The Sea Tow Foundation™ is showcasing the winners of the 2024 National Boating Safety Awards via individualized blog posts that answer specific questions posted to each winning company.

BoatClass won the 2024 National Boating Safety Award in two categories: the category of Top Social Media Influencer and Top Community Boating Education Program.

Photo Courtesy of BoatClass

     1. Please briefly describe your winning entries and tell us about the process of creating/launching it.

BoatClass Organic Social Media Boating Safety & Instruction Campaign is a dynamic initiative that leverages short-form video content to educate new and experienced boaters about essential boating safety and skills. The campaign is promoted organically on platforms like Instagram and Facebook Reels, featuring engaging and digestible tutorials. Planning for this project was extensive: we aligned content with the peak boating season (May through October) to ensure it was timely and relevant. The videos were designed to be both informative and entertaining, and the efforts were fully organic, without paid advertising. The inclusion of Captain Travis, our spokesperson, further ensured that the content was both relatable and instructional, while partnerships with organizations like Freedom Boat Club and the National Safe Boating Council bolstered the campaign’s reach.

     2. What inspired your company to promote boating safety? Was this the first time doing so or have there been previous boating safety promotions?

Boating safety is at the heart of BoatClass's mission to equip new boaters with the confidence and skills to navigate the waterways safely. Our commitment to safety isn’t new—we’ve been promoting boating safety through in-person, on-water training for years. However, we wanted to expand our reach by creating an easily accessible, digital-first campaign to engage a broader audience. The shift to social media, especially short-form video, was a strategic response to the growing consumption of video content online, ensuring we meet boaters where they are.

     3. What partnerships, media coverage and/or opportunities have you received because of winning this award?

Our award recognition has elevated our visibility and led to valuable conversations with potential new partners. These new relationships will enable us to amplify our message, allowing us to reach a wider, more diverse audience with our safety message.

     4. Is your company working on a new boating safety project or campaign to debut in 2025? If so, can you share any of the details?

Yes! We’re excited about our upcoming plans to expand our training locations and further refine our social media strategy to continue promoting boating safety in 2025. We’re exploring more in-depth partnerships and focusing on enhancing our digital presence. One key aspect we’re working on is developing a comprehensive series of “Boating Safety 101” tutorials, designed to support first-time boaters. Additionally, we’ll be focusing on seasonal safety tips and continuing collaborations with our partner organizations to reach even more boaters.

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