BOATS GROUP'S STORY
Smooth Sailing in Ad Tech: How Boats Group Upgraded Ad Performance with AdButler
Quick Overview
Founded
1999
Audience
Buyers and sellers in the leisure marine market
Reach
65M+ annual visitors across 146 countries
Ad Model
High-margin, direct-sold inventory + native advertising
Inventory Details
Inventory
Website listings, editorial content, videos, reviews, and marketing tools
Ad Formats
IAB display units, flexible native formats, high-CTR creatives
Audience
Recreational boat buyers, OEMs, brokers, and dealers
Advertisers
Marine manufacturers, brokers, dealers, and lifestyle brands
What's Next?
Scaling native adoption and deepening user engagement through personalized, high-performing ad experiences
The Mission That Guides Boats Group
For over two decades, Boats Group has connected millions of boating enthusiasts with vessels of all shapes and sizes. Their core goal? To get more people on the water. As part of Boats Group—global leaders in digital boating marketplaces—Boats Group attracts serious buyers and empowers marine sellers with unmatched visibility and digital tools.
But as their marketplace matured, so did their advertising needs. With direct-sold partnerships becoming a bigger piece of the puzzle, Boats Group needed more than just an ad server—they needed flexibility, speed, and service.
From Programmatic to Performance: The Need for Change
Programmatic revenue had long been a reliable fallback, but Boats Group was looking ahead. The team began phasing out programmatic advertising in favor of direct, high-margin sales—focusing on endemic advertisers and better user experience.
"We wanted to move away from latency-heavy, client-side programmatic setups and build something faster, more flexible, and more aligned with our users and partners."
Seth Baer
Director of Operations at Boats Group
Their checklist for an ad tech partner was crystal clear:
Server-side ad delivery to supercharge page speed
Flexibility to deliver both native and IAB standard ad units
A more responsive, hands-on support team
A scalable platform aligned with long-term monetization strategy
Why Boats Group Chose AdButler
AdButler's server-side enterprise ad platform checked every box. The Boats Group team highlighted flexibility and support as key differentiators. With other vendors, they'd hit limitations in creative formats or service delays. Not with AdButler.
"We get your CTO on a call when we need them. That level of support really matters. Other platforms might have similar tech, but AdButler gives us tech and service."
Seth Baer
Director of Operations at Boats Group
They implemented a solution that allows the same ad unit to serve either a traditional 300x250 IAB ad or a custom-built native ad. That flexibility became a game-changer—not just for operations, but for user experience.
Onboarding & Implementation: Not Without Its Bumps—but Worth It
The Boats Group team admitted that the onboarding process came with a learning curve.
"We went for maximum flexibility in our setup, but didn't fully understand the operational implications at first."
Seth Baer
Director of Operations at Boats Group
Despite a few challenges, the AdButler team stayed closely involved.
"The technical support was excellent. Rob and the team helped us troubleshoot everything, even when we were in the weeds with tracking down ad calls. It was a collaborative process."
Seth Baer
Director of Operations at Boats Group
Ultimately, the payoff was a high-performing, custom-built solution—tailored for Boats Group's evolving needs.
The Results: Higher Performance, Happier Users
Since switching to AdButler, Boats Group has seen significant improvements in key performance metrics, including:
Faster page speeds, thanks to server-side delivery
Improved user experience, with cleaner ad loads
Stronger click-through rates, especially for native units
"We've seen an 8–10x increase in CTR for native ads compared to traditional IAB display units."
Seth Baer
Director of Operations at Boats Group
While adoption of native formats is still growing, the team is confident this will become a major revenue driver in the near future.
Serving a Complex Ecosystem
For Boats Group, ads aren't just about monetization—they're part of a delicate balance.
"We serve two audiences at once: the buyers searching for boats, and the sellers looking to connect with them. Every decision we make—from page speed to ad layout—has to support both."
Seth Baer
Director of Operations at Boats Group
The flexibility of AdButler allows them to continue innovating without compromising either side of that equation.
What's Next?
Boats Group is now focused on expanding native adoption and refining ad experiences across their growing global audience.
"As native gains traction with our clients, we expect performance to keep climbing. The foundation is solid—we're just getting started."
Seth Baer
Director of Operations at Boats Group
Their long-term vision includes deeper personalization, smarter monetization, and staying at the forefront of digital marine marketplaces.
Final Word
Boats Group didn't just replace an ad server. They made a strategic move to elevate performance, reclaim control, and future-proof their business. With AdButler, they gained a flexible, enterprise-grade ad platform backed by people who get it.
