Page 63 - Summer 2014

BEST OLD SCHOOL MARKETING Jay Peak Resort, Vermont Jay Peak figured out long ago that old school channels have an important role in the overall marketing mix. After all, a good magazine, creative direct mail piece, great radio/TV ad, and funny billboard still tend to pack a big punch. And even though it can be hard to track the marketing ROI of these ini- tiatives, Jay Peak puts stock in them for their effectiveness in creating awareness of the resort brand and reaching a wider audience. With the success of their 2013-14 campaign, it’s easy to see why. The resort’s magazine uses storytelling rather than a hard- sell approach to engage and educate its audience about the fun Jay Peak incorporated fun, quirky cartoon characters into old to be had at Jay Peak—a tactic that encourages those who are school marketing materials to connect with the kid in every- in the “dreaming phase of the consumer buying cycle” to take one, referencing reminders of childhood winter experiences like catching snowflakes on your tongue and peeing in the snow. a closer look, said Steve Wright, chief marketing officer. With extensive distribution in Boston and Vermont, the magazine is used in conjunction with the area’s brochure to cover destina- tion/day markets in both the U.S. and in nearby Canada (which BEST LEARN TO SKI AND SNOWBOARD gets a French version). MONTH CAMPAIGN Setting the tone for the magazine and other components Wachusett Mountain Ski Area, Massachusetts of the 2013-14 marketing campaign was the tagline “Relive Areas looking to customize LSSM New Moments,” bolstered with youthful, quirky graphics at the local level might want to designed to appeal to the inner child of the target audience. take some cues from Wachusett’s (The main character, a little girl named “Maeve,” implores, 2013-14 program. Not only did “What happened to us? Remember? We were going to take the resort broaden LSSM into a charge of this winter! We were going to ski and ride, and play season-long initiative to attract beginners, but it also worked to in the snow….”) transform Bring a Friend into a must-have commodity. Rather Jay Peak amplified the brand message consistently across the than focus on BAF during January only, the area launched a resort’s TV spots, website, billboards, brochure, print ads, and long-term “Bring a Friend for Fun” (BFF) campaign and sup- direct mail—one of the area’s most successful channels for vaca- ported it with multiple promotional tactics. tion booking. The mailer’s clear, concise call to action allowed Wachusett blended two key products—a lift ticket for skiers the resort to track conversions: the spring direct mail led to 520 and a one-day “Learn to Turn” package for nonskiers—into one reservations, representing 1,025 room nights, room revenues of discounted online offer. The resort launched BFF before lift tick- $192,465, and total revenues of $310,373. ets even went on sale, and offered season pass-holders a one-day All in all, Jay Peak hit the mark for straightforward deliv- learn-to-turn package for a friend at 50 percent off the retail price. ery of a simple message that reminded people of the winter “The resort placed BFF at the forefront of pre-season mar- moments they lived for as kids: “…catching snowflakes on your keting, expanding it to multiple market segments as the season tongue, peeing in the snow, and riding the chairlift, no matter progressed,” said Tom Meyers, marketing director. Wachusett how freaking windy,” Wright said. “We wanted our audience promoted BFF in three primary collateral pieces—the season to feel that being a kid again was possible, that reliving new pass application, resort guide, and ski/snowboard school bro- moments was encouraged, and that Jay Peak was a place to feel chure—and incentivized purchases on the website with a $10 this again.” discount on the online lift ticket price. BFF took center stage in extensive radio/TV campaigns in local markets and in regional ski publications. w w w. n s a a . o rg SUMMER 2014 | NSAA Journal | 61 NSAA Summer 2014 prepressed v6a.indd 61 7/3/14 4:22 PM