Since the conclusions were straightforward, but difficult to digest, it was decided by the National Ski Areas Association, Ski Industries America and SMART to carry the research a step further and interview a greater population of skiers. We came to several decisions, the most important being to interview skiers at ski areas—we could be pretty sure they were there to ski.
The methodology incorporated the Brand Group’s market segmentation. We chose a ski resort near a metropolitan area (within two hours’ drive), an area two to four hours’ driving distance from a metro region and a third resort that took more than four hours’ traveling time. New England was chosen because it was easiest to monitor. Interview stations were set up in base lodges, a sign hung and all interviewers were given an official badge to wear.
The first thing we found out was that skiers are eager to talk about their sport or vacation. Of 1,200 questionnaires filled out, only 15 had to be tossed away for incomplete answers. Ninety-eight percent filled out every multiple-choice answer and 18 percent took the time to write comments.
Without digging deep into details, the methodology and logistics, the two aspects of major concern, were successful. The interview survey had a good balance of men and women and, based on prior agreement, no one under 18 years of age was interviewed.
The results of the survey were again startling in some respects. Keeping in mind that all information comes from only New England, but that the demographics and other characteristics of the interviewees are consistent with what is known about the skiers in the United States, the following are my observations of the results.
Permission
A large number, over 60 percent of those interviewed, said they could ski mid-week, but most of them did not. The primary reason given was that they had other “things” to do. This contrasted with Brand’s conclusions about the aficionado skier who would make “heroic efforts” to go skiing, although a much higher percentage of aficionados skied mid-week than beginners or dilettantes.
Because much of what Brand revealed previously is supported by the larger number of interviews, we wondered why this seemed to be inconsistent and uncorked the Permission Theory, which goes like this:
Skiing is a weekend or vacation activity. It is not something we do mid-week, not any more than housewives or business executives think about going to a matinee on a week-day. It not only is something we don’t do, we don’t even think about doing it. Why don’t we go? Nobody has given us permission to go.
The aficionado skier makes “heroic efforts” each weekend or will take a special vacation to go skiing, but during the week he or she does “other things.”
Aficionados Do It
Dilettantes confirmed Brand’s conclusion that, “the more people ski, the more they will ski.” They said, in the majority, that if they were better skiers, they would ski more often. Combine the fact that “a feeling of achievement” was a major factor in going skiing, and it seems logical that the ski school can be used more effectively by most ski resorts.
I will make an assumption that ski schools provide a marginal contribution to both revenues and profit. If this assumption is true, and the primary contributions to revenues and profits are lift ticket sales, why not use the ski school to provide both the means to make people better skiers (perhaps at reduced rates or in a fun, less structured environment), and to provide means of measuring achievement in a more tangible way.
Ski schools could also act as a means of promoting mid-week business by providing a reason to ski (permission) and a sense of camaraderie. (Social aspects are important, especially for older people who mentioned lack of someone to ski with mid-week.)
The definition of an aficionado is that he/she skis 20 or more times a year and the ski school may be a means of moving some dilettantes into the aficionado group. And, not all aficionados consider themselves experts.
Value
About 85 percent of those interviewed said they had a good time while skiing, but only 30 percent considered the experience a good value. What first appears to be a contradiction is probably a statement of fact. When skiing, the ski areas “gotcha.” Food prices, lift ticket prices, everything for sale is controlled by the company store. Value is better established by providing choice of price/quality.
Think about staying in a hotel without a coffee shop. Sometimes you don’t feel like paying $15 for a steak, but the hotel has “gotcha.” Even if the steak is a good value, the lack of choice may leave gas in your stomach.
Sport or Vacation
When asked to compare the cost of skiing as a sport to other sports, 89 percent of those interviewed said skiing was more expensive. When asked to compare relative cost with other vacation choices, only 50 percent considered skiing more expensive.
I will not argue with a purist about skiing as a sport or as a vacation, but I do think this fact is fascinating, especially when it comes to drawing more mid-week business or providing more long weekend promotions.
Juxtapose this fact with the effort to take care of excess mid-week inventory and I think there is story to be told—without compromising the issue of sport versus fun.
The results of the survey put perspective on the deliverables at a ski resort. The majority of the consumers enjoy themselves and believe that a ski area does a very good job. The amount of investment in product pays off. But the product is not the problem.
Future Surveys
What I have attempted is to take four pieces of information from several hundred data points and illustrate how they can be used to encourage skiing more often. Later, we will be able to come to other conclusions about motivating non-skiers to pick up poles and try it.
Next winter, providing we can gain the cooperation of enough ski areas, the survey will be expanded nationally. Participating areas will be provided data on their own area as well as a comparison with other areas in their region. And all the data will be pooled to create an ongoing market research tool for the industry.
