Jan 29
There’s been a lot of growth at Jay Peak lately. What hasn’t changed is the authenticity and commitment of the folks who choose to call it home. Doing a handful of these story tellers this winter for their website, social outposts and on-site cable channel. What story do you want told?
More info on the about page.
Gregg Blanchard who heads up the popular ski industry marketing blog Slopefillers contacted me regarding the recent online firestorm bestowed upon Snowbasin Resort in Utah.
A not-so-appealing video hit the internet featuring a ski patroller acting in a less than customer focused manner as well dropping an f-bomb on a guest. The guests were youngish snowboarders which further fueled the stereotype of youth vs authority and gave the video more internet sharing juice. My take on the scenario from a PR and resort management perspective is featured as one of two experts on the matter on Slopefillers.
Here’s the video and below is my section of analysis on the event. Read more
If you’re an eastern skier, you’ve likely seen the Ski The East stickers on helmets, cars, skiers, foreheads and your favorite bar. The flagship brand and online community of Burlington, Vt. based Meathead Films, Ski The East is a source of pride, stoke and stylish gear for the eastern skier.
This winter Geoff and Rooster (the founding partners) have a lot on their plate. So they’ve shoved some of it onto mine for the next few months and the action is just getting underway. I’m rocking the Online Editor spot and also helping out with sales and PR. Joining Mr. Fater (STE Freeride Tour) and @ermepowskier in carrying a torch. Read more
Be Relevant.
Recently I did some press release work for Mt. Abram Ski Area in Maine.
The announcement is getting some nice coverage helped along by attracting Associated Press interest.
If your news releases are mostly netting you a few internet cut-and-pastes, then consider some professional help. You likely need to refine your message and timing to be more useful to media outlets. It may also be time to strip your marketing copy from your media relations.
Bonus tip: don’t oversend press releases turning your brand into more of an annoying pest rather than a trusted source. Restraint is a key component of media relations in today’s noisy news climate.
Marketing has changed.
Are you riding the new wave of opportunity effectively and in a resource smart way?
Traditional marketing agencies are great for long term projects like brochure creation/distribution, managing ad buys and re-brandings. What they do less well is help your business evolve into the new relevancy based marketing climate built upon quick thinking and ongoing multimedia communications.
What wins online is targeted listening, ongoing relevancy and speed. It’s noisy out there. Only relevant brands stay top of mind and gain market share. This requires one of two systems in place.
Integrating this effort into your overall marketing strategy is modern day marketing and PR. It’s not just posting stuff to your social sites. It’s about building relationships with customers, media and influencers and growing the number of all of them. A bedrock business goal you’ve likely had since day one. It’s worth doing well. Either to catch up to your competition or get ahead of them. Having profiles and posting stuff is better than not, but it is the lowest common denominator. You’re better than that. Let’s get you a purpose and the tailored means to dominate.
I bring 10 years of content marketing and PR experience both as a freelancer and marketing manager for some of the nation’s largest ski areas. I’ll open up my brain for your business for the low cost of lunch. Maybe there will be a reason to work together, maybe not. Let’s find out.
Businesses that I work with typically select one of these services:
See the “about” page for contact info and testimonials. Then let’s eat. Your business will thank you.
Oops.
If you have yet to read the international coverage of the 18 year old Vermont ski racer who is (was) a member of the US Developmental Ski Team, then this post won’t make a lot of sense until you do. It hurts to read. Clearly a no win situation for the 11 year old girl, the 18 year old youth or any of the families. I do not need to recap what occurred. There are thousands of media outlets covering that. I also do not mean to condone the actions, but they deserve another look from a public relations standpoint.
Right now, the skier is being painted as an unapologetic affluent without a shade of remorse who cares little about where and upon whom he urinates. And sure, there might be lawyers advising against apologizing as it may convey guilt of some kind, but really this is about an 18 year old getting drunk and making a mistake. A mistake that while not pleasant to think about, did very little harm. We all get peed on once in a while by our dog, our baby, our grandparents, ourselves, it’s part of life. Read more
The “kicker file” is one of the most mutually accessible ways of getting national or international media attention, even if you generally don’t deserve it. At the end of most newscasts is a lighthearted look at something funny happening around the world. These sections also exist in large circulation newspapers and magazines. Your business or cause may not be able to penetrate the front page with hard news that you can control, but you may be able to shine a friendly light if you are willing to be a bit goofy and use a commonly popular topic to your advantage.
Take the World’s Largest Snowwoman for example. Bethel, Maine had already set the world record (as deemed by Guinness) for world’s largest Snowman and simply beating their old record might not get past the editorial desk, so what to do? Capitalize on the interest in gender issues and build a snowwoman instead! Yes it’s kind of ridiculous, but still rallies the community, gets people to talk, and interests editors all over the globe. Give it lipstick, eyelashes, wider hips (I guess) and bam – you’ve got a snowwoman. Along the way the region is highlighted as a top winter destination and people from far and wide come to see it.
The majority of the resources to build it were donated. I was lucky enough to help out and also represented the local ski area at the unveiling. Got to hang out with Senator Olympia Snowe too. Yes, that’s her name. Check the video.
With the time restraints of new fatherhood and preparing to relocate, there has not been a lot of time for hitting the mountains this year. I did get up once thanks to some friends, but in general the focus is elsewhere.
Last season Glen Plake arrived uunannounced (which is his MO). This is often the case with any sort of celebrities. You often don’t have a lot of notice as to when they will arrive at your business. Your time is short, but make sure to snap some photos, get a signed poster endorsing your business, or if you have time, put on your media hat and interview them. Do your best to ask them questions that are not what they always hear. The best interviews are always ones that cover new ground or areas that are not already well worn. The better the interview, the larger an audience will be interested in it, and thus exposed to your business.
I was able to secure a chairlift ride with Glen Plake (rad!) while he was in Oregon last year. Kept the questions light yet on topic and allowed the Glen Plake character to lead the fun. Ended with a chance for him to promote his tour.
Here’s a copy of my article that was included in the December 14, 2010 edition of TSIL.
SALES CHANNELS EVOLVING AS DIGITAL PLATFORMS MATURE
Gaining access to large groups of customers by offering discounts or commissions is not new, but the mediums in which these transactions occur are evolving rapidly. Liftopia has been a leader to emerge in this space and currently services resorts across the US and Canada, allowing resorts to offer specific inventory and reach a wider audience.
What’s next? An upcoming session at the National Ski Areas Association Western Winter Conference and Tradeshow in Alta/Snowbird entitled “Channel Surfing” will dive into the topic of evolving sales and marketing channels. Some resorts are moving quickly into this new space while others are using the latest digital tools to become their own online inventory broker.
Groupon is a recent entrant into the bulk lift ticket sales market. Burke Mountain, VT recently reported sales of 600 tickets at a 50% yield in a one-day sale. Keystone Resort, CO saw similar impressive sales numbers through a Groupon offer in the fall of 2009, but craigslist and eBay resales, along with the significant commission, were noted as challenges, according to Christian Knapp, Keystone’s senior brand director. Knapp is slated to be on the NSAA “Channel Surfing” discussion panel.
Direct selling through social media channels remains generally a faux pas, but “Facebook Friday” at Sunday River is entering its second year and seems to have found an audience, thanks to simplicity. Built as an “event,” attendees simply select that they will “attend” and in doing so they get a discount on the upcoming Friday lift ticket. Friday, Dec. 10 saw 482 “attendees.” Nick Lambert, Sunday River’s VP of marketing and sales, points to several positives: the “bring a friend” likelihood, making two-day weekends into three-day weekends, and snow conditions awareness.
Mike Henderson, social media strategist at One to One Interactive, noted that some resorts are focusing on addressing third party sales in a manner that appears to be a repeat of the recent decrease in mainstream media buys. He says that by building and cultivating the audience you want via an internet strategy – inclusive of SEO, SEM, email, advertising and social – the need to pay others to communicate or sell on your behalf decreases. – A.K.
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