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 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.  In the Caribbean, most people use social media to let friends and family know where their latest landfall is, and for obtaining information through cruisers’ nets. Using social media as a tool to improve business performance is a new concept.  However, for companies like Budget Marine, it opens up vast new opportunities.  People may not think of the Caribbean when they think of “multinational companies,” but that is exactly what Budget Marine is.

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.

Budget Marine is the Caribbean’s leading marine chandlery, specializing in equipment sales and service.  Headquartered in St. Maarten, Budget Marine has a firm retail footprint throughout the Leeward, Windward & ABC islands.  Budget Marine supplies all types of boats: sail, power, fishing, and megayachts.  Budget Marine is also keenly committed to promoting the sport of boating through their involvement in events and youth sailing programmes on many islands.