Discover Boating Health Score Index: June Performance and Media Test Findings

The Discover Boating Health Score Index (HSI) provides a consistent way to measure how effectively Discover Boating is growing awareness of recreational boating and attracting future participants to the lifestyle over time by tracking the key indicators that reflect the health of the top of the consumer funnel.

To learn more about the HSI and the metrics contributing to the overall index, NMMA and MRAA will host a brief webinar on Tuesday, June 28, from 11:00-11:30 a.m. ET. Members can REGISTER HERE.

New Test & Learn Findings

The first phase of Discover Boating's second round of testing concluded in June. This test was designed to answer a straightforward question: Can automatically tailoring advertising content to individual consumers improve "See You Out Here" campaign performance?

Compared with standard advertising, the tailored approach generated:

• A 28% increase in visits to DiscoverBoating.com.
• A 13% increase in highly engaged consumers who clicked through to NMMA member websites to continue their shopping journey.

These results reinforce an important finding from the overall Test & Learn strategy: delivering the right message to the right consumer at the right time produces stronger engagement and creates more qualified prospects for the industry. With audience targeting and creative strategy now validated, July testing will focus on determining the optimal level of advertising investment. The objective is to identify the point at which additional spending no longer produces meaningful incremental returns, enabling us to maximize the efficiency and impact of future marketing investments.

What June's Health Score Index Demonstrates

June results continue to demonstrate strength in the early stages of the consumer purchase journey, providing encouraging indicators for future demand despite ongoing market softness. The Health Score Index (HSI) for June 2026 measured 71, representing a decline of 11 points from May and 7 points compared with June 2025. Relative to the March 2024 baseline (100), the index is 29 points lower, reflecting continued pressure across the industry while maintaining positive momentum at the top of the consumer funnel.

To note, the HSI experienced greater-than-normal movement across several metrics during the spring and summer, reflecting the intentional Test & Learn strategy underway rather than typical seasonal performance. These tests were designed to create more precision in how Discover Boating campaigns are planned, targeted and optimized, providing the team with a data-driven roadmap for FY27 and beyond.

The work was executed in three strategic waves: (1) audience targeting, (2) creative optimization, and (3) budget scaling to identify the point of maximum efficiency before diminishing returns. While this disciplined approach can introduce short-term variability in individual metrics, it is generating the insights needed to build smarter, more effective campaigns. Ultimately, these learnings will enable Discover Boating to deploy marketing investments with stronger confidence, improve long-term efficiency, and better position the industry to expand participation by reaching the right consumers with the right message at the right investment level.

Key indicators show that:

• Boating continues to maintain strong visibility, ensuring the category remains top of mind with consumers.
• Participation remains healthy, with consumers continuing to get out on the water and engage in boating-related activities.
• Discover Boating's June Test & Learn campaign delivered positive results, demonstrating that the refined marketing approach is attracting more consumer attention and generating greater interest in exploring boating.

Taken together, these indicators suggest that awareness and consumer interest remain healthy, providing a solid foundation for future industry growth.

Key Drivers of June Performance

• Market Visibility stayed above benchmark, showing that boating continues to sustain strong consumer awareness and interest.
• Boating Participation exceeded benchmark levels and rose 15 percentage points from May, reflecting stronger on-water consumer activity as the summer season gained momentum.
• Target Audience Reach improved for the fourth consecutive month, showing that our refined media strategy is reaching more consumers most likely to enter the boating market.
• Discover Boating Campaign Performance continued to strengthen as we shifted advertising toward higher-quality consumer engagement rather than overall website traffic. Although total site visits declined, visitors were significantly more likely to take meaningful next steps in their purchase journey.
• See You Out Here Campaign "Hand Raisers" showed exceptional growth among consumers who clicked through to NMMA member websites. Compared with May, referrals increased 46% to dealers, 97% to manufacturers, and 173% to rental operators. Overall conversion rates also improved sharply, indicating more qualified prospective customers are being delivered to the industry.
• Search Trends fell below benchmark for the first time in two quarters. This likely reflects broader shifts in consumer behavior, as more people use AI-powered tools instead of traditional search engines, rather than a decline in boating interest.
• Social Media Engagement remained strong on a per-post basis and exceeded benchmark levels. Overall engagement declined year-over-year, primarily due to fewer collaborative events and influencer content opportunities.
• Boat Shows remained unchanged because the metric reflects a rolling 12-month average. The current score continues to reflect softer attendance trends across the broader boat show industry.

From Insights to Action

June also marked the launch of a refreshed summer campaign built on the insights gained through Discover Boating's Test & Learn program. Combined with the updated media strategy, these initiatives establish a stronger baseline for measuring future performance while continuing to improve the efficiency of marketing investments and the quality of prospective customers delivered to NMMA members.

The full HSI Dashboard, FAQs, and the introductory HSI 101 webinar can be found HERE. Please reach out to NMMA's Maggie Maskery at [email protected] for more information.