Marketing doesn’t work? Or maybe it was never even set up properly

• 22.07.2025.
• News, Marketing

What if the problem isn’t that your marketing doesn’t work, but that it was never even set up properly? With a brief look at the yacht charter industry, Selma Ćubara, in her new article for čarter.hr, shares her thoughts on why many companies are left disappointed with their marketing results and what it really means to build a strategy that supports growth – both during and outside the season.

Every year the same scene. The nautical season is in full swing, the fleet is at sea, bookings mostly come through agents and partners, and social media is filled with photos of sunsets, cocktails, and sails in the wind. At first glance, everything looks perfect.

But as soon as the peak season passes and it’s time for analysis, questions arise: how many new direct inquiries did this bring us? Have we expanded our network of partners? Are there any new markets on the horizon?

Unfortunately, the answer is often disappointing. That’s when I hear the sentence yacht charter companies often say to me:

“Marketing doesn’t work. We don’t need social media. We’re doing fine without it, agents are more important to us.”

 

Why doesn’t marketing “work”?

This isn’t uncommon in the yacht charter industry. Over the years, I’ve worked with charter companies of all sizes, from family-run fleets with a dozen sailboats to companies operating premium cruising vessels with full onboard service. And the same pattern keeps repeating: marketing is often seen as an add-on, as something nice to have but not critical to the business.

I understand why this is so. During the season, the pressure is enormous – guests, agents, a fleet that requires constant attention, employees. In this whirlwind of daily tasks, marketing often comes down to what’s most visible and easiest to explain: open social media profiles and “let something go out,” “everyone’s doing it.”

But social media, without a clear strategy, too often remains just an album of beautiful photos, and only while the season lasts. Websites exist, but they are rarely designed with conversions in mind. If you look more closely, you’ll notice how many yacht charter websites look almost identical, and that’s no coincidence.

Email marketing? Often unused. Newsletters are mostly reduced to B2B communication, sending lists of available boats and discounts, information that agents already have access to through booking systems.

SEO? Still something abstract and often postponed for “when there’s more time.”

So it’s no wonder that results are lacking. It’s no wonder that owners feel disappointment and frustration when they tally up the numbers at the end of the season. And I completely understand that feeling because the problem isn’t in their effort or in the idea of marketing itself. The problem is that marketing, as most perceive it, was never actually set up the way it should have been.

What does it mean to “set up marketing properly”?

Marketing is not a Facebook post with hashtags nor an occasional Google ad that gets turned on when there’s a “gap in bookings.”
Marketing is much more than that. It is a strategy and a system that answers fundamental questions:

• Who are our ideal guests?
• Through which channels can we reach them?
• What do we offer them that the competition cannot?
• How will we track results and adapt?

Without these answers, all marketing activities become just a collection of disconnected attempts, and the results inevitably lead to frustration.

Example from practice:
Company A manages a fleet of 35 sailboats and catamarans. For years, they relied almost exclusively on agents. Direct inquiries were few, and social media served more as an album of beautiful pictures than a channel for generating interest. After we jointly set a clear strategy, defined target markets, created campaigns with concrete CTAs, and redesigned the website with a focus on conversions, the number of direct inquiries increased by 40% in the first season. This was not magic but the result of systematic work on the foundations.

Company B has one premium cruising vessel with full onboard service. Here, the strategy was built around a story of luxury, forming partnerships with agencies serving HNWI clients (High-Net-Worth Individuals – high-spending guests), and entering specialized channels for the premium market. Instagram here played a completely different role, serving as a tool for creating an impression and a brand story, not direct bookings.

But it is also important to say this: no matter how many ideas we propose from the marketing agency, how many campaigns we design, and how many roadmaps we draw, the final result depends on how willing the owner or team is to stand behind it and carry it out. There is no marketing that will “automatically” generate bookings. Marketing can bring interested guests, but sales is what closes the process. That is why I always say marketing and sales are like two fingers of the same hand. Only together can they achieve what they cannot apart.

5 practical tips to start strategic marketing

If you too are among those who think “marketing doesn’t work,” here’s where you can start:

1. Analyze where you are now – How many inquiries come directly? How many from agents? Do you have data on website visits?
2. Define goals – Do you want more direct bookings, better cooperation with agents, or entry into new markets?
3. Choose channels with intention – You don’t have to be everywhere. Focus on the channels where your guests are.
4. Invest in content – Photos and texts should tell the story of your service, not just fill up a feed.
5. Measure results – Set KPIs and track them. Marketing without measurement is like sailing without a compass.

Time for an honest inventory

I know how challenging it is to balance daily operations: guests, fleet, services, paperwork, agents… At such a pace, marketing often stays on hold or is reduced to the basics: a website, Instagram, maybe the occasional Google ad when you feel a drop in inquiries. And that is completely understandable.

But if you now, while the season is still underway, pause for a moment and look at the bigger picture – are these tools bringing you what you hoped for? Or do they serve more just to “have something in place”?
The boat shows are just around the corner. Last year you might have thought things would align on their own, that new contacts would come spontaneously. But what would happen if this year you went to the show with clear goals, prepared materials, and a concrete follow-up plan? If you already knew which agents you wanted to win over and how to present your offer in a way that would make you memorable to them?

Marketing is not a cost but a long-term investment. Without a strategy and without connection to sales, even the most beautiful Instagram profile or a modern website will not by themselves bring more inquiries. What makes the difference is systematic work, clearly defined goals, and a team standing behind every activity.

The season is still ongoing, and right now is the perfect time to gather content and guest experiences that will be invaluable for campaigns and presentations during the winter. Instead of waiting for the “quieter days” that rarely come, maybe it’s time to take the first step towards marketing that truly supports sales and helps your company grow.

If you would like to see what direction this could take for your brand, reach out to me for a short meeting. No obligation, but with plenty of ideas that can show you the potential and opportunities for the next season.

 

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