Rethinking Ski Resort Marketing
Vail Resorts CS, Winter Season 2012-2013
Remember you pay not for the product but for the story
You have great pleasure when you purchase it, when you experience it,
and in the retelling of the story in years afterwards
Of course your product must be of superior quality
but you need to understand that the most important feature is emotional
Ski Resorts Marketing as well as Luxury Marketing is a category that is completely different from traditional brand marketing
because it is in the business of selling fantasy
It is the “Dream Business”
To compete effectively,
Ski Resorts have to deliver wonderful experiences and excellent value to visitors
Management is important…
But it’s nothing without Passion
Create the Playground
I Forgot. There is one more thing...
Vail Resorts is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States.
Vail Resorts operate the mountain resorts of
Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado,
and Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada.
Vail Resorts have sought to offer greater value
through vertical and horizontal integration
and strategic alliances/partnerships
Community-oriented Marketing
EpicMix allows Vail Resorts guests to effortlessly
utilize technology to digitally capture their ski and ride experience and share it with friends and family.
"With the advent of new technology in equipment and new features on the mountain,
skiing and riding have become the ultimate form of creative expression in sports and travel.
At the same time, the rapid growth of social media has given people a whole new way to express themselves online
and connect with friends and family. EpicMix is a groundbreaking experience
that brings both together in a seamless and hassle free way for all of our guests",
said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts.
"EpicMix takes the fun of playing and sharing online and marries it with the very real experience of skiing and riding".
Traditional Marketing is Dead
Many people in traditional marketing roles and organizations may not realize they're operating within a dead paradigm.
But they are. The evidence is clear.