ADVERTISING
In its pursuit to growing recreational boating in the Northwest, the NMTA believes reaching out to non-boaters through an extensive advertising and marketing campaign is critical to success.

TELEVISION - The most visible tool used in NMTA's Grow Boating effort is its annual television campaign. First aired in May 2004, a 30-second spot highlighting the region's waters and various types of boating carries the message to "get away from it all" and enjoy boating. Since its initial development, the spot has been updated with new imagery, providing a refreshed look during each campaign.

RADIO - To compliment the early summer television campaign, radio spots encouraging Northwesterners to take to the water first aired in May 2006 prior to the region's "Opening Day of Boating Season" and again during the Memorial Day weekend. The call to action is to visit DiscoverNorthwestBoating.com - NMTA's regional version of the national Discover Boating website - aimed at helping new and current boaters get on the water while pointing them directly to NMTA members.

To listen to a sample of the spots, CLICK HERE.

PRINT - Beginning in April 2006, NMTA's Grow Boating program developed small print advertisements that were published in the region's most-read newspapers. Spreading the message that "Nothing Brings People Together Like Boating," the small print ads pointed readers to DiscoverNorthwestBoating.com to learn how to get started in boating.

SAMPLE PRINT AD

PUBLIC RELATIONS
First initiationed in Spring 2006, NMTA contracted with a local public relations professional to promote positive boating stories in regional media.

A sample of positive boating stories and television segments that resulted from the new public relations effort is as follows:

• Lake Washington Fishing segment, July 28, 2006, KING TV
  KING TV reporter Tim Robinson interviewed NMTA Director of Fishing Affairs Tony Floor about the upcoming salmon fishery on Lake Washington. The segment promoted recreational fishing and the popular fishery.
• "There's more than one way to ride a board," July 20, 2006, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
  Cover Story of Getaways section. Extensive article detailing the local wakeboard and wakesurfing scene. Promotes the benefits of youth being involved in watersports and boating, while promoting NMTA's new grow boating event - a day-long wakeboard tournament on July 22 at Coulon Park in Lake Washington.
• "A novice sailor unfazed by gusts of fate," July 13, 2006, Seattle Times
  Profiles a local woman's love for sailing while promoting various schools and clubs that offer sailing courses for interested readers to get involved.
• "Forget the fancy brunch, let's go to the water," June 19, 2006, The News Tribune
  Cover story of local news section. Article recapped NMTA's new grow boating event in Tacoma, Wash. - Fun on the Foss - which provided free boat rides and a kids fishing pond over Father's Day Weekend.
• KOMO TV Consumer Man Tips, May 26, 2006
  Herb Weisbaum of KOMO 4 Radio and TV did a Consumerman Tip of the Day segment on choosing the right life jacket and directed consumers to DiscoverBoating.com for more information.
• "Lure of the water trumps cost of gas," May 13, 2006, Seattle Post-Intelligencer - noted that boat sales are robust, marinas are busy and boaters won't let fuel process deter them from boating and that the pleasure of boating outweighs any fuel price concerns. The article included a side bar that explained the fuel tax refund program for boaters.
• KING TV Evening Magazine segment - May 5, 2006
  Show host John Curley demo'd an inflatable towable on Lake Sammamish while being towed behind a Malibu boat provided by Bakes Marine. John Curley was spoke about how boating is a great family activity and more affordable than most people think.