The programs for this coming winter are designed to create new skiers and to build mid-week business. The first program is a straight $1 discount on a lift ticket for any mid-week day except during specified holiday periods. Required of the skier are 18 proofs-of-purchase of Coca Cola. The second program is an introduction to skiing package, again requiring 18 bottlecaps, plus $5. It entitles the skier to ski rental equipment, beginner class lesson and lift ticket, the offer being good only by reservation and on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays only.
Bob Parker of Vail, Tom Corcoran of Waterville and Cal Conniff of NSAA hammered out the details with Coca Cola and made sure the programs were as problem-free for areas as possible. For its part, Coca Cola and its bottlers will do heavy local promotion, including point-of-purchase material (carton stuffers, for instance) that features the names and phone numbers (for reservation purposes) of the participating areas.
The impact should be considerable, judging from some pilot programs that Coca Cola ran last season, all of involved six proofs of purchase.
One example involved Web Moffitt’s Snoqualmie Summit. Predominantly a day and large-volume weekend ski area just 45 minutes from downtown Seattle, the area opened for Monday night skiing last year. Stan DeBruler, partner and general manager at Snoqualmie, was astounded by the size of the crowd generated from the “Ski Free with Coca-Cola” Monday night promotions. “Our usual Monday night business was only 100 skiers,” Mr. DeBruler said, “but were we surprised when over 2,300 folks showed up the first night. Most of them were families, and a majority new to skiing.”
In mid-February and again mid-March, Mr. DeBruler, the local bottling company and KING Radio ran repeats of the promotion. Over 3,000 turned out in February and 2,700 in March in the midst of a heavy downpour of rain. An adjacent area, Ski Acres, held a similar promotion at the end of March and brought in 2,500 skiers, having previously experienced small Monday night crowds.
In Utah, six ski areas in the Salt Lake City area worked with the Salt Lake City Coca-Cola bottler in developing promotions. Snowbird, Brighton, Park City, Sundance, Park City West and Solitude participated in promoting “Ski Utah ’74 and Save” a program designed to help skiers get to and from the slopes in the energy crunch. The promotion included a 25 per cent discount on bus transportation to the areas from downtown Salt Lake City and Provo, with various intermediate stops. In addition, areas offered 50-cent to one-dollar reductions to skiers with 6 crown liners from Coca-Cola or Sprite. The local Coca-Cola bottling company supported the program with radio advertising, TV spots and over 150,000 carton stuffers providing information to skiers shopping in supermarkets in the metro area.
“The association for Coca-Cola USA with the nation’s ski industry is a sound and exciting one,” said Henry Brandes, youth and sports market manager for Coca-Cola USA in Atlanta. “We have long been interested in providing consumers refreshment when they want it, especially when they are having fun. Being associated with skiing, a many faceted sport, helps us reach many of our target consumers,” he said.
