Located in the Caribbean and spread out among many island nations, Budget Marine has a reputation for being a leader in the region’s marine industry. Budget Marine embraced social media as a sales and marketing tool over a decade ago.  It also implemented a social-media based intranet to encourage internal communications (Koerner-Gifford, Katherine (2017), Employee Involvement Key to Budget Marine’s Success, University of Waterloo Archive, May 17, 2017). As for the future?  To quote company founder, Robbie Ferron, “There is no turning back.  Period.”  (Kroon, Els, Robbie Ferron A Dynamic Driving Force for Thirty Years, All at Sea Magazine, March 1 2010) By means of this course, Budget Marine has been exposed to the ways in which it can better utilize social media to enhance business performance.

Budget Marine is the Caribbean’s leading marine chandlery with retail locations throughout the Caribbean.  Budget Marine embraced the use of Facebook early on, and continues to use it to advantage today. Currently, Budget Marine uses FaceBook, Instagram and Youtube to connect with customers.  These platforms are backed by the company’s website and augmented with newsletters and sales promotions sent directly to customers via email. According to Nicole Corvellec, Budget Marine’s Marketing Manager, “Not only is using Facebook much cheaper than individual local ads but it’s also more effective as we don’t need to look at what they read [i.e. print media] and which publication would get the majority of readers – it goes directly to their phone. On the facebook page you will also see “offers” which enables us to put all the offers from all the locations in one spot so people can easily see what the specials are.”

Budget Marine is the Caribbean’s leading marine chandlery with retail locations throughout the Caribbean.  Budget Marine has an active marketing presence via their website, Facebook page, newsletters, email blasts and ads on affiliate websites. While big in the Caribbean, Budget Marine is relatively small in terms of human resources.  There is one department, called Group Services, located in St. Maarten, which provides marketing support to all locations throughout the region.

Budget Marine is the Caribbean’s leading marine chandlery with retail locations throughout the Caribbean.  Budget Marine’s customers range from live-aboard cruisers, to power boaters, to megayacht captains & crew.  Generally, their customers fall into two categories: boaters who are there for high season, and resident “yachties” who live in the Caribbean and migrate up and down the island chain to avoid hurricane season.