Boat brands expand into digital sales

The biggest change under strict COVID-19 control measures is that boat brands are turning to virtual reality in an effort to connect with customers still keen to secure a new ride that they can take out once COVID-19 pandemic controls are lifted.

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Some offer virtual tours of boats, while others are trialling streaming technology that allows one of the sales team to walk you through the boat.

Sydney-based distributor eyachts, which also manages The Multihull Group, has launched virtual tours of its products.

It had a number of new models, including the next-generation Axpoar 37, the Sirena 58 – an all-new brand here – and the Lagoon Seventy8 booked in for Sanctuary Cove reveals.

According to eyachts and TMG marketing manager Marnie Ebeling, the shift to a virtual showroom is working with customers as far afield as Singapore buying boats. It has even sold a new Axpoar 37 Evolution motor yacht based solely on a video tour of the new model.

Ebeling said the brokerages realised about a month ago that they may have to move their sales model online, with the early planning now paying dividends.

“We’ve actually sold out of our current stock for eyachts,” Ebeling said. “We have boats for the Sanctuary Cove show such as the first Pardo 7 coming in this week, as well as the 100th Axopar sold in Australia,” she said.

“We have an Axopar 37 Cabin arriving in May, and the Sirena 58 is on the ship now and heading this way,” she said.

Fibreglass leisure boat brand Whittley Boats has also moved to a digital showroom, offering virtual tours of its products via its website.

“The foot traffic that we’ve normally seen going to the showroom, those people have been pushed online,” Whittley sales and marketing manager Alan Whittley said.

“We see that in the socials (social media) and we also see a lot more people building a boat online.”

In recognition, Whittley has launched a “virtual showroom“ that allows prospective buyers to browse boats as though they were walking through the real one. Using a virtual reality headset such as Google Cardboard or the Samsung Gear VR, they can even browse the digital model line-up in three dimensions.

The Melbourne-based boat-builder has been working on its digital strategy for the last 18 months after deciding it wanted to open a sales branch in Perth, but without a traditional bricks-and-mortar showroom.

The cancellation of this year’s 2020 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show in response to the coronavirus pandemic has robbed it of the opportunity to announce the launch of an all-new model for the Australian market – the Whittley CR2600 Outboard family cruiser.

Whittley said the company had already made a number of sales to buyers who made contact via its website.

He said much of the traditional boat-buying process had already gone online, making the digital transition easier.

“People can already apply for finance and insurance online,” Whittley said. “Having a virtual showroom gives the manufacturer an opportunity to market the boat.

“It’s also a direct link to the consumer. But it’s not all online – a customer still can’t click on a ‘purchase now’ button yet, but they can still research and build a boat online, and negotiate the price.”

Meanwhile, Gold Coast-based luxury boat brand Riviera has announced it will soon launch a number of virtual boat shows offering the same experience as attending a physical one, but via a digital link.

“Riviera dealer representatives in Australia, Japan and the United States East Coast, West Coast and Pacific Northwest are participating in this new boat show,” Riviera said.

“Representatives are able to offer the opportunity for people to inspect a Riviera or Belize luxury motor yacht through a variety of options including a personal virtual tour via FaceTime or Skype, email a video with commentary, or in person if possible.”

The boat maker said the move was in response to “a desire from people to go boating as soon as they can and by expectant Riviera owners to ensure their new boat is delivered as soon as possible”.

“At Riviera, we are seeing a real desire for family and friends wanting to get back on the water as soon as they can,” Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst said.

“Over the past few weeks, we have received calls from Europe, the Americas and Australasia from owners who currently have new boats in build with us.

“The consistent theme from these calls has been ‘please do all you can to deliver our new boat to us as soon as possible’.

“Our owners are telling us that they are keen to return to their much-loved boating way of life when they can.”

Riviera celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, building up to the global reveal of the all-new Riviera 64 Sports Motor Yacht, an all-new long-range flybridge model.

Ths boat was locked in for a 2020 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show reveal in May before crossing the globe to appear at a number of international boat shows, but the boat-maker has since had to rethink how the new model would launch.

“There will be a series of exclusive inspections of the 64 SMY that prospective owners are now arranging with our dealer representatives planned for June and July,” Longhurst said.