Ski resorts take note, this is how you promote a terrain expansion.
Gregg Blanchard /
If you counted up all the times I’ve written about the parallels between golf and ski…well…there’d be a lot.
I’ve written about weather and capacity and products and lessons, but there’s one thing I never expected to show up on the “wow, that’s a great idea” radar.
Golf vs Ski
Golf, to be fair, probably doesn’t expand their terrain as often as ski. So it’s a big deal when it does happen.
For a resort with three courses, a new 18-hole addition would be a 33% increase in acreage. If you start with just one, you’re effectively doubling your footprint. Both of those numbers are virtually unheard of in ski.
But even if the size isn’t the same, I think there’s something to learn from Bandon Dunes’. Four things, to be exact.
First, great use of video.
Notice that they kick it off with an awesome video. I’m big on video right now and this is a perfect use of the medium.
Second, a dedicated website.
So often, we see these big stories squeezed into the same format you’d use for a blog post. This clean, visual design gives the news a chance to spread it’s wings.
Third, it’s all emotion.
Bandon Dunes has dispensed with the facts and figures almost altogether and gone full emotion. There aren’t endless stats and numbers to get lost in, just a pure, passionate story about what this expansion means for the experience, not how large it is on paper.
Fourth, it’s early.
None of this could be possible without an incredible brand existing in the first place, but with that foundation Bandon Dunes has started the hype machine early. The course is still nearly a year away, and they’re already taking reservations.
Whether or not people are booking (though I think plenty are), it’s a beautiful example of their confidence in the message that only makes that message stronger.
Amazing Stuff
Looking around the golf industry for examples of great marketing, it’s hard not to notice all the incredible things Bandon Dunes has done.
But this? This might be my favorite.
And as a ski resort, you should absolutely bookmark this idea in your brain for your next terrain expansion.