Boating is a huge recreational activity for visitors and residents of coastal towns, as well as for towns adjacent to large lakes and rivers. In fact, last year in the U.S., there were 11,861,811 registered recreational boating vessels. (Statistic from the U.S. Coast Guard)
If your business sells services or merchandise to boaters, this list of the top promotional items for boaters is for you. Boating is an activity that consistently requires the purchase of new supplies, new parts for your boat, and routine boat maintenance and cleaning. Your goal as a business owner who sells primarily to boaters is to not only obtain new boating customers but also keep them coming back.
Keeping Your Business Afloat With Boaters
It’s important to develop strong relationships with your boating customers. Most likely, there are a number of other competitors your customers can choose for their boating supplies and services. That’s why you need to stay top of mind with your customers. By giving away branded promotional items that are useful while on the boat, you’ll ensure your customers won’t forget you. Then your name will continue to float above your competitors. Below is a list of the most useful promotional items that boaters not only will love, but they will need.
Top Promotional Items For Boaters
It’s inevitable that some of your belongings will get wet while on the water. It may be because of a child sitting down next your book or phone after getting out of the water. Or it may be because of a sudden rain shower that often happens while boating in coastal areas.
These waterproof bags will protect your items that need to stay dry. These dry bags are large with a 5-liter capacity, which measures 12-1/4″ W x 15-1/4″ H, so there’s room to store plenty of your not-so-waterproof possessions. Your company logo is boldly printed on the front of the bag to continually remind your customers who is helping to protect their belongs. This will be the new favorite bag for your boating customers.
Why Coleman? Because this brand is reliable and the coolers work extremely well. Sure you can buy the overpriced coolers that hold ice for four days, but do you really plan on boating four days straight? These Coleman brand coolers are a well-recognized name, they work, and they are priced nicely for premium coolers. When you gift a high-quality cooler, your customers will immediately recognize the value of and keep it for many years. If Coleman isn’t in your budget, check out some of our other lower priced custom coolers here.
Part of the fun of boating is hanging out with friends and family without the typical distractions that impede quality time with your loved ones. While boating, you find a great hangout spot, anchor, and let the fun begin. Sometimes that means anchoring on a deserted shoreline or beach somewhere. Your favorite tunes help make the day more pleasant.
A good quality Bluetooth speaker so you can play music from your phone is a necessity. But to be safe while boating, make sure it’s a waterproof Bluetooth speaker. The quality of sound you get from wireless Bluetooth speakers varies greatly, so we recommend you buy a sample or two before purchasing in bulk to make sure you are happy with the sound output. The pricing and sound quality of wireless speakers have dramatically improved over the past few years, so most of them will be great giveaways for your clients.
One aspect of boating most people enjoy is the ability to cool off as needed by jumping into the water. Towels are one of those necessities that every boater packs. Why not make sure they have beach towels with your company logo on them? Custom towels are sure to be kept for many years giving your company plenty of marketing exposure. The huge imprint area makes your logo hard to miss.
Beach towels come in many different weights and sizes, so refer to our Beach Towel Buying Guide to make sure you get the right towels for your customers. Towels that are too thin aren’t going to end up being the favorites, so it’s best to opt for heavier weight towels and purchase fewer towels rather than a higher quantity of thin, lightweight towels.
Enjoying the sun is part of the boating experience. Its warmth practically forces you to periodically cool off in the water. It warms you up when you get out of the water. However, it can burn you badly over the course of a full day on the water. That’s why sunscreen is an absolute must when boating.
Custom printed sunscreen is a low-cost item you can give away to your customers. You can about guarantee they’ll use it because it’s one of the items that gets expensive to buy retail, so your customers will certainly see the value in it and be appreciative of your gift.
In the same way sunscreen is a necessity while boating, so are sunglasses. Sunglasses aren’t just to make you are more comfortable while in the sun; they are actually for protection. Sunglasses help protect your eyes from UV rays, which can actually cause a sunburn to your eyes.
Sunglasses will help make your boating experience much more pleasurable. As the sun’s rays reflect off the surface of the water, sunglasses become much-needed items while on the boat. You can choose from several styles and price points here.
A good hat is great way to protect your face from too much sun. Sunscreen does help, but it’s often not enough if you’re out in the sun all day. A hat also helps shield your eyes from the sun and the sun’s glare while on the water. A trendy hat style decorated with your logo makes a great gift your customers will use. The more they use the hat, the more exposure your business gets. That’s why it’s important to buy a popular hat style your clients will love. Aim to give them their new, favorite hat. That means don’t opt for the cheapest hat available because that option likely won’t be their new favorite.
While boating is a great way to escape the constant dinging and ringing of technology, your phone can be a handy piece of equipment to have on the boat. Maybe one of your kids is spending the day with a friend while you are boating, so you need to have an open line of communication. Additionally, you want to capture pictures of your excursion to help remember the fun you had, so the camera from your phone is nice to have. But most phone don’t like water, so a good quality waterproof phone pouch is a great asset to have for boating.
Think about how often you drop your car keys. It’s not usually a big deal though, because you simply bend down and pick them up from the ground. But change your environment to the water and now dropping your keys there is a completely different scenario. It’s no fun trying to dive into the water to find your key. Your chances of finding it are about the same as finding an underwater treasure from an ancient pirate ship. To prevent this scenario, a floating key chain is an absolute must for boaters. This simple, yet effective item will be used and kept until the keychain falls apart. These are very low-cost promotional items you can afford to give away to all of your boating customers.
Sometimes it’s not all fun and games. Accidents happen. Maybe you step on a sharp seashell, or worse, a piece of glass that someone littered. For your minor cuts and scrapes, it’s handy to keep a basic first aid kit on your boat. Essential items such as bandages and antiseptic wipes can be helpful to prevent your minor injuries from becoming infected. Hopefully, first aid kids won’t be needed, but inevitably something happens requiring a small bandage, so it’s best to be prepared. You can shop all of our promotional first aid kits here.
By putting useful items (with your logo) in the hands of boaters, they will be frequently reminded of your business. The gifts also create a sense of goodwill toward your company, giving you the edge over your competitors.
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