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Summer Fever Pandemic
To Follow Frigid Winter
(NAPSI)—For most of the United States, it has been a long, cold winter.
Many cities, in fact, reported their coldest, wettest winters in
history, which experts say is the source of a “Summer Fever” pandemic
not seen in decades.
Summer Fever symptoms include a sudden urge to indulge in new
experiences and find new sources of fun. It’s akin to the feeling of
freedom after the last day of school.
Although Summer Fever is not great news for employers in terms of
productivity, it’s a boon for boat dealers who provide the means to
indulge in all that summer fun. And interest is already starting to
take hold, as evidenced by winter boat shows around the country
reporting attendance jumps upwards of 14 percent compared to previous
years.
This trend could benefit companies that make products focused on making
it easy for first-time buyers to enter the boating market. One such
company is Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, which sells personal
watercraft under the WaveRunner brand and runabout boats 21 and 24 feet
in length. Yamaha’s focus on value and cost control has helped the
brand become the best-selling personal watercraft in the industry today
as well as the best-selling boats in the 20- to 25-foot category.
According to Bryan Seti, national marketing manager for Yamaha
Watercraft, WaveRunner and boat sales are exceeding 2010−2011
projections, with most boat show markets reporting double-digit sales
increases.
“Following this brutal winter, all eyes are already on the summer
months. And this comes as consumer savings are at a high not seen in
many years and interest rates remain very low,” said Seti. “Visitor
traffic on our Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels is buzzing with
activity, which we see as a clear indication that people are ready for
summer, and they are excited to get outdoors and recreate with the
family.”
Erin Shaughnessy, producer for the recreational boating website Best of
Boating, concurs with Seti. “Our visitor traffic is at an all- time
high, which is a good sign for the boating industry, which has been
beaten up during the last few years. Boat buyers are still looking for
a great value and low cost of ownership, which are areas where
companies like Yamaha have a distinct advantage.”
A recent survey of Best of Boating visitors shows that boat and
personal watercraft buyers are thinking with their left brain when it
comes to a pending boat purchase.
“Our visitors have become more rational when it comes to paying for
unnecessary features and more analytical when it comes to comparing
brand reliability, fuel efficiency and the daily cost of operation,”
said Shaughnessy. “For 2011, less is more.”
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