Three More Neptune Awards Highlight Sportsman Boats’ Marketing Innovation

The Sportsman Boats team is proud to announce that we secured three more Neptune Awards at the 2025 Marine Marketers Association (MMA) Neptune Awards. This marks a huge milestone for our marketing team, bringing us to 12 total awards, including two previous King Neptune Awards for Best Overall Marketing Campaign.

This year we decided to mix things up, take a risk and invest in something new. We’ve created video series around boats, how to build boats and education on all things boating, but we had not stepped outside of that until now. The idea came from a simple question: What’s something most boaters do but may be uneducated in? Fishing and cooking the fish they catch.

Most boaters have spent time with a rod and reel in hand and enjoyed successful days on the water, but many are looking for better ways to prepare the fish they bring home. We set out to create a series that would teach boaters from all brands and walks of life how to cook a gourmet meal with the fish they caught. Tide To Table did just that. With professional Chef Eric Greenwood as our host, we hit the water, caught fresh fish, collected oysters, crabs and shrimp, and turned those fresh proteins into incredible meals for the camera.

We took it a step further. We didn’t just create a great video series, we captured high quality photography and converted all that work into a thoughtfully designed cookbook that people can keep in their kitchens. We built a brand around the series and created something entirely new, something other marine manufacturers were not doing. Through food, we introduced the Sportsman brand to new audiences. That successful series led us to bringing home our second Neptune Award for Best Video Series.

The video awards did not stop there. The Heritage 321 is a boat that broke the norm for center consoles and we had to showcase that innovation through video. We created what we believe to be the best walkthrough in Sportsman history for the Heritage 321. This walkthrough wasn’t designed for millions of views but for thousands of the right views. It became a cinematic collection of information and stunning visuals that show what life on the Heritage 321 truly looks like.

At over 30 minutes long, it’s not something everyone will sit through, but it is something serious buyers will sit and watch. This walkthrough helps qualify leads before they ever step foot into a dealership. With over 20% of viewers watching through the video, we can see how effective it has been. It has set a new standard in boat walkthroughs for our brand and for the marine industry and was well deserving of the Best Long Form Video Neptune Award.

Lastly, we cannot forget our Best Marketing Innovation Neptune Award for Design Studio 2.0. The Design Studio is an incredibly effective tool for lead generation and user interaction on our website and we knew it was time for a subtle update. We used CAD models within digital animation software along with a custom algorithm to create thousands of rendered images that allow users to customize their very own Sportsman in every possible configuration.

Users can build their boat, envision it before placing an order and receive their own PNG image of the final build. Not only does this allow users to see what their boat could look like, it also generates high quality leads. Each build is sent directly to the user’s local dealer along with their contact information, allowing dealers to stay connected with potential buyers. This tool has been transformative for our website, our brand and our lead generation efforts.

This year’s Neptune Awards mean a lot to our team. They continue to show that our marketing innovations are working and that we are helping lead within the marine marketing space. We represent our brand first and foremost, but we also represent what it looks like to be a marketer in the marine industry. We must continue pushing ourselves to market the marine space well so that we can grow as an industry.

Beyond our internal efforts, we’re also proud of the leadership happening at the industry level. Our Chief Marketing Officer, Victor Gonzalez, serves on the board for Discover Boating and continues to play an active role in shaping the future of marine marketing as a collective. This year he participated in a panel outlining the 2026 goals for Discover Boating and how, as an industry, we must work together to expand our visibility and capture more of the broader pleasure market currently dominated by RV and travel sectors. By aligning brands, dealers and national campaigns under a unified strategy, the goal is clear: grow boating’s share of the leisure market and position the marine industry for long term, sustainable growth.

Our team at Sportsman Boats is proud to help lead the charge in sharing the marine lifestyle with the world. We plan to continue innovating and refining our marketing efforts to show that we are one of the strongest teams in the business and we love seeing the marine industry thrive.