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“ ig data” has been sold as the solution to everything something exciting to discover, but right on the surface, in

from eliminating traffic congestion to curing ter- plain sight, are things that are just as valuable.
Bminal diseases. The world’s biggest companies and
smartest minds are engaged in a digital arms race to be the VALUE
best at turning billions of data points into game-chang-
ing insights. In the most basic sense, information holds value only if it
Closer to home the ski industry has been told that big enables you to do something better. In marketing, a big piece
data will revolutionize marketing and bring to light every- of that is maximizing the efficacy and efficiency of messages.
thing we ever wanted to know about our guests. In some It could be a data point that helps you craft a message
ways, this movement has absolutely delivered. Never before that gets 3 percent more people to pay attention. Or maybe
have we had such an insightful view of resort and marketing it’s knowledge about the exact time to deliver that message.
performance; known so much about our guests’ interests and Perhaps these insights simply highlight who wouldn’t find
habits; and been able to correlate revenue to such specific a message relevant so you can avoid paying for them to see
guest behaviors and engagement. it in the first place. Whatever the case, again, if data doesn’t
But in the excitement of big data’s eye-opening les- help you do something better, it’s not valuable. It may be
sons we tend to forget about a marketing strategy with interesting, but interesting isn’t enough.
equally valuable but far more attainable results. This type Returning to the mining metaphor for a moment, it’s
of approach doesn’t have a catchy name or a mention in an important to remember that just because a data point is
IBM or Google corporate plan, but it’s becoming an increas- harder to find does not somehow make it more valuable. An
ingly important tactic for ski areas. easy thing that gets 5 percent more people to buy is just as
It’s called “small data.” And it’s at the heart of many of valuable as an obscure concept your $300-an-hour consul-
the most successful data-driven marketing campaigns in the tant discovered that leads to the same result.
ski industry today. And that’s where small data shines, because not only is
small data easier to find, it’s just as effective as many of the
BIG VS. SMALL things you’d have access to with an algorithm and supercom-
puter. Here are some examples of useful data points that are
One of the most common terms in the big data movement is easily gleaned.
“data mining.” Just as it sounds, this is the process of digging
through mountains of information to find the gems that may ARRIVAL DATE
be buried under the surface. Like actual mining, however,
data mining takes time and carries no guarantees. A guest’s arrival date is perhaps the perfect posterchild of
You could spend a decade sifting through a hillside with- small data. Unlike other industries, hospitality is unique in
out uncovering a speck of gold. Likewise, you could spend an that a transaction can take place weeks or months before
entire season combing through your resort’s databases and consumption. Instead of helping someone make the most
never find a single useful bit of wisdom. Chances are good you of their purchase after they’ve already begun to consume
will, but it’s that word—“chance”—that adds a layer of risk it, booking windows create an opportunity to slowly, care-
that can intimidate some resort marketers and operators. fully give a guest all the tools they need to start their vaca-
The small data movement is different. Small data is tion off on the right foot long before that foot ever graces
built on the idea that, yes, deep underground there may be your property.

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