Whether skiers need reassuring or convincing is uncertain. What is certain, is that Utah and Colorado resorts would have a hard time attracting eastern skiers without appealing messages about snow depths and surfaces. New England ski areas would go broke if the marketplace weren’t constantly bombarded with messages about what snowmaking and grooming have been able to do on trails not as blessed with natural white stuff. In the Poconos, skiers won’t show up if they don’t know the roads have been properly sanded. And so the story goes in one form or another.
At the New England Ski Areas Council, NESAC, we are aware of the value of snow reporting, but also sense that there are some genuine problems with today’s methodology which could be having an adverse effect on both the enjoyment of the sport as well as our ability to attract non-skiers to the slopes.
The Current System
When taking stock of where we are now . . . or better still where we are not—these thoughts come to mind:
- In snow reports today, we’re not giving skiers all they want and need. NESAC research indicates this; Milton Brand’s research strengthens this premise; skiers themselves are saying they prefer to know about skiing conditions in more and different ways.
- Reporting is too much of a numbers game versus the presence of clear, useful information. Further, when abbreviations are introduced out of necessity or otherwise, clear understanding is further inhibited.
- There appears to be an evolving conflict between those who espouse independent reporting of snow conditions and those who don’t. Both the media and consumers understandingly are becoming more confused and frustrated because of claims and counter claims.
- We are not talking about the quality of skiing, but we should be. Quantity seems to be on our mind rather than how to enjoy it.
- With minor exceptions, we’ve ceased to seriously explore other media to convey snow reports. Certainly, radio is a most important medium, but with the recent (nearly exclusive) focus on this medium, we are clouding the issue and limiting our opportunities.
- Some of us in the business are forgetting how important it is to report rather than forecast skiing conditions. In some parts of the country where weather is not as predictable, forecasting a snow report is a guarantee of strained relations with the skier-consumer.
- Most of all, over the years we’ve conditioned and encouraged skiers to doubt, disagree and perhaps even drop out because we’ve become so darned technical—so mechanical in our message. We’ve made it easy for people’s expectation to not be fulfilled. One wonders whatever happened to describing skiing as just plain fun.
New Methodology
An intense investigation will get underway shortly in New England to deal with some of the findings of recent research as well as indications obtained from additional sources. Some of the following will probably find their way into snow report methodology in future years:
- 1) The consumer is definitely indicating that different kinds of information are desirable. These include more weather information, temperatures and road conditions.
- 2) The consumer wants more and different outlets available for obtaining skiing-related information.
- 3) Some ski areas realize the advantages of conveying the benefits of skiing to the consumer rather than focusing on the features (lifts, trails). These same few farsighted areas have begun to help skiers plan to take advantage of whatever the conditions might be once they arrive.
- 4) Some snow reports and reporters are now better tailoring information to the time of day, time of week and other characteristics to more closely match the consumer to available skiing experiences. Heretofore, reports too often have taken an unimaginative course.
- 5) We know that beginning skiers want and need different information than more advanced skiers do.
- 6) Snow reports remain very important to skiers, but it is how they get them that has begun to shift dramatically.
- 7) Snow reports—in New England, at least—motivate people to ski, but not so much where to ski.
- 8) The importance of a snow report varies greatly between the affect on mid-week versus weekend skiers. There is a similar difference based on age groups with younger skiers being much more influenced than older ones.
In summary, skiers wants and needs are changing and we’re not going to satisfy their anticipation of what they’ll find at a ski resort unless we seriously consider describing conditions differently and conveying this information in new ways in addition to those we already know to be of vital importance, such as radio.
Basic Conflicts
Though desirable, change may come slowly because of the basic conflicts acknowledged in the whole communications cycle involving ski areas with their understandable needs, the media with their requirements and then, of course, the skier whose needs appear to be shifting without regard for the limitations faced by either the media or ski areas.
Ski areas want to be identified regularly on the air or in print. That desire will hardly dissipate, but it conflicts with the reality that skiers need to be surrounded by messages containing more than ski area names—if they are going to become more committed to the sport.
Radio stations and other media outlets demand facts because the snow report is considered either news or public service. Therefore, the desires of ski areas to hear their name and/or describe the wonders of the sport conflict with the media which insists that traditional snow reports will be offered to the public free, but that commercial messages, by golly, should be paid for!
Another basic conflict, which is understandable and unlikely to go away is one that inevitably exists between the so-called independent snow reporter and the reports which are area-supplied. Independents claim that there is a definite vested interest—possibly even a conflict of interest—and so reporting should be left to the independent. Too often we forget that no matter how you slice it, the information comes from the ski areas in the first place. This is inescapable whether areas call an association which in turn feeds the media or they call the independent services or the independents collect their own information through the use of spotters.
It is certain that neither approach is a perfect one. Let’s face it, some independent reporters have their favorite areas, and just as candidly, some areas can be overly zealous when reporting skiing conditions to whomever they communicate with.
Whether area association or independent reporting service, we both must deal with the same realities of timing and reliability. In fact, I believe the area association is under even greater pressure to do an excellent job or suffer the wrath of member areas, the media and the consumer combined.
