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Mountains Of Advertising? Big Payoff Or Double Edged Sword

By Craig Altschul
October 30, 2006

Once upon a time we rode a single chairlift through the pine trees. We heard only the whoosh of the wind. We heard only the soft swoosh of skis against generally ungroomed snow on the way down the narrow trail. Maybe, if we listened carefully, the yodel of a 10th Mountain vet joined this cacophony of silence.

Advertising? On ski mountains? Perish the thought. Times have changed, haven't they? Today, we find ads on chairlifts, trail maps, coffee cups, napkins, parkas, hats. Okay, on just about everything. Is there a right way to do it? A wrong way? How do you feel about the barrage of messages? Use the "Comments" function below to sound off.

Monte Rios is President and CEO of Sitour USA, arguably the oldest and largest media company in the marketplace. The company has been in the game since 1961 around the world and since 1982 in North America. In fact, Sitour's original owners still run their show. The company has more than 215 resort clients, including, for the record, Mountain News Corp., publishers of The Industry Report and OnTheSnow.com.

Rios told The Industry Report he believes there is indeed a right way and a wrong way to go about mixing media messages into resort venues.

"The right way is by providing the resort with programs that complement their guest services with advertising categories that fit the sport," Rios says. "Media space should be a method by which resorts invest with partner companies like Sitour to enhance the skiing guest experience."

He said Sitour's philosophy in its 11 worldwide network countries "has always been to couple advertising with products that service and provide guests with excellent up-to-date information or services. We have developed many products over the years (including firsts in the industry) in partnership with our member resorts for the sole purpose of meeting a resort guest service need."

The Sitour model calls for 80 percent of the space for guest information or service-oriented messages (a large base area trail map is a good example), with 20 percent for advertising.

That's where the double-edged sword comes in. When does on-hill advertising rise to the levels of "too much?" There are those who visit ski areas with zero tolerance for advertising on "their" mountains.

"Resorts must be sensitive to over-commercializing their resorts and can do that by selecting advertising programs that complement the sport and the environment. That's why Sitour products that are on-mountain/on-slope, for the most part, adhere to the 80 percent skier service, 20 percent advertising rule." He points out that start-up companies attracted by the dollar signs of the skier demographic often make the mistake of reversing the ad-service formula.

Yet, the bulk of the skier/snowboard demographic are very possibly inoculated to accept advertising in virtually every form. All professional, most collegiate and, increasingly, Olympic sports, bombard their fans with ad messages at every opportunity. All we had to do last week was to look behind home plate during the World Series to see virtually an ad change with every pitch. That's a sure change-up from when the only World Series sponsor was Gillette, and no one had ever heard of cell phones, iPods, and something called the Internet.

"Keep in mind that skiing is a business much like any other sport. Resorts are sports arenas also. The demand for better and more snowmaking, faster lifts, and more amenities means ski operators must take advantage of many alternative opportunities to lower costs.

"One of the biggest obstacles the industry faces for growth is the cost of the sport. (See Industry Report 10/16.) "When resort operators can save real dollars by allowing advertising programs, it makes great sense and helps them to keep costs in check."

Rios, a 35-year veteran of the ski industry, believes "resort operators are sensitive to the over-commercialization issue and want what they believe is best for the industry and their particular resort needs. They are excellent at placing sponsorship in places that do not take away from the beauty of the mountains."

Skiers and snowboarders are about as desirable as it comes for certain advertisers. Take General Motors' Chevrolet Division as an example. The automaker has long used Sitour's network to communicate to skiers and riders because the frequency and impression numbers on their target demo is significantly more cost effective than a traditional media buy.

ChevyTrucks and SUVs, they feel, are ideal vehicles for regular snowsports participants and their families because they are All Wheel Drive and have plenty of room for gear and kids. Rios says Chevy's association with the sport is important to them in keeping the brand top-of-mind when skiers and riders are in the market for a new vehicle.

That is the same reason, says Rob Brown, President of Mountain News Corp., his company uses the network extensively. "We need to reach skiers and riders while they are skiing and riding, so that when they go back to the condos or return home, they click to us first. That's not a plug, that's the reality of reaching targeted demographics while they are doing their thing."

Snowboard arenas have come under some heat of late. Not from snowboarders of whatever alphabet generation we've reached, but generally from older, more conservative skiers. Some call these over-bannered, over-loaded "stadiums" eyesores.

Rios doesn't buy that point of view. "The extreme left (i.e., those who would say "get those ads off my mountain") needs to understand that skiing is a business and that resorts are more than capable of monitoring their advertising programs."

Which edge of the sword do you wield? Sound off below.

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Comments

	Face it, advertising is everywhere, in the movies, on the internet. If done tastefully,and along with useful info such as a map or tuning station as Sitour does, it can and will be tolerated on the montain too! Lauren Traub Teton SnowboardSecrets.com, Editor
	Posted by: Lauren Traub Teton | October 30, 2006 09:06 AM

	Uh, I found it a little strange to be labeled as "far left" for not liking my ski area all greased up by graffiti terrain park features and ads. I expect marketing people to like ads. I can't stand them. If that makes me "Far Left" then I'm a card-carrying member...
	Posted by: Ryan Kipp | October 30, 2006 09:16 AM

Hi Rob After reading this I have to ask the question, if you are trying to reach skiers and boarders why we have never heard from you? Keeplan is the only Media company from which you can place media at All the Vail resorts, ASC resorts, Winter park, Copper mtn, Park City, Stowe just to name a few. By quick numbers we represent over 20 million skier visits that you are not touching with Sitour. Richard Thompson CEO/ GM Keeplan Winter sports

Posted by: Richard Thompson | October 30, 2006 09:49 AM

	Being a business person and advid skier, I understand the opportunity and challenges resort owner/operators face. If done in the fashion described by Sitour I believe it can enhance the skier experience as it exposes me to new products and services that I'm probably interested in.
	Posted by: Lofton Spencer | October 30, 2006 09:50 AM