What Mountain/Resort Markets Themselves the Best?

[MadMadWorld]

IMO...Mad River Glen would have to be #1. Everyone knows the logo, bumper stickers and slogan. It targets a specific market and does it better than anyone. All with half the budget of much larger resorts.

Some other runner ups would be Jay, Stowe, and Smugglers Notch for similar reasons. Magic has also done a great job with word of mouth grassroots movement.

Anyways.....discuss

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[AdironRider]

Sugarloaf and its not even close.

Those stickers are ubiqutous, even out here. In fact, I know the creator of their marketing plan back in the day is now highly regarded as one of the top ski resort marketing guys in the industry.

MRG is not well known to the majority of skiers. Diehards like us yes, but the average 5 day a year skier has no clue, and if they do, they probably dont even know snowboarding isnt allowed.

 

[Smellytele]

What is the measure of "What Mountain/Resort Markets Themselves the Best?"? Brand name recognition? Number of skier visits? Profit when compared to others?

 

[BenedictGomez]

What is the measure of "What Mountain/Resort Markets Themselves the Best?"? Brand name recognition? Number of skier visits? Profit when compared to others?

Have to agree with this. Also, having a massive marketing spend doesnt mean you're that money effectively.

 

[St. Bear]

MRG is not well known to the majority of skiers. Diehards like us yes, but the average 5 day a year skier has no clue, and if they do, they probably dont even know snowboarding isnt allowed.

This is very true. In that line of thinking, I'm going to say a name that most on this board will disagree with, but the discussion begins and ends with Killington. To the average person, especially in the NYC metro, that's the only place there is.

 

[from_the_NEK]

Over the last 3-5 years, I would say Jay wins hands down. Even my relatives in Mass. are asking me about it .

 

[Nick]

I think Killington has a reputation that precedes it.

From what i see on websites / social media / etc., I think Jay Peak is really rising up the ranks as doing an amazing job with their marketing team. Their whole moment{us} campaign is very well crafted.

 

[emmaurice2]

If you say the name of a ski resort to a group of non-skiers/riders and they know exactly what you are talking about...chances are the resort's marketing has been effective. With that in mind, Stowe for sure, and from out west, Vail. There are others that probably fit in this category, but those are the two most obvious IMO.

 

[thetrailboss]

What is the measure of "What Mountain/Resort Markets Themselves the Best?"? Brand name recognition? Number of skier visits? Profit when compared to others?

Yeah, if you are asking about iconic ski area logos http://forums.alpinezone.com/showthread.php/109740-Iconic-Ski-Area-Logos?highlight=best+logo then I'd say Sugarloaf. If you are asking about who does the best marketing and has the best PR campaign, then Jay is the winner.

 

[Puck it]

Anything with a "Front" in it wins!!!!

 

[AdironRider]

To be honest, I dont think anywhere back east compares to the big dogs of marketing out West, notably Vail, Aspen, Squaw, Jackson, etc.

 

[thetrailboss]

To be honest, I dont think anywhere back east compares to the big dogs of marketing out West, notably Vail, Aspen, Squaw, Jackson, etc.

I'd agree. Look at an edition of SKI, Powder, or Skiing, and you will see that these folks really have the ads. And I should have added Jackson's logo as an iconic one.

 

[MadMadWorld]

Anything with a "Front" in it wins!!!!

Hilarious! You die hard Cannonites make me chuckle!

 

[drjeff]

I'm not so sure that the answer is very clear cut. A modern marketing department for a ski resort has such a wealth of demographic info of their TYPICAL customer that they can now gear their marketing on a micro level towards the market(s) where those customers come from and not necessarily "waste" marketing money on a widespread macro marketing campaign.

These days just because a "major" ski area might not widespread market to the location that you live in, doesn't mean that they aren't marketing heavily to an area where a decent amount of their customer base resides and have a much higher market awareness there :idea:

If you want to talk overall "iconic" logo marketing, in the East it's all about Sugarloaf, MRG and Stowe - those 3 logo's haven't changed a bit in the 30+ years I've been skiing. Killington can't make that claim, even though it's name might be the most recognizeable in the Eastern market

 

[bobbutts]

The Wa-Wa Wachusett song has been sticky for about the last 20 years. Killington obviously left a lasting impression from the 80's-90's, but it's been generally on the decline since then. Sugarloaf and MRG stickers everywhere, seems 10-1 over any other eastern resorts, must be the most effective near-free marketing.
Jay seems to be much more recognized now vs. 20 years ago. People rightfully associate them as the place to go for natural snowfall and glades.

 

[snowmonster]

For me, the test of effective marketing is asking the average person (not a die-hard skier/rider) what ski area pops into their head when they are thinking of arranging a ski trip. More often than not, it's Killington. I know that they've had their hiccups the past few years. But, they've never been wanting for customers.

 

[Smellytele]

For me, the test of effective marketing is asking the average person (not a die-hard skier/rider) what ski area pops into their head when they are thinking of arranging a ski trip. More often than not, it's Killington. I know that they've had their hiccups the past few years. But, they've never been wanting for customers.

I think it matters where you are asking. NY/NJ then Killington. Boston not as much so.

 

[snowmonster]

I think it matters where you are asking. NY/NJ then Killington. Boston not as much so.

I was actually also thinking about Boston. Although Sunday River has been making a big push in this market, Killington still resonates a lot -- at least among people I know. It's perceived as closer than SR for one thing. People also think about it as the place to graduate to after learning to make turns at Wachusset or Pat's. K really got good legs from all the ir succes in the 80s and 90s.

 

[Hawkshot99]

I'm not so sure that the answer is very clear cut. A modern marketing department for a ski resort has such a wealth of demographic info of their TYPICAL customer that they can now gear their marketing on a micro level towards the market(s) where those customers come from and not necessarily "waste" marketing money on a widespread macro marketing campaign.

These days just because a "major" ski area might not widespread market to the location that you live in, doesn't mean that they aren't marketing heavily to an area where a decent amount of their customer base resides and have a much higher market awareness there :idea:

If you want to talk overall "iconic" logo marketing, in the East it's all about Sugarloaf, MRG and Stowe - those 3 logo's haven't changed a bit in the 30+ years I've been skiing. Killington can't make that claim, even though it's name might be the most recognizeable in the Eastern market

Ding ding ding! Why waste your $marketing to people who will not be coming to wether it be because of distance or any other reason. The resort I work at knows that 75% of their guests come from Westchester, Long Island and N. Jersey. So as a smart company this is were they market. They wouldnt waste their money going and marketing up in VT or something as those people wont be driving to this area. so what you see as good or bad marketing, may just be a factor of where you live and who markets to that area.

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[Nick]

Yup. Most of my casual skier friends (at least those I grew up with in Connecticut) consider Killington "it" when considering resorts to go to.