Brunswick unifies 150 brands and accelerates time-to-market by 28%

At a glance:

• Industrial Manufacturing
• B2B
• Enterprise
• Mettawa, IL

150+

Brands unified

+28%

Faster to market

+50%

Faster localization

Summary

Brunswick—the world’s largest marine manufacturer—centralized product information for over 150 global brands with Inriver, accelerating time-to-market by 28% and enabling seamless collaboration across its divisions. 

By replacing fragmented, siloed systems with a unified Product Information Management (PIM) platform, Brunswick gained a single source of truth for all product data. Inriver Enrich, Syndicate Plus, and Inspire streamlined workflows, automated syndication, and synchronized print and digital content—boosting data accuracy and reducing manual workload. 

Outcomes:

• Unified 150+ brands under one digital ecosystem 
• Centralized data for faster, more accurate content delivery 
• Automated syndication across Amazon and other digital channels 
• Cut review meetings from 6 hours to 1–2 hours through workflow efficiency 
• Achieved 50% faster translation speed for multilingual content 
• Strengthened collaboration and accountability across global teams 

With Inriver as its digital backbone, Brunswick now delivers consistent, compliant, and scalable product experiences—empowering teams to innovate faster and grow efficiently across its global portfolio. 

The challenge

As the world’s largest marine manufacturer, Brunswick faced a harsh reality. The company had to manage product information for more than 150 brands across multiple divisions, including recreational boating, engines, parts, and accessories. For much of its history, Brunswick operated as a holding company, and its systems reflected that structure. Each brand worked in silos, often relying on spreadsheets, aging CMS platforms, and inconsistent workflows to handle product data. The lack of integration created inefficiencies and increased the risk of errors, as different teams maintained overlapping datasets without coordination. 

“We were on disparate systems—different CMS, different CRM, you name it. It was all over the board.”

Lesley Kraft

Director, Digital Experience Operations and Optimization Strategy, Brunswick

This decentralized approach brought real challenges day to day. Brunswick’s brands often handled identical product data differently, leading to inconsistencies and inaccuracies. Kraft illustrated the issue by saying, “Think about 10 different boat brands all managing the same data differently. The potential for error is significant.”  

Scalability also became a sticking point. With Brunswick’s broad and growing portfolio, keeping product data up to date and in sync across channels was a constant strain. Siloed spreadsheets took time to maintain, and redundant processes pulled teams away from work that moved the business forward. Without centralized data, it was hard to connect the dots across divisions. That meant missed opportunities for cross-selling and upselling, such as pairing parts and accessories with boats. It also increased operational costs and slowed time-to-market for new products, adding pressure on teams already managing complex product ecosystems. 

“We don’t have our websites, e-commerce, or our catalogs without Inriver.”

Zach Stevenson

Enterprise PIM Lead, Brunswick

Recognizing the need for change, Brunswick began exploring options to centralize and streamline product information management. “We started looking at different PIM tools, and ultimately, we found Inriver,” said Zach Stevenson, Enterprise PIM Lead. The decision to adopt Inriver marked the start of a larger effort to unify Brunswick’s data and build a single source of truth. With that foundation, the company aimed to address its issues and open new opportunities. 

The solution

To tackle fragmented data management and inefficiencies, Brunswick adopted Inriver as a cornerstone of its digital strategy. With Inriver, the company centralized product information across more than 150 brands. Bringing all that data into one place allowed Brunswick to streamline workflows, standardize processes, and set a path for scalable growth. 

A core piece of Brunswick’s approach with Inriver was the Enrich module, which the company uses as the foundation for product content management. Inriver Enrich allowed Brunswick to pull data from separate systems into a single platform, creating a unified source of truth. With this shift, teams moved away from siloed spreadsheets and outdated CMS systems that had slowed work and increased the risk of errors. 

Centralized data also helped fix inconsistencies that had crept into daily operations. Kraft highlighted the impact of having a shared approach, saying, “Inriver is a key piece of our ecosystem. We’re finally unifying data so sister companies can leverage each other’s information more easily.” By standardizing how product data is created, edited, and approved, Brunswick reduced the risk of mistakes and improved consistency across brands. This change made internal processes smoother and gave dealers reliable, accurate data to support their customers. 

“Inriver is a key piece of our ecosystem. We’re finally unifying data so sister companies can leverage each other’s information more easily.”

Lesley Kraft

Director, Digital Experience Operations and Optimization Strategy, Brunswick

Inriver’s capabilities go beyond enrichment. Because multichannel distribution is essential, Brunswick implemented Inriver Syndicate Plus to streamline the syndication of product data to external platforms. Kraft explained how this helps day to day, saying, “We are implementing Inriver Syndicate Plus to push data to Amazon, which is going to eliminate manually updating templates.” Automating syndication reduced the time and effort spent on channel-specific templates. It also freed teams to focus on planning, content quality, and readiness for new products. That is especially important as Brunswick grows on platforms like Amazon, where accuracy and speed matter. 

Brunswick also addressed the distinct needs of its divisions. Some parts of the business rely on print catalogs for sales, and those catalogs must be kept in lockstep with digital channels. Stevenson noted, “For our distribution company that relies on print, bringing them onto Inriver was crucial.” By including print as part of the Inriver platform, Brunswick ensured that this division could easily produce the materials it depends on while staying aligned with the company’s broader digital approach. 

The move to Inriver required careful data migration. Teams identified and cleaned critical data before importing it into the new platform. This upfront work helped secure data integrity and made sure the information would be trustworthy and usable. Adoption moved quickly across Brunswick’s brands and teams began to manage their own data directly in the system. That reduced reliance on technical specialists and encouraged ownership of product information. The shift boosted efficiency and fostered collaboration among brands that had previously worked in isolation. 

Brunswick expanded its use of Inriver to include workflows, completeness rules, and data segmentation. These features brought structure and visibility to how content is created and maintained. With defined rights and permissions, each team could access the data they needed while protecting sensitive or restricted information. That balance helped Brunswick manage a complex product ecosystem and shorten time to market for new products. 

Today, Inriver serves as the backbone for how Brunswick manages product information. The centralized platform supports multichannel distribution, improves data accuracy, and equips teams to work more effectively. It ties together processes across brands and divisions that once moved in different directions. As Brunswick continues to innovate and expand, Inriver remains a key enabler for how the company operates and grows. 

The results

Brunswick’s adoption of Inriver has redefined how it operates globally: 

• Unified 150 brands under one digital ecosystem 
• Accelerated global compliance and translation through AI automation 
• Enabled scalable content operations across print, e-commerce, and distribution
• Increased dealer confidence and customer satisfaction with accurate product data 
• Created a foundation for future innovation and storytelling across the marine industry 

The implementation of Inriver has had a significant impact on Brunswick’s operations. The company has reduced inefficiencies, improved data accuracy, and accelerated time to market across a portfolio that includes more than 150 brands. By centralizing product information and standardizing workflows, Brunswick has seen clear gains in productivity, compliance, and collaboration across its divisions. 

“We’ve seen about a 28% increase when it comes to enriching content, simply by knocking down silos and centralizing our data.”

Zach Stevenson

Enterprise PIM Lead, Brunswick

Efficiency is a standout result. Improvements came from consolidating data that had been scattered across spreadsheets, outdated CMS systems, and isolated workflows. With a unified source of truth, teams no longer duplicate work. They can spend more time on strategic tasks, including planning new product content, refining channel readiness, and supporting sales partners. 

Inriver has also reshaped Brunswick’s model-year data review process, a critical step for launching new products and updating marketing materials. Eliana Womack, Product Information Technical Specialist, shared, “We used to spend 5 or 6 hours with 20 people just to review new model-year data. Now it’s a 1 to 2-hour call with far fewer resources.” That change saves time and reduces the number of people needed in meetings. Freed from lengthy reviews, teams can concentrate on innovation and on polishing the customer experience. 

Compliance and global reach have improved as well. The integration of AI-driven translation capabilities has been especially helpful, particularly with content translations. Faster translations help Brunswick reach new markets more quickly and maintain quality. They also help the company meet regional regulations. Inriver’s AI translation tools help Brunswick meet those requirements on time. “We also prevent fines by staying compliant in regions like Canada, where everything must be in French Canadian. AI translation helps us meet these regulations quickly,” Stevenson added. 

“With our Mercury division using Inriver Inspire, we have a greater than 50% increase in translating text and marketing copy.”

Zach Stevenson

Enterprise PIM Lead, Brunswick

Adoption across brands has been strong. Teams appreciate the autonomy the platform provides and how it streamlines their work. Womack noted, “We’ve gotten feedback from our brands saying they love using Inriver because it’s so straightforward—there’s nothing stopping them from getting their work done.” With direct access to Inriver, teams can make updates when needed, keep content accurate, and maintain momentum during busy launch cycles. That ownership has also encouraged a stronger culture of accountability and cooperation. 

The centralized approach has also improved the accuracy and consistency of product data across divisions. Clear visibility into related products makes it easier to attach parts and accessories to boats, a classic cross-sell and upsell opportunity. Dealers now receive more complete product information, which helps them serve customers with confidence. When data is reliable, questions are answered faster, and customers get the right products the first time. 

“We used to spend 5 or 6 hours with 20 people just to review new model-year data. Now it’s a 1 to 2-hour call with far fewer resources.”

Eliana Womack

Product Information Technical Specialist, Brunswick

These outcomes have practical benefits for internal teams, too. Because workflows and completeness rules are baked into the platform, everyone can see the status of content in real time. People know who owns a task, what is ready for review, and what still needs attention. That transparency reduces confusion, limits last-minute surprises, and shortens approval cycles. It also helps leaders plan resources and forecast timelines, since major steps in the content process are tracked in one place. 

As new products are introduced, the platform helps teams organize content, set up relationships across SKUs, and prepare assets for different channels. With standardized processes, the company can scale without multiplying complexity. Teams can bring a new brand, division, or partner into the ecosystem and apply the same rules and workflows that are already working. That consistency keeps quality high even as the business expands. 

Sales teams can trust the information they share with customers. Marketing teams can build campaigns with confidence that descriptions, specifications, and images match what is in the market. Product teams can make updates once and know those changes will flow to the right places. Each group spends less time chasing down discrepancies and more time delivering value. 

For a company of Brunswick’s size, small efficiencies add up quickly. Reducing time spent on manual tasks, preventing errors, and avoiding compliance issues all contribute to stronger performance. The centralized system provides a clear view of content health, helping teams spot gaps early and fix them before they reach customers. That proactive approach protects the brand and improves the customer experience across channels. 

As Brunswick looks ahead, it is well positioned to build on its success with Inriver. The ongoing optimization of its data model, combined with new tools and capabilities, will help further sharpen operations and support growth. Brunswick’s teams now have a foundation that promotes product storytelling, the operational rigor needed to manage complex catalogs at scale, and maintain its leadership in the marine industry while driving innovation and growth across its brands.