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Beyond Basic (Boring) Boat Tours: How Oriana Schneps is Changing Yachting

• Diane Byrne • Season 9 • Episode 4

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Yacht marketing is undergoing a revolution, and Moby Maritime Media founder Oriana Schneps is leading the charge. Known for viral moments like NBA star Dwight Howard's yacht-to-yacht three-point shot, her agency is redefining how luxury vessels connect with potential buyers and charterers.

Drawing from her background working with marketing guru Gary Vaynerchuk and her own yachting experience as a crewmember and on the TV show Below Deck Adventure, Schneps brings a fresh perspective to maritime promotion. Her journey began at the New England Aquarium, where as a high schooler she cared for penguins and joined research expeditions that sparked her passion for life at sea. This unique blend of promotion know-how, hospitality skills, and maritime knowledge eventually led her to create Moby Maritime Meda. In brief, it takes a marketing approach that transcends traditional yacht promotion.

In fact, the core of Schneps' philosophy is treating yachts not as depreciating assets but as brands with inherent value. Rather than producing generic walkthrough videos focusing on salon layouts and stateroom configurations, she creates content showcasing experiences and destinations. When potential charterers can visualize a yacht's divemaster exploring underwater caves or see a chef creating culinary masterpieces, they remember those moments far more than standard features. Schneps also highlights the value of strategic brand partnerships with luxury products, restaurants, and lifestyle companies - creating mutually beneficial relationships that can generate additional revenue streams for owners. 

Whether you're considering selling your yacht, upgrading to a larger vessel, or attracting charter clients, her insights demonstrate how thoughtful marketing creates lasting legacy and memorable experiences that define what yachting is truly about.

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Diane M. Byrne:

Welcome everybody. If you are a basketball fan as much as a yachting fan, then you might remember a little viral video a few months ago. In it, nba legend Dwight Howard makes the first ever yacht-to-yacht three-point shot. He sank the shot from one moving boat to another in the waters off of Miami. There's a creative marketing agency by the name of Moby Maritime Media behind the video, and they have been producing plenty of equally creative content prior to and since then.

Diane M. Byrne:

Moby's founder is Oriana Schneps, and she is no stranger to either forward-thinking marketing or to yachting, having sharpened her skills in marketing with the famous Gary Vee and having taken a dive into yachting in the show Below Deck Adventure. Having seen some of what Moby Maritime Media has been doing and knowing Ariana's desire to bring new ideas and new voices into yachting, I have been looking forward to this conversation today, and I'm sure you will enjoy it too. She has some solid insight and advice for better ways to promote a yacht for sale or for charter, especially for those of you who are owners who are taking a more active role in the operations. So, arianna, welcome to Megayacht News Radio.

Oriana Schneps:

Thank you so much. That is such a great intro and it made me smile as you were reading it.

Diane M. Byrne:

Let's kind of go back in time. Let's start with your personal yachting story. What was your introduction? What made you fall in love with it as a career? Yeah, no absolutely so.

Oriana Schneps:

I actually started within the maritime world at the New England Aquarium when I was a freshman in high school and I learned how to dive there. I was taking care of the penguin department. I did some assistance in the operations department and medical center as well and with the aquarium we did some expedition trips to the Bahamas so I was actually the youngest diver to represent the aquarium. On a couple of different trips there and projects and while on an expedition trip their overnight stays on their research boats for like a week, I learned about yachting and I absolutely fell in love with the idea. Also in high school I was working in hospitality doing hosting and restaurant work and I was like this is perfect, I can be on a boat and use my hospitality skills and go travel the world. So that's kind of was my initial education about yachting. And then after college, fast forward a couple of years, I packed my bags and then headed to Fort Lauderdale and got my STCW.

Diane M. Byrne:

Outstanding From penguins to supermats, exactly.

Oriana Schneps:

I still joke at the aquarium because I definitely had a stinky intro. I would smell so bad on the trains coming home and like my scrubs with the dead fish and all that Definitely definitely a more glamorous version.

Diane M. Byrne:

Definitely, definitely. Well, your company obviously is not the only marketing company in yachting, but what I really like is that you are doing things different than what a lot of other people are doing, especially on behalf of the owners. Tell us about this more experiential approach and how it really is inarguably, I would say, better than a standard walkthrough video.

Oriana Schneps:

So something that I learned when I was working for Gary Vaynerchuk at his company VaynerMedia in New York, along with a couple other small businesses that kind of we consulted on with Gary's team I really started to understand the value of building a brand and an identity and taking something that is essentially an inanimate object but putting personality behind it and I think that's where the industry really has opportunity to grow is because, essentially, what these are are experiences right, they're luxury vacations and lifestyles that people invest significant amounts of money into in order to create this opportunity for themselves. And I think where we kind of focus is how can we really showcase that in fun and creative ways? And what are things that you want to do on boats that no one really wants to video yet or haven't thought to video yet, and create short form content about that? From the owner's side, too, there's definitely inherent value in building a brand and understanding, okay, this isn't just, you know, this depreciating asset or this inanimate object, whatever you want to quantify it as but if I sell my vessel, if I upgrade, downgrade, buy into a bigger fleet, whatever it might be, I can expand this brand along with it and really build an identity for myself and that brand, when they do go to sell one day, if they choose to, has value in itself.

Oriana Schneps:

Right, you know, Nike is a $5 shoe, but the Nike Swoosh is a billion dollar franchise and that's kind of where we're trying to sit within. The market is understanding. Ok, how can these yachts differentiate themselves? What are the stories that really need to be told? What are the stories people want to watch as well, which are two very different things. And then how can we do that in a captivating way?

Diane M. Byrne:

It's a really good point, because it's something that I talk to people about all the time in terms of how we at Mackey Hat News differentiate ourselves. Everything really does come down to storytelling. You can have the most beautiful yacht, the most highly engineered yacht, it could tick every single box, but if that story is not communicated properly and it's instead talked about from the standpoint of you walk in the doors and there's a beautiful salon and you walk forward and there's a beautiful dining area and the master's stay room is forward on the main deck and it sounds so much like every other yacht- out there Exactly.

Oriana Schneps:

It's very hard to remember one from the other.

Diane M. Byrne:

Right, right. It all definitely blurs into one giant mess, and it's. Then it becomes oh wait, which boat had this, which boat had that? And that's definitely not what anybody needs.

Oriana Schneps:

No, 100 percent and I think also explaining, especially when you're working on telling the story of even the interior design, for example, the intention and the why behind the placement of the master being forward, of the master being forward right, the reason that the main salon might be in the aft deck, and that's what you're greeted when you know you walk through the doors initially and kind of making sense to these very intentional choices that aren't always explained.

Diane M. Byrne:

Very good point. Getting back to something you just said a second ago, that what you're trying to really do is help the owners build more of that inherent value in their yachts with the brand aspect. I've noticed actually something kind of interesting in terms of yacht marketing lately and I definitely want to get your further input on this. I see owners are becoming more involved in decisions and even to the point of becoming hands-on when it comes to the advertising, the promotion, the words being used to describe their yacht, whether it's for sale or for charter. In terms of digital marketing, for sure, I'm seeing a lot of this somewhat too on the print side. Are you seeing this from your standpoint?

Oriana Schneps:

That's a great question. I mean, I've been in the industry for almost a decade now, but from the marketing side I don't know how it's evolved, I guess over the last 10 years or so, but I would definitely say that recently and with our work, we do work a lot with owners I think what's happening is there's this fear that's been created, you know, to showcase their asset right. Some don't want to necessarily say and admit that they have this wealth. They kind of want to be more under the radar. They're nervous about if things go wrong on the boat like will it reflect badly on them.

Oriana Schneps:

But now that that fear is sort of dissipating, I think owners are quite excited and at least the conversations that I've been having enjoy being involved with this too, because it is their love and it is their passion and they take a lot of pride in it and they want to see it come to fruition in the way that they have the ideas in their brain. Everyone has an MVP version of what they want, you know, their house to look like, their yacht to look like, their brand to look like. And it's quite interesting because all those MVPs are different. So one owner's perfect video and branding would be very different than another's.

Diane M. Byrne:

Do they come into the relationship with a lot of ideas already, or are they more coming to learn and listen and then make decisions along the way?

Oriana Schneps:

That's a great question too. It's both. I mean, a lot of them are quite high level, so they have. You know, we want to look like X, y and Z, right, or this is the type of persona that I want to emulate for my brand or for my boat. And then others are so granular. They're sending me the timestamps for the videos that they want edited, and it really just comes down to the personality type, I think, and their understanding of marketing. Typically, the ones that are more educated in the industry will take more time into it, and then the others, you know, they don't really want to see behind the curtain the yachts get built too.

Diane M. Byrne:

There are some owners who are very hands-on with every little detail, right, exactly the ones who are super techie. They want to know every little system. And there are others who say you know what, I don't care about the engine room, as long as my engineer, my captain, are happy.

Oriana Schneps:

Yeah, that will be me with the engine room.

Diane M. Byrne:

One of the other things that's very interesting that's going on right now is owners are beginning to realize that digital media could be a revenue stream for them. There have been some fits and starts and I think we need to be pretty frank that there have been some yachts doing it well and some yachts that have made some mistakes. When you would sit down with someone to discuss this, what would you use as a model to emulate and some of the pitfalls to avoid?

Oriana Schneps:

I think, when it comes to what to emulate. A lot of focus right now is, and I guess, kind of answering both questions in one. A lot of focus is on the crew, often on the boats, both questions in one. A lot of focus is on the crew, often on the boats, and I think that there is value in that. But I do believe that focusing on the experience needs to kind of be put more in the forefront. People say crew makes up 90 percent, 80 percent, whatever number you want to use of a charter's experience, because it's that interpersonal relationship and you're working alongside them, interpersonal relationship and you're working alongside them.

Oriana Schneps:

However, I think that focusing on okay, what is the ideal charter destination? Or, if I buy this boat, what will it look like to have my family on board, is the way that I typically guide them. I think it's important too to highlight the crew's skills, like personalities are fantastic and there's value there and they need to be one of the content pillars. But also the skills right. If you have a dive master on board, make a video of them diving. If you have a chef that can do Michelin star cuisine, somehow showcase that visually, because a lot of the descriptions, even in the websites of the crew bios aren't always read, but people will remember a 30 second video of somebody diving in a cave.

Diane M. Byrne:

Yeah, that would get them excited for sure about the potential for their own charter. Exactly, exactly, yeah, yeah. And then the food, of course. There are so many of us who are huge food fans, who watch the television cooking shows and whatnot, even though we're not going to sit down and whip up a souffle. If we see somebody making truly a work of art with food and we know we can experience that personally with that chef that would even drive more excitement.

Oriana Schneps:

Exactly, exactly. And also when it comes to the chef in particular. A lot of people go for the images of the five-star cuisine. That's kind of like the MVP, but I've worked on several boats when I was crew and oftentimes people just want a burger, or the missus just loves her plain Caesar salad, and there's always these comfort foods that they also want on board and I think, not being scared to showcase the range of what can be offered and remind them. Sure, this might be a white tablecloth experience, but if you don't want it to be, we also can provide that too.

Diane M. Byrne:

Sometimes there's something to be said for a really good grilled cheese sandwich right Exactly. Something super simple but really, really good. What about something else I've noticed too. What about partnerships? Some yachts are creating strategic alliances with some major brands. Actually, what do you think about that of our?

Oriana Schneps:

business right now but through our contacts in different CPG brands and even local restaurants in the South Florida area, djs we're doing some sports collaborations as well. We do a lot of that kind of marrying the two. I think it's fantastic. I think yachting is a very untapped industry for brands to become affiliated with it. You see a lot of partnerships with Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton and all of that on the hospitality side, but not really within yachting. With that being said, there's obviously good and bad and you have to make sure that you align with the brand's ethos as well and you're comfortable with how they're playing in their space. But that's inevitable and that's just part of finding the right partnership.

Oriana Schneps:

But I think there's a lot of value, both for the boat or the charter program, or even if it's a private yacht, that as well, and then for the brand as well. It's. It's a mutually beneficial experience and if you can marry the two and keep those consistent brand identities, I think it's beautiful. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Diane M. Byrne:

I think it's beautiful. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I think it would be something wise for a lot more owners to explore, for sure.

Oriana Schneps:

Yeah, we do a lot with some of the restaurants. Kiki on the River is one that we work with closely, and then a couple sunscreen and clothing brands, a lot in like Miami, south Florida area. But it just makes sense, right. All these products on the boat essentially have opportunity for partnerships, every single thing in the interior, exterior I don't I've never done an engine room partnership, but we could. But yeah, you know, there's just everything on board is the potential for that?

Diane M. Byrne:

so yeah, absolutely there's. There's something that every guest really enjoys, every owner enjoys. There's also certain products that the crew probably swear by because of their own experience, so why not they're?

Oriana Schneps:

fun. I love partnerships because everyone gets excited about it and everyone's benefiting, and it can be financially advantageous as well for the owners, right. They're either getting a substantial discount or they're getting complimentary items. If you're doing a partnership with a luxury bedding company, right, those are upwards of tens of thousands of dollars that you could get free if you partner with one. Yeah, there's lots of opportunity, for sure.

Diane M. Byrne:

So, speaking of opportunity, you were talking about showcasing the crew as part of the whole lifestyle and the whole experience. There are some yachts that have been tapping the crew to make a lot of the content, and there are pluses and minuses to that. I could see where it obviously makes a lot of sense because they're the ones out there, they know the destinations, they can talk very authoritatively about this great little quiet harbor that they're sitting in, etc. But the crew also already has a full-time job.

Oriana Schneps:

Yes, yeah, I didn't mean to cut you off, but I think I know where you're going with that.

Diane M. Byrne:

Yeah, go ahead.

Oriana Schneps:

That's exactly. I mean, I agree I think it's expensive and oftentimes there's not room on board for a full-time videographer. But the crew does have a full-time job and it can get a little dicey like who are you going to assign this role to? And it can get a little dicey like who are you going to assign this role to If it's not a senior leadership? Which team is comfortable, kind of taking time away from it? And also you then start to kind of create unintentional favoritism, almost like this one crew member now might be in all the content and they're kind of getting this reach and there might be jealousy within the crew too, like OK, so-and-so is now the face of the yacht, they're building up their social media presence. They get to take all these photos while we're cleaning and serving.

Oriana Schneps:

However, it is inevitable because you don't have the time or you don't have the ability to house a full-time videographer, which most boats 50 meters and below 60 meters and below even don't. There's not many options. What we do when we work with individual boats is we'll either fly out and do content week with them. We're going to the Bahamas actually on Monday to do something with one of our clients, very similar. We kind of just load up all the content or we give very specific deliverables to the crew each month Like, all right, we need you to take these, you know the shot list, and then we handle it for them, because that way that there's no ambiguity, it's very easy to understand the time commitment when everyone's on board with that.

Diane M. Byrne:

That's a good solution. I like that, where you can kind of tap their, their literal ability to see what's going on and understand what might make a really nice shot, but then you're not burdening them with OK, now you need to do the video editing on top of everything else you have to do, right A?

Oriana Schneps:

hundred percent and a lot of the time, and I think what people don't realize is taking, like you just said, the actual video is, I would say, a fraction of the time. The concepting of all right what do we really want to bring to life is the most time consuming, at least for us, is really strategizing. All right, what are the shots that we need to create this experience, and then, of course, the editing, the scheduling and the posting, so all of that can be done off the boat apart from the shooting which, you know, we either come on board and do or we work with the crew to do.

Diane M. Byrne:

Yeah, and that actually I'm glad you said that the work with the crew, because it really is a team effort. It's not just you know, owner, and you and your team working together. It needs to be the owner, the captain, the crew, all of you in the same mindset.

Oriana Schneps:

Yeah, exactly, and getting past the stigma of, oh, these are just cute little videos or they're taking it for that social media thing, and understanding no, this is us booking charters or helping to sell the boat and this is the brand. Right, this is what we're doing to build this brand. And when everyone's not aligned or they don't understand, it also can be quite intimidating, I guess, or embarrassing for the crew that are being asked to do this right, because if they're getting backlash, they're not going to put their heart into it. It's going to be uncomfortable. So, just making sure that you create an environment that everyone wants to see the boat succeed and see the content creation succeed.

Diane M. Byrne:

Yeah, very fair point. One last question for you that I always love to ask people at the end of these podcasts. If you could use just one word to sum up what yacht owners want, what would it be?

Oriana Schneps:

Oof. That's a great question, what they want for content or in general.

Diane M. Byrne:

I would say in general Well, actually, let's do it as a two-parter Start with what they want in general and then what they want in content.

Oriana Schneps:

I would say in general, legacy is the first word that comes to mind and for content, I'm trying to think of the word, but like memory, like memorable, something memorable, sorry, something memorable, something that you know, like we were talking about earlier. Right, it's not going to be the same walkthrough video. You want your video to stick in that mind. So when the person three days later are brushing their teeth, they're thinking of your video, they're not thinking of the walkthrough on the aft deck. But I think all of yachting really comes down to legacy and having these owners creating this opportunity for themselves and, hopefully, generations to come.

Diane M. Byrne:

It's creating memories of a lifetime. It's creating togetherness that is absolutely cherished. Well, arianna, thank you so much for joining me today on this episode. It's been fantastic to get your insight and share some tips with people. I'm sure that there are more than a few people who have been taking notes of how we've been talking. I've actually been doing it myself too Well, no, thank you.

Oriana Schneps:

I really enjoyed talking with you and this is a really fun, fun podcast, so thank you for your time no-transcript.

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