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Skiing - 'It's The Next Big Thing,' Says Larsen

By J.D. O'Connor
March 19, 2007

They say what goes around, comes around.

The Industry Report called Brad Larsen, the 27-year-old marketing "upstart" at Welch Village, Minn. the "poster child for The Young and the Restless after he picked up two National Ski Area Association's (NSAA) awards in 2005. One was for marketing innovation, the second for customer service.

Welch Village, of course, is a small, venerable resort in Wisconsin. We caught up with Larsen again last week during his first days on the job as Marketing Director of Snowshoe Mountain Resort in Elkins, W. Virginia, a far larger and higher stakes playground. He's more confident than ever, sure in his beliefs that mass advertising is a waste of resort company dollars, that 50-year-old marketers can't talk young-speak, and that customer service remains primary.

But, here's the anomaly. A good anomaly, too. It seems possible that Larsen, as a child, swallowed some snow blown west from New England across the upper Midwest by legendary Killington Marketing Director Foster Chandler. Few in the industry gave more than lip service to the prescient Chandler when he preached the most important thing we have to sell is "The Spirit of Alpine Skiing."

Listen to Larsen: "I truly believe we have to send out messages that are on the bright side. This sport is all about romance, adventure, and sex appeal. The pioneers of skiing understood this spirit."

He points out that despite telling potential guests about our supersized condo rooms, fast lifts that hold lots of people, all the things important to investors and owners, the industry hasn't seen much growth. In short, we've been selling the wrong thing.

Nothing seems to get back to Larsen's agenda once he's buried it, so look out. He told us two years that "mass advertising is dead." He cut it out at Welch, while other resorts tilted at windmills. Will he do the same at Snowshoe? Can't you hear the media sales people saying "uh-oh?"

"Skiers represent only about two percent of the population," he points out, "so why would we waste money by paying for the other 98 percent with mass marketing? It didn't make sense in the smaller Welch Village market, and it makes no sense at all trying to reach the 70 million-plus people a day away in the 'one big city' from Washington, D.C. south to Florida."

He's not going to reveal his strategy for Snowshoe yet for obvious reasons, but he did say "we will create very compelling offers and use the high quality data Snowshoe and parent Intrawest have developed. We know our customer and that's who we're going to target. We're going for the best people without waste."

The Internet? "Oh, baby, that's powerful," he says, "as long as a resort Web site is perceived as unbiased and honest. That's what we're aiming for. It's not always a sales message."

Larsen declared advertising dead several years ago in that first interview. Snowboarding joined that club in the interim.

"Snowboarding is dead. It's totally passe. Skiing is red hot again. It's a shift back to more of the sport's roots, but with new technology tuned in," Larsen said. "Skiing learned some things from the snowboard culture and now comes with its own attitude and character." All this from one of the first kids who grew up on a snowboard to make it into the front office.

"Snowboarding took all the 'cool' away from skiing, but it's back now. Skiing has regained coolness," says Larsen. He also notes that "there are no rules in our sport, unlike other sports. You ski the slopes and you're a winner every time." Another throwback? The word filmmaker Warren Miller used in hundreds of ski flicks: "Freedom."

So, yes, skiing is the next big thing. "Do I sense a headline here?" he quipped.

"I feel like I'm getting an opportunity to repay the founders of skiing in my new role," he said. He most certainly was referring to people like Leigh Nelson, the pioneering ski area operator at Wisconsin's Welch Village.

The Industry Report will continue to follow Larsen's career. His is one of the new voices coming from the marketing offices. Not cocky voices. But, confident voices.

Isn't it fascinating that when all is said and done, this new voice is a modern day echo of the "spirit of alpine skiing?"

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Comments

	Congratulations Brad on your promotion. It's always great to see young, "future stars", of the industry get recognized for being innovative, and thinking "out of the box"...even if it's in line with what used to be thought of as "in the box".
	Posted by: Jacques Pelletier Mountain Hire | March 19, 2007 09:52 AM

Brad Larsen came from Welch Village in Minnesota. I realize that some of you people from more cosmopolitan areas of the country tend to lump the entire Midwest as just one big vast wasteland of cow pastures and corn fields. However, Minnesota and Wisconsin are actually two different states with their own governments and state boundaries. Most good Minnesotan's like myself are a bit insulted when you confuse us with the Wisconsin "Cheeseheads". Other than that "minor" discrepancy it was a good article. Regards, Scott Holmer

Posted by: Scott Holmer | March 19, 2007 01:18 PM

	Congratulations to Brad for his upward mobility and to Leigh Nelson for recognizing and mentoring young talent.
	Posted by: Rob Brown | March 19, 2007 01:36 PM

	I like your style, Brad, it is all about 'the spirit' It is also what our small company's message is all about,being from the mountains where we work and play! Good on you!Cheers
	Posted by: carol jeske | March 19, 2007 02:19 PM

	Welch Village is in SE MN, not WI, our neighbor state. We have been developing alpine sports since 1965, adding over 3,000,000 folks to the sports in 42 seasons. This year over 120,000 joined the ranks from Welch, and that with major weather issues. We'll keep it up,TBTG.
	Posted by: Leigh Nelson Welch Village Resort | April 4, 2007 09:45 AM

	After sitting in on an interview with Brad at Welch Village a few years back, I knew then this guy was going far in this industry. He's smart, savvy, and not your "run of the mill" marketing guy. His respect for the past and foresight of the future is genuine. Rock on, Brad!
	Posted by: Stephanie Prink | April 4, 2007 12:06 PM

	Because Brad was smart and daring, Ski Press sent one of our best writers to Welch -- from Whistler. Made a great story.
	Posted by: jules older | May 5, 2007 11:28 AM