Baseball: In Minnesota, it’s also a winter sport
By Christopher Gerber, Associate Digital Editor
April 16, 2013
It’s cold in Minnesota. I should clarify: It’s unseasonably cold in Minnesota. With temperatures as low as the teens in mid April, the Minnesota Twins were in a bit of a bind: A snowstorm had just passed through, dropping 3 inches around the Twin Cities, and the team would be hosting the New York... Read more »
How Mozilla’s move could affect your marketing
By Christopher Gerber, Associate Digital Editor
March 26, 2013
Third-party cookies, proliferating around the web, are the backbone to a targeted advertising model that’s been building steam. But moves from Microsoft and Mozilla could change the way you reach audiences. Beginning later this year, Mozilla will be releasing an update to its Firefox browser that will... Read more »
Consumer show reports sign for optimism
By Christopher Gerber, Associate Digital Editor
March 8, 2013
Show season has been wrapping up, and despite the worries in Washington, dealers and consumers appear to be positive for a successful 2013. Consumer shows in powersports, automotive, RV and boating have shown an increase or flat attendance, but reports from exhibitors have been signaling a vastly improved... Read more »
2013 could see continued 5-10 percent growth for industry
By Christopher Gerber, Associate Digital Editor
January 4, 2013
The NMMA said this week that following an estimated 10 percent increase in powerboat sales during 2012, the industry could see as much as 5-10 percent more sales during 2013. The NMMA said that those factors depend on the improvement of indicators such as consumer confidence and the housing market as... Read more »
Business owners pulling back on hiring
By Christopher Gerber, Associate Digital Editor
December 6, 2012
Despite adding more than 118,000 jobs in the private sector in November, U.S. small business owners polled by Wells Fargo and Gallup have said on average that they do not intend to hire during the next twelve months, plunging the Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index Survey to levels seen four years... Read more »
MDCE keynote speaker discusses book, How to Soar Like An Eagle
Christopher Gerber, Associate Digital Editor
September 28, 2012
The Marine Dealer Conference and Expo is just over a month away, and there are a lot of new names on the schedule. I sat down to talk with the event’s keynote speaker, Robert Stevenson, to talk about his book, How to Soar Like An Eagle in a World Full of Turkeys. How to Soar Like An Eagle in a World... Read more »
Thoughts on Millennials from a Millennial
By Christopher Gerber, Associate Digital Editor
August 30, 2012
The dream of a house with a big lawn and three-car garage with a sports car or truck to fill it is on its way out with Millennials, who don’t have the same desires and spending habits as their parents and grandparents. At least, that’s according to The Atlantic editors Derek Thompson and Jordan... Read more »
Boat maintenance biggest reason boaters leave the lifestyle
By Christopher Gerber, Associate Digital Editor
August 16, 2012
I dove into a recent fishing and boating survey conducted by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation and The Outdoor Foundation and found some interesting statistics about who today’s boat buyers are and why former boaters chose to give up boating. If you want to see the full report for... Read more »
Boating safety must be part of the sale
By Christopher Gerber, Associate Digital Editor
July 31, 2012
The news has been relatively good this year: a lot of dealers are sharing that they’ve had strong, if not record, seasons for boat sales and industry sales are rebounding for the first time in several years. Unfortunately, so are boating accidents and deaths. In addition to the recent high-profile... Read more »
Target customers, but don’t insult them
By Christopher Gerber, Associate Digital Editor
July 6, 2012
Travel site Orbitz got into a bit of trouble with customers a few weeks ago when the Wall Street Journal reported that the company has been serving PC and Mac users with different hotel offers based on the computer they were using (among other factors). Orbitz executives told the Wall Street Journal... Read more »
