"Zodiac carries the DNA of the pioneers, the French explorers, and we want to continue in this market. Innovation is the basis of our development, and our boats perform well. A performance linked to tests, but also to people's perception." explains Dominique Heber-Suffrin. With this in mind, Zodiac has launched a new slogan: Keep Exploring (continue to explore) and is working on the development of new products, such as the eJET Concept at Avon or the FlyingRIB project with SEAir, a semi-rigid hydrofoil.
"With this new baseline, we want to show that we continue to explore, we have to do things for our customers and position ourselves as a player in the boating of tomorrow."
"We want to regenerate the Zodiac brand by targeting millennials. We have launched the connected box, invested in a configurator, renewed the Pro and Open ranges, relaunched the inflatable range, optimized our factory in Toulouse to design Anonym Sup paddles made of Drop Stitch (editor's note: Zodiac Nautic was a pioneer in the 1990s in the use of this material for the inflatable floors of its boats) using an exclusive 100% welded, "clean" process with no glue or solvents adds the Group's president.
Restoring the prestige of flagship products
On the occasion of the brand's 120th anniversary - at Nautic 2016 - Zodiac presented a reinterpretation of the Mark II Heritage an iconic 70's tire in a motorboat style. "We just made some touch-ups, some evolutions and relaunched this mythical model. In fact, we sold 60 copies in 2 months!" says the CEO. The boat will be visible for 6 months on the 6th floor of the Printemps Haussman in Paris.
These are also two iconic lines of the brand that have been "redesigned": Pro (semi-rigid boats) and Open, "Swiss Army knife" boats, multi-activity. The Open 7 is launched in Scandinavia in February 2017 and the Open 5.5 has just been launched at Crouesty during the Demo Days in early June 2018.
Testing new technologies
In July 2017, Zodiac was chosen by SeaAir - a company specializing in boat theft - to perform the FlyingRIB a 5.5 m semi-rigid equipped with retractable and adjustable foils. A partnership that saw the birth of the first flying semi-rigid.
Getting into the digital age
The Zodiac Connected Boat allows boat owners to obtain many data via a GPS beacon: location, safety, navigation, control, boat condition, maintenance..
The Zodiac Configurator - launched at the end of 2017 - allows users to configure their Zodiac Pro according to their program, choose their color, deck layout and many options. A service that has now resulted in 20,000 configurations.
Expand and revitalize its offer
Zodiac Nautic has bought Anonym SUP in April 2018, a French specialist in inflatable paddles, and thus wishes to offer a diversity of products related to water sports.
In three years, the emblematic brand of RIBs has developed many services to reach a wide audience:
- "Triple Play" in partnership with CGI Finance and Click1Boat, a formula that allows you to buy your boat via the LOA (Lease with Purchase Option) and rent it via the platform of rental between individuals.
- My Boat Club , motorboat rental club in France
- My Zodiac Concierge Mobile concierge service dedicated to boaters and water sports enthusiasts in partnership with Wiidii
- Ambassador Program To offer trials for future buyers, directly to the owners via the Demooz platform, which allows to try a product in a private home that already has it.
- Zodiac Academy This service allows to train future (or current) boat license holders: boat license, port maneuvering training for owners and piloting training for owners..
