Welcome Back to 1985: Why IRL Is the Marine Industry's Biggest Opportunity Right Now

It's boat show season. And if you've been paying attention, something feels a little different this year. The energy is back. The crowds are back. And honestly? The appetite for getting off screens and getting outside is back in a way I haven't felt in years.

If you work in the marine industry, I want you to stop and appreciate what that means, because we are sitting on a massive opportunity, and not everyone is going to recognize it in time to act on it.

Welcome to the IRL Era (Yes, Really)

Let's talk about what's trending. And no, I'm not talking about another algorithm change or a new ad format. I'm talking about something bigger: people are craving real life.

IRL — in real life — is having a cultural moment. After years of Zoom calls, DoorDash deliveries, and doom-scrolling, consumers across every generation are actively seeking experiences they can feel. Not watch. Not scroll past. Feel.

This isn't just a vibe, it's a shift that's showing up in data and in behavior. Brands that invested in experiential marketing have seen meaningful returns: research from Reach3 found that 91% of consumers are more likely to purchase after participating in a brand experience, and experiential campaigns can deliver significantly higher ROI compared to traditional methods. Even more telling? Younger consumers, your Gen Z, Millennials, even your emerging Gen Alpha spenders are the ones leading this charge back to real-world connection.

They're tired. They've grown up entirely online. And they are desperately ready to disconnect from the scroll and reconnect with something real. A 2025 Harris Poll found that 81% of Gen Z wish they could disconnect from digital devices more easily — and 78% would rather their social life be entirely in person than entirely online. That's your customer. And they're ready to get on the water.

And it's not just Gen Z. The 2025 Outdoor Industry Association Participation Report found that older adults are now the fastest-growing segment in outdoor recreation — up 7.4% in 2024 alone, more than doubling over the past decade. 

Sound like anything you sell?

The Marine Industry has the Perfect Product

Here's what I love about this moment for our industry: we don't have to manufacture the IRL experience. We are the IRL experience.

Think about what happens when someone steps onto a boat for the first time. Or when a family spends a full day on the water together, no notifications, no meetings, no noise. The water does something to people. It resets them. It reconnects them to each other and to themselves in a way that almost nothing else can.

That's not a fluffy “marketing” tagline. That's the truth and right now, the cultural appetite for exactly that is at a high point and increasing.

We have been so focused over the last several years, and rightfully so — on digital. Paid media, SEO, email automation, social strategy. None of that was wrong. It was the right response to a world where people were home, online, and buying differently. I'm absolutely not telling you to pull back on digital. Keep investing there. The changes that happened as a result of the pandemic and the acceleration of digital shopping didn’t change temporarily, it changed permanently and it accelerated the way we all behave when it comes to research and shopping.

But I am telling you that layering real-world experiences on top of your digital strategy is no longer optional. It's the move.

What This Means for Your Budget (and Your Calendar)

So what does leaning into IRL actually look like in the marine industry right now? Here's where I'd be looking:

Boat Shows. They're back and they matter. If you've been treating boat shows as a legacy line item you're not sure how to justify, reframe them. They are experiential marketing at scale. The leads you generate face-to-face at a show are warmer than almost any digital lead you'll capture, because the consumer has already self-selected into the experience. Show up with intention — your booth, your people, your energy should all reflect the lifestyle you're selling.

Rendezvous and Owner Events. The brands that have built the most loyal followings haven't just sold boats — they've built communities. If you're not investing in owner experiences, you're leaving loyalty on the table; especially if your boats are sold through a dealer network or where you’re one step removed from the consumer. 

A well-executed owner event doesn't just deepen relationships with existing customers, it’s also a perfect opportunity to immerse those new to your brand with how and why your brand, product and team are different and uniquely positioned to support the client above what they would get with the competition. It’s also an incredible opportunity to get real-time product feedback from owners to inform future new products and even sell production slots for the boat “they” helped you design. 

Local Dock and Marina Activations. You don't have to wait for the big national show. Partner with a local marina or yacht club. Host a sunset demo. Show up where your customer already is and make it an experience worth sharing.

Encourage Your Owners to Host. This is the one most brands miss. Your happiest customers are your best marketers and ambassadors— and when they host a lake day or a sunset cruise, they're bringing first-time boaters into the world you've created. Give them a reason to do it. Give them something to share. Make it easy.

A Note on the Generational Opportunity

Who is showing up for these IRL experiences? All of them, honestly. But let me be specific about the opportunity with younger generations, because this is where I see marine brands underinvesting.

Gen Z and Millennials are not checked out of the outdoors. They are hungry for it. The wellness movement, the "get off your phone" conversation, the growing awareness of mental health and the restorative power of nature — these are tailwinds for our industry that we should be leaning into hard. (McKinsey's 2025 wellness report puts this in perspective: 84% of U.S. consumers now say wellness is a top priority, fueling a market worth more than $500 billion annually — and it keeps growing.)

The key is meeting them where they are, then bringing them to the water. That means your digital presence still needs to be strong and visual and worth stopping for. But the conversion — the moment they go from interested to bought-in — often still happens in person. At a show. At an event. On a demo ride.

That bridge between digital discovery and IRL experience? That is where marine brands win or lose right now.

The Bottom Line

I've been in this industry long enough to see cycles. What I'm watching right now is not a blip — it's a recalibration. Consumers are reassigning value. They are investing in experiences that get them outside, off screens, and with the people they love.

We have the perfect product for this moment. The question is whether your marketing budget, your events calendar, and your team's capacity reflect that reality.

If you're still operating like IRL is a nice-to-have, I'd encourage you to revisit that assumption in this next budget cycle. Because the brands that show up in person, create memorable experiences, and build real community around boating are going to be the ones your customers talk about, come back to, and bring their friends to.

Welcome back to 1985 — and this time, we get to keep the digital tools too. Not a bad deal.

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Ready to rethink your marketing strategy for the IRL moment? Let's talk. 

I work with marine brands to build marketing strategies that actually move the needle — on the water and off it.

Book a Strategy Call

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About the Author

Shelby Kirby is the founder of Kirby Consulting, a marketing and advisory firm specializing in the marine industry. She works with brands as a Fractional CMO, helping them build strategy, attract top talent, and lead through change.