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Marketing
the card are completed, the primary cardholder earns the Courtesy Sunlight Mountain Resort
season pass.
Winter X Games at Buttermilk Mountain 30 miles away.
And that’s not all. In addition to the free lift ticket, More than 100,000 people descend on the Roaring Fork
Ski Apache gives the cardholder an additional lesson and
lift ticket to use at any time. While the program is popular Valley to attend the games each season, filling up local hotel
among families, other guests are taking advantage of the rooms and passing through Glenwood Springs and Sunlight
chance to learn or improve their skills and collect their free to and from the events. Sunlight 40s targeted 21- to 35-year-
season pass at the end of the process, said Brett Nichols, old skiers and riders, offering an affordable option for taking
marketing manager for the resort. to the slopes with their friends: two lift tickets for just $40
each. Playing off of 40-ounce bottles of beer, the ad creative
“The overall objective of this program is to give people was “The Best 40 You’ve Ever Had!” The resort publicized
of all ages the tools they need to be successful skiers and the offer throughout Aspen and neighboring towns,
riders,” said Nichols. “If we can encourage people to develop tapping into a key new market segment and leveraging the
the skills they need to enjoy the sport and reward that destination traffic generated by the games.
commitment with incentives such as a season pass or an
additional lesson and lift ticket, we’re taking big steps toward In this first year of the campaign, Sunlight 40s netted
creating lifelong skiers and snowboarders.” more than 300 conversions through online sales, and guests
redeemed more than 200 flyers at the lift ticket window—
BEST “BRING A FRIEND” CAMPAIGN all during what would normally be a slower business period
between Martin Luther King weekend and Presidents’ Day.
Sunlight Mountain Resort, CO
The second campaign, the Slope and Soak 4-Pack,
With Sunlight 40s—one of two very successful Bring a targeted families and young couples, encouraging them to
Friend campaigns at Sunlight Mountain last season—the bring their friends for a day on the slopes followed by a hot
resort smartly capitalized on its proximity to the ESPN soak in Glenwood’s new luxury natural hot springs, Iron
Mountain. The offer was for four lift tickets to Sunlight plus
four passes to the hot springs for just $199.
The promotion included a full-size print ad in local
magazines and was also listed on Liftopia.com and
GetSkiTickets.com. In addition, Iron Mountain Hot Springs
gave the campaign an extra boost by promoting the package
as part of its #BestSoakEver social media campaign.
By collaborating on the Slope and Soak 4-pack, both
Sunlight and Iron Mountain Hot Springs immediately net-
ted widespread awareness of both brands and the combined
extraordinary experience they provide, said Troy Hawks,
Sunlight’s marketing and sales director. “In a small commu-
nity like Glenwood Springs, forging partnerships among other
local businesses is key,” he added. “Consumers want to see that
local businesses work together to provide great experiences.”
48 | NSAA JOURNAL | SUMMER 2016
