« Previous Story | The Industry Report Home Page | Next Story »

Sunday River Set To Knock Their Sox Off

By Craig Altschul
September 21, 2007

"We think this is a creative and very visible pre-season promotion that makes sense for us," General Manager Dana Bullen told The Industry Report. "Our market is Boston and the surrounding area and there is nothing more important to them right now than focusing on the Red Sox as the pennant race comes to an end. It's an expensive effort, but we believe there will be a strong payoff."

Bullen said each of the 36,000 fans attending the Friday night game Sept. 27 will receive a complimentary Sunday River lift ticket. Resort sales personnel will man booths at each of the five entrances to the famed ballpark each of the four days. There will be tie-ins with public address announcements and on the video screen. A "first pitch" is scheduled. The resort has purchased spots on NESN, the cable TV station that carries the Red Sox, during the series.

"It's difficult to stand out in the Boston market with so many ski resorts vying for attention with radio and billboard buys," Bullen said. "We'll get noticed with this promo for sure and may gain some top-of-mind ahead of the rest of the pack." The price tag on the promotion is hefty, but the IR was asked not to disclose it.

Boston College demographics are even tighter to the skiing demos. Tuition and living costs set students back about $54,000 per year, so it's a safe bet the Eagles' football stadium in Chestnut Hill, Mass. is filled with students, families, and alumni who can afford to ski and stay at Sunday River. The BC promo includes 18 minutes of signage on the large video strip around the stadium and the gives them the ability to do ticket promotions.

There are, no doubt, many other creative and unique pre-season promotions out there. Let us know. This one may just be a home run.

« Previous Story | The Industry Report Home Page | Next Story »

Email To A Friend