I have an EpicPass. It’s true.

And, so having, I also get EpicPass marketing. Aside from playing a game of marketing chicken with possibly false deadlines, I tend to wait and wait and wait on renewing my pass solely so I can see how they market to me along the way.

A $20 price increase is a small price to pay for a few more resort marketing insights, don’t you think?

The Mailer
So, as I waited to buy my pass this little number came along.

The front…

…featured the design style and branding that the EpicPass has done a great job at being consistent with through the years. For example…

We're excited to join the #Epic family! @VailResorts pic.twitter.com/74eoMOQbL3

— Park City Mtn Resort (@PCski) September 12, 2014

Fall 2013…

Spring 2012…

November 2009…

But I digress, because it’s the back of the mailer that I like the best.

The Back
Here’s what I saw on the back. Specifically, look at that left side about 2/3 of the way down.

See that? “Your Personal Lift Ticket Savings: Up to $800.” A tidbit that is both personal but also a valuable.

The math is basically:

“11 (days) x $137 (peak window rate if I remember right) = $1,507 – $709 (Epic Pass price last year) = $798

The “up to” represents other options like advanced purchase or non-holiday dates, but their pricing strategy (which honestly deserves much more coverage than I’ve given it) fits right into their season pass strategy:

1. GOAL: Sell a butt-load of Epic Passes (my count puts them at 400k this year, ultimate goal I’ve heard is 1,000,000)
2. TACTIC: Set a high window rate and a high-value season pass at a low price point.
3. RESULT: Season passes make more sense for more people and get more revenue from those willing to pay window rates.

And, fourth, they can do math like that to make renewing that much more appealing.

Not For Everyone
Truth be told, because of the high volume of skiers that do find themselves in the 0-8 day range, I don’t think pointing this out to most skiers at most resorts would be wise.

If the math went unchecked, thousands would likely see a negative number in that spot.

But with their overall strategy, with a channel like print, with a renewal holdout like myself who does get in 10+ days a year, it made a lot of sense.

About Gregg & SlopeFillers
I've had more first-time visitors lately, so adding a quick "about" section. I started SlopeFillers in 2010 with the simple goal of sharing great resort marketing strategies. Today I run marketing for resort ecommerce and CRM provider Inntopia, my home mountain is the lovely Nordic Valley, and my favorite marketing campaign remains the Ski Utah TV show that sold me on skiing as a kid in the 90s.