boating season, Charlestown Marina saw an 82 increase in Facebook page likes and a 193 increase in Instagram followers. "We pride ourselves in high quality customer service, so building these relationships is a critical step in monitoring our performance," Jones said. "It is what drives guests to return to the marina." When Jones came on as marketing manager last year, she presented the idea of utilizing TikTok as a means to communicate with their customers. Jones uses TikTok to post about the facility, as well as events that take place at the marina and around the Boston area. "TikTok has connected the community in another way," Ann said. "We have had captains and customers who say they enjoy looking back at TikTok videos from past events. It helps us promote the marina and get everyone thinking about boating." Jones said that she is also thinking about the next generation of boating when she posts on TikTok. "I want to foster a new love of boating for the next generation, so as they get older and establish their careers, they'll turn to boating as their passion."
Reliable Neighbor
Charlestown Marina also takes its role as a good neighbor seriously. The facility is involved in the Boston community and takes part in many noteworthy events including Massachusetts' Kids in Boating and Fishing week. Last season, the marina hosted an event for children and families to visit the facility and board a variety of boats, including a Coast Guard ship, a fire boat, and a Boston Dragon Boat. Each year, the marina also provides dockage for a 10-day visit of the Impossible Dream, a 100 accessible catamaran that offers free sailing tours to patients of hospitals, nursing homes, and veteran organizations. "We look forward to this event every year," Ann said. "This is an opportunity for people who have never been on a boat to experience it and take a tour of Boston Harbor. Our staff gets as much enjoyment out of the event as the attendees do."
What Comes Next
Despite a number of obstacles facing the recreational boating industry, including rising fuel prices and inflation, Charlestown Marina is forecasting another growth year. Chuck pointed to the number of transient contracts already signed for the season as a reason to be optimistic. With prices for fuel and commodities continuing to increase, the marina doesn't intend to raise rates at this time. "We fully expect to face challenges this season," he said. "But we are optimistic because we have the capacity in dockage to keep rates steady and the ability to welcome boaters well into the future."
LOYALTY HAS ITS PERKS
In 2021, Charlestown Marina introduced its loyalty program, Ocean Access. The Lagasses worked with marina management software company Marina Master to develop their program. "Marina Master worked with our team to create the perfect way to attract customers and provide them with amenities and rewards for visiting our marinas," Ann said. "The program is tied to our reservation system, also operated by Marina Master, so when customers sign up for a seasonal slip they are asked if they want to become part of the loyalty program." It doesn't cost the customer anything to join the program, but they do need to register with their email in order to receive the benefits. When the loyalty program started two years ago, Ocean Access had about 300 members. Today, that number is approaching 900. There are currently three different tiers within the program: Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. "It all depends on the contract the customer has with us," said Macy Jones, marketing manager for Ocean Havens. "If they are a transient, they are a Gold level member, seasonal boaters receive the Platinum level benefits, and those boaters at one of the facilities on a year-round basis get the Diamond level membership." Since Charlestown Marina's sister property, Harbor Fuels, has a fuel dock, Jones said fuel discounts are a big component of the program for the seasonal and year-round customers. Other perks include free hourly dockage at other Ocean Havens facilities, express checkout, restaurant and merchandise discounts, and early contract signings. Jones estimates that about half of the current members are in the Gold tier, the rest are equally divided between Platinum and Diamond. "We have partnered with a lot of restaurants around Boston that offer some great discounts," Jones said. "Our free hourly dockage perk is very popular among our members. It encourages them to check out one of our other marinas and grab dinner at a partner restaurant and enjoy all the great things Boston has to offer." Chuck believes the loyalty program has become an integral component of operating all of their marinas. "We are trying to make our loyalty program meaningful; we want it to grow even more," he said. "I believe this program will help us continue to grow our customer base and keep our marinas full."
The entire marina was rebuilt, including Pier 6, which is hurricane-rated and 325 feet long. 10 Marina Dock Age March 2023
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