In the marine industry, trust and reputation aren’t just nice-to-haves — they are fundamental to winning contracts, securing investment and maintaining long-term profitability. Yet, while many marine businesses invest heavily in operations and product innovation, marketing and PR often get sidelined, especially when market conditions are tough.
If you’re like many experienced leaders, you know you need to “do something” about marketing. But the real question is: how does PR actually support your bottom line — without the smoke and mirrors?
To break down the barriers, when we talk about PR, we don’t just mean press coverage. Effective public relations is about shaping how your brand is perceived across the industry — by buyers, partners, investors and peers. It’s the foundation of your visibility and credibility and ultimately influences how much trust people place in your business. Reputation is built through consistent messaging, thought leadership, media presence and proactive communication — not one-off campaigns.
Highlighting the challenge—visibility without strategy is just noise
Marine businesses operate in a competitive and specialised world. Often, companies tell us they are struggling to effectively communicate their brand’s USPs to create a point of difference in the sea of perceived similarity, relying on word-of-mouth, networking, or the occasional product launch to drive growth.
This struggle can lead to brands feeling invisible, and being invisible has a well-documented impact on the bottom line. To add depth to what this lack of visibility means, in 2023 Edelman reported that 82% of investors say name recognition is an important factor in investment decisions, and LinkedIn’s B2B Marketing Benchmark report cited that 70% of B2B buyers are more likely to choose a brand they’re familiar with, even if the offer isn’t the lowest. Meanwhile according to Nielson, brands with high visibility are 3x more likely to be considered during the buying process.
The combined impact of this, according to Nielson’s Marketing report from 2022, is that brands with low awareness see conversion rates up to 50% lower than known competitors in B2B sectors.
What are the risks of working without a strategic, specialist PR approach?
In a highly specialised and competitive space like marine, being invisible has consequences. You might have the best product on the market, but if decision-makers haven’t heard of you — or don’t understand what sets you apart — your brand will face the following risks;
- Losing market share to louder competitors – even when your products are better
- Failing to secure partnerships, tenders, or investment because your brand isn’t visible enough
- Wasting money on fragmented marketing activities that don’t deliver real business outcomes
The additional challenge you may face: without clear leadership, it’s almost impossible to measure success, making marketing feel like an expense rather than an investment.
How could strategic PR designed for the marine industry provide a solution?
A strong reputation isn’t just good optics — it directly affects business performance. It’s well documented that trusted brands are more likely to be shortlisted for tenders, close sales faster and secure higher-value partnerships. Investors and partners want to align with companies they’ve heard of — and believe in.
Employing a marine specialist PR professional changes the game. Here’s how:
- Tailored messaging — An experienced sector professional will understand the technical language and commercial drivers of the marine sector, ensuring your brand speaks credibly to the right audiences.
- Targeted visibility — Instead of scattergun advertising, they will focus on raising your profile in the outlets, exhibitions and digital spaces that your buyers trust.
- Data-driven reporting — They will align PR campaigns with business goals — like sales pipeline growth, lead generation, and brand authority — and provide clear metrics you can report back to the board.
Strategic PR isn’t about flashy campaigns for the sake of it. It’s about positioning your business as the first choice in a buyer’s mind when they are ready to spend.
Can you protect your bottom line and drive strategic growth with the support of PR?
The short answer is, yes, a strong, well-managed PR presence translates into real business benefits:
- Increased inbound enquiries—A credible, visible brand shortens the sales cycle and reduces the cost of customer acquisition.
- Higher tender success rates—Buyers trust familiar names, and respected brands have a greater opportunity to win more business at better margins.
- Future-proof resilience—In a downturn, businesses with a strong public profile recover faster and lose less ground.
And critically for marine business leaders — the right PR strategy is efficient. Every activity is linked to measurable outcomes, helping you make decisions with confidence, protect your marketing spend and demonstrate real ROI to your board.
PR as an Investment in long-term profitability
In the marine sector, reputation is currency. A focused, expert PR strategy shouldn’t be seen as “nice to have” — it’s a critical part of protecting and growing your bottom line.
Choosing to invest in specialist PR support means working with a team that understands your world, speaks your language and is as serious about business outcomes as you are.
If you’re exploring how to work with a specialist PR agency, take a look at our blog Five Questions Marine and Outdoor Brands Should Ask Before Hiring a PR Company. You can also read How Marine and Outdoor Companies Can Measure Their PR Efforts for practical guidance on tracking results.