nine months and has been a mentor to the new executive director for more than a decade. "We were looking for someone to take the WSIA to that next level. Having known Kevin for a long time, I can tell you he brings passion to the WSIA, a deep understanding of all the sport disciplines, integrity and honesty. That next level is well within his grasp," Medlock said. Michael was thankful and appreciative as he addressed the crowd at the WSIA Summit. "Towed water sports has given me every- thing. And now I have the chance to give back. Looking ahead, the WSIA isn't about me, it's about all of us in this room and many more out there looking to find our next step," Michael said. "Our best chance of preserving the vitality of our activities is to work together. I vow to give this job every- thing I've got." PSB WSIA names Kevin Michael executive director 34 • April 4, 2016 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com KEVIN MICHAEL PWC sales up 15 percent in January The Yamaha VXS helped PWC sales grow by 15 percent during January.