As the industry looks at bringing new people into the sport and keeping the converts converted, more and more manufacturers are teaming up with resorts to keep people hooked on winter. Players such as Boeri, Burton, Elan, Line, Ovo and Rossignol, to name a few, have found that going straight to the end user is a great way to promote not only their product, but also the resort and the thrills of winter in general. Weighing in with its own program, Salomon came up with the Oasis demo event which has skiers, snowboarders and ski areas clamoring for more.
Photo courtesy of Salomon
Massachusetts resident Jack Flis takes advantage of on-snow demo days as often as he can. The middle-aged Stratton/Okemo dual passholder buys skis about every five years and admits he’d buy them more often if his wife would let him. With that understandable restriction in place, Flis chooses carefully—he only buys skis he’s had a chance to demo.
While ski companies like Salomon can’t do much to change purchase policy in the mind of a spouse (they’d really be onto something then), the Salomon Oasis event that Flis was taking part in at Vermont’s Stratton Mountain, February 28 to March 2, is effectively bringing consumers like him closer to their product when they’re ready to open the checkbook or break out the plastic. And in the process, companies like Salomon are giving skiers and riders an added incentive to visit the host resorts.
Skiers and riders are key customers for many companies, and resorts provide the perfect place for these companies to gain face-to-face meetings with their target market. That’s why Salomon, Saab, Sony Ericsson, Excedrin, Mad River Tea and Juices, and Corona Extra teamed up to deliver the Salomon Oasis demo tour to 10 ski resorts across the country. Last season the Salomon Oasis ran from January through April, quenching the gear lust of skiers at Copper Mountain, Squaw Valley, Big Bear, Vail, Boyne Mountain, Okemo Mountain, Stratton, Mount Bachelor, Crystal Mountain and Crested Butte.
Generally, Salomon works with resorts the company has an existing relationship with through their sales, event sponsorship or marketing divisions. Significant skier numbers and a match in target demographics don’t hurt, either.
“Stratton’s market is very targeted,” said Stratton vice president of marketing Michael Cobb. “It’s people who are opinion leaders in their field and also in skiing. They’re hard-working people with passion for what they do. They work hard so they want to play hard, too. Every time we do an event like this we always get letters or e-mails saying ‘thanks for making my escape better.’ ”
That kind of feedback has transformed the Oasis from a test event at Copper in 1999 into a marquee event for 10 resorts. And while the Oasis may not rival the scope of, say, a U2 tour, it would still do Bono and the boys proud. The Oasis travels with two 24-foot trucks, a 24-foot trailer, and 25 part-time employees.
The cost of such a tour can add up, but according to Salomon director of event marketing Paul Guimond, working with great corporate partners makes it economically possible. And resorts often help in housing the employees. “It varies from resort to resort,” Guimond said. “We try to utilize resort resources for lodging and try to stay at resort properties. The resorts are very helpful.”
The Oasis sets up in the base area as four interconnecting dome tents on a 100-by-70-foot footprint. Included are 200 pairs of skis, 80 snowboards, two Saabs, on-site promotions from each sponsor, and a deejay and sound system that create a party-like atmosphere that’s just a few bikinis and several kegs short of a “Wild On” episode.
“A lot of it is branding,” said Reese Brown, one of Salomon’s on-site managers at Stratton and Okemo. “We believe in the whole marketing angle that you need to get the product in the consumer’s hands. Salomon is confident that our products are strong and when consumers get it in their hands they’ll like them. You’re spending a lot of money on skis, so you might want to try them first. People will go home knowing that Salomon was here today.”
The Resort Payoff
That isn’t just music to the ears of the people at Salomon, but also to the host resorts that see the Oasis as a low-cost means of catering to guests. Salomon takes care of nearly all of the prep work, with the resorts spending only a bit of staff time. To publicize, Salomon teams with each resort’s marketing department months in advance. Posters, radio advertisements, ticket and equipment giveaways on radio stations, and live radio remotes from the base area during the event attract the attention of skiers and riders. A public relations agency works with the media in nearby metro areas to broaden the reach.
Photo courtesy of Salomon
“[The Resorts] put it on their schedule, on their web site, and hopefully on any broadcast e-mails,” Brown said. “They also help with posters and talk about it internally with the ski school and have their ambassadors talking it up.”
In the days before the Oasis hits town, Salomon works closely with the mountain operations department to make the set up process as painless as possible for the resort. Guimond says the tent city takes at most an hour and a half each morning and evening to construct and tear down.
“Salomon takes care of everything,” Brown added. “We can offer something of great value to the resort and the consumer. We’re very low maintenance. From a mountain standpoint, they love it because it’s turn-key and it doesn’t impact their operation. It works for the consumer, the resort, Salomon and the partners.”
On a good day Brown says 300 to 350 people will demo equipment, but Cobb said Stratton doesn’t measure the success of the Oasis in increased skier numbers. “You measure it in good feelings. It’s all about a better experience for the customers,” he said. “I’m sure more people come here to Stratton because of the event. But it also gives our loyal customers a chance to sample new products. When people can get on new equipment they have more fun. It inspires people to get out [to the mountain].”
And the Salomon Oasis provides a good experience. Registering and getting fitted for the equipment is easy and quick, with the whole process taking just a few minutes. In the first tent guests enter their names and contact information into a database on one of several—you guessed it—Sony laptops. From there they select their skill level, sign a waiver and have their boots measured. After trading in a license or a credit card for a pair of skis or a board, their bindings are set by technicians outside the tent and it’s off to the lift. Guests can also grab a foldout card with pictures of all the products available in the demo tents.
With the Oasis offering a chance to play on everything from the latest Salomon Crossmax ski to snowdecks in a mini terrain park, there are plenty of options. All-mountain skis are the most popular with Oasis participants, but snowdecks have been a huge attraction, with parents looking on as their kids try rail slides in Salomon’s mini terrain park.
The other sponsors are also part of the entertainment, and are happy to play their part. The Oasis offers them an opportunity for one-on-one meetings with consumers. Braden Graham, a field marketing specialist for Carlson Marketing Group, which handles Saab’s marketing, said the partnership allows Saab to get their vehicles to an audience that wouldn’t normally see them. “Skier demographics fit Saab’s demographics,” Graham said. “Overall the demographics at the ten resorts we’ll be at this year are a great match. We get a lot of people that haven’t seen the new 9-3 Sport Sedan and they say, ‘Wow!’ We get a lot of ‘Wows’ and we’re turning people onto the brand. We’re reinforcing the brand and the quality behind it.”
Tim Fitzgerald, a regional training manager for Sony Ericsson, said the goal is to make consumers familiar with the company. “We’re trying to get the message out that it’s a new company,” Fitzgerald said. “A lot of the products are for people who like techie stuff. This is a good place to hit that demographic. If you look at the price of a lift ticket, those people have disposable income, so they might shell out for a phone.”
According to Guimond, Salomon’s overall goal of interacting with consumers on a one-on-one basis is being accomplished. Showing off a product and letting the consumer play with it while rocking out to a deejay makes the buying process fun. And that enhances the value of a consumer’s experience at the resort.
“Virtually everyone who comes through will have a good experience,” Brown said. “Even if they don’t buy Salomon, at least they’re staying in the sport. It’s not the desired outcome, but they’ve invested in the sport.”
Just ask Flis, who was relishing the chance to get on skis he wouldn’t normally be on. “Yeah, I wouldn’t normally be on twin-tips,” he said laughing.
Two minutes later Bill Gaydosh skidded to a stop outside the Oasis with a grin from ear to ear. A Stratton homeowner, his wife had seen an advertisement for the Oasis, and he wasn’t going to miss this opportunity to sample the goods.
From a resort standpoint, that’s the kind of reaction that makes the Oasis a hit. The event boosts customer traffic and satisfaction, at very little cost the to resort. Marketing doesn’t get much better than that.
Resorts interested in bringing the Salomon Oasis to their base area can contact Paul Guimond at Salomon at (971) 234-7001.
