What Do You Think Of Sea Ray Living Magazine?

MonacoMike

MonacoMike

Well-Known Member
Sep 15, 2009
14,721
Indiana lakes and Lake Michigan
Boat Info
2000 Cruisers 3870
8.2 Mercs
Engines
85 Sea Ray Monaco 197
260hp Alpha 1
What Do You Think Of Sea Ray Living Magazine and what would make it better? What could they do with it to make you want to buy a SR even more, which is the purpose of the magazine? I have long thought that SRL (Sea Ray Living) was for the less mechanically interested owner or spouse and wished they had something more technically oriented to this crowd. Any publication has the burden of producing content but for a technical magazine they could rely on what they have already generated internally. I would like to see pitches as to why THEY believe SR's are better than the competition. Alas I will concede this is a pipe dream in the current economic climate, but we can still dream, can't we?

MM

searay40dad said:
Now if we could just get them to de-snob the magazine a bit.
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It would be nice to see a "Real life Sea Ray" magazine! I will never look like that and I will never have a "I'm turning 21" party, on my very own 610DA!
Btw, I have had several "I'm too old for this sh,t" partys on my lil' sea ray!
 
I realize they need to sell boats and you don't do that without marketing and selling the "dream". High end luxuries (boats) do go to high end clients so all the champagne, single malt, nifty vineyards, diamond necklaces, high heels (and I like high heels) and creased khakis do have their place. But, why not throw in something for the rest of the crowd which is significant and probably growing in terms of population and buying power. Even if I won the powerball tomorrow I wouldn't buy a new 580 (ok, I lied). Nevertheless, just give me column or feature in every copy that shows or talks about one or some of the older models...that ties the brand to quality, longevity and, viola...customer loyalty. The fact that there are so many 80's 300s-390s out there make me feel good about the brand. The goofy looking idiot with the comb-over, leer jet, own vinyard and Bentley...not so much. maybe i'm just jealous. no offense to anyone who sports a comb-over.
 
I think I have every copy since they started, bet I can count on one hand the number of older boats they've featured.
 
More nuts and bolts info is what I would like to see. Down and dirty, roll up your sleeves and how the hell do I fix that kind of info.
 
Turtlesboat said:
More nuts and bolts info is what I would like to see. Down and dirty, roll up your sleeves and how the hell do I fix that kind of info.
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Although, "How to fix it" articles may not be the best way to sell A Life Style! I like dreaming with the best of em', but com' on man!
How many people really live like this?
We all have a choice, and I think we all want to live this way! It may be a dream, but with a little practice, and encouragement from a magazine and like minded people, "We can do it"!
 
OK, this isn't a criticism, just a statement of fact.................

I was in the presence of the SR Living writers and photographers and got to see the preparation of one article during yacht Expo in December. In fact, at about 5 :00 one afternoon, His Magisty, Captain Rusty Higgins grabbed my arm and said "Let's go run a boat"......lets see, new boat, free fuel, I'm in....... we climbed on the Meridian 541 and immediately went up to the bridge. Here comes a photographer, the Meridian marketing guy and "the talent". The article was to be about wines, not boats and the talent were a pair of pretty people models (in cowboy boots, not less), not real boaters, although real boaters do drink wine. We took the boat out to the barge canal to capture the evening sun and Rusty let me run the boat during the photo shoot as the photographer worked to cast the setting sun in just the right position relative to "the talent"....... rotate 15 degrees to port......now 30 degrees to stbd, hold it (in a 25 kt wind), now 15 degrees to port ,etc. etc. for 1/2 hour, all without sloshing the wine in the glasses. I became a fan of Zeus for photo shoots.

What I learned was that the involvement of Sea Ray in these articles isn't so much about writing about the boats, but about showing the boats in the articles about wine or whatever the writer is motivated to write about. This isn't a boating magazine and don't be looking for tips on how to replace an impeller or winterize a water heater. You will see some pretty places and some "talent" (in cowboy boots!), but not so many real Sea Ray owners doing boaty type stuff.
 
MonacoMike said:
What Do You Think Of Sea Ray Living Magazine and what would make it better? What could they do with it to make you want to buy a SR even more, which is the purpose of the magazine? MM
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How about a coupon for a few hundred grand?
 
Oar Play said:
Although, "How to fix it" articles may not be the best way to sell A Life Style! I like dreaming with the best of em', but com' on man!
How many people really live like this?
We all have a choice, and I think we all want to live this way! It may be a dream, but with a little practice, and encouragement from a magazine and like minded people, "We can do it"!
Click to expand...
I thought constantly repairing, rebuilding, and maintaining my hole in the water WAS a lifestyle :huh:
Hmmmm.....
 
I’m surprised that someone hasn’t pointed out that Gary’s family & boat were featured in a Sea Ray Living article a few years back.
 
I enjoy it....it's free and well done. I enjoy the articles with no real sales pitch. I like seeing the newer models but I will not be buying till they are about 10 years old. Love my 1990 and it's a real nice boat I paid cash for. I'll probably have it 10 more years because they are built to last. I do like the Blue 2005 300DA I saw the other day with twin 260hp, Mike.
 
Would like to see more about how to live with our boats.. and how to live on our boats...I'm sure it's vry easy to make dinner on a 450 but try it down in the gally on a 280...
 
I agree with wvsundancer.

SRL is a glossy sales pitch for all kinds of expensive things....watches, wines, vacations, etc. I'd like to see more articles about people using their boats that arent' new.
 
well I've never understood the point of the magazine "what" it's for and "who" it's for doesn't seem clear to me. I'm not even sure if the writers really know. is it for current owners, potential buyers, rich folk, poor folk:huh: seems all they do is profile new owners of the entire line ....pretty boring stuff IMO. I could summarize every article written in one sentance. "some guy bought a boat, uses it in his free time, and is happy he bought it"...woo hoo earth shattering news:lol:
It just seems they intentially don't write about the things you'd obviously want to find in a boating magazine like new models, latest trends, tip and tricks, construction techniques, latest materials, latest technology, show coverage, sneak peeks at new models, model comparison, awards, interviews with VP's and designers....even if it is supposed to be for marketing it's bad, I mean seriously why would you want to choose Sea Ray over another brand? I don't think it's because you read about some wealthy stranger owning one.
 
I understand it is really a marketing mag and not a boating piece and that they are trying to sell new boats not help us fix our old ones. I just think they are really missing a large potential market. There will always be people that buy things like boats so they can show other people how important they think they are or how much money they have. There is also a whole set of people that could afford a new boat that actually care about how they are made and how it could work for them. I would really like to see more detail on how the boat is constructed and what advances have been made. If I am about to lay down serious money on a new boat I will be asking questions. This is an opportunity to get their selling points into my head so when I ask the sales rep about a non Sea Ray I will have something to compare it with.
 
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