When families become “pro skiers” the result is some really solid marketing.
Gregg Blanchard /
Over and over again I find myself in a really interesting train of thought.
It goes something like this:
“ME: How important are pro skiers to this industry?
MYSELF: Very, they’re what everyone dreams of doing one day. Their big lines and tricks and pow turns inspire us to go skiing.
ME: Totally, I love seeing all the young guns a movie premiers getting excited for the season.
MYSELF: Exactly.
ME: What about that mom with little kids, though?
MYSELF: Um, maybe not her. Her dreams are probably a bit simpler. You know, sunny days, family on the slopes together, etc.
ME: So who inspires her to ski?
MYSELF: I dunno, other moms?
ME: So why don’t ski brands sponsor moms and families?
MYSELF: I mean, some do…sorta. You’ve got SnowMamas and All Mountain Mamas and such.
ME: Isn’t it kinda weird that it’s hard to think of people who inspire moms/dads to ski but easy and to think of people who inspire millennials so ski?
MYSELF: What do you mean?
ME: Well, think of how much a family spends on skiing vs a millennial…
MYSELF: Good poing, yeah, I guess so. What are you getting at, sponsoring families from DC and NYC and LA?
ME: I dunno. Maybe so…”
This is where I hit a dead end.
On the one hand, pros have inspired me to ski and progress for years. But somewhere along the way two things happened.
- I stopped wanting to drop cliffs and just wanted to be with my family in the mountains.
- I stopped making $10/hr and started earning a salary.
And then I see stuff like this from Tamarack…
And I find myself…well..being inspired again.
And then that question comes back: “What are you getting at, sponsoring families from DC and NYC and LA?”
I don’t know if “sponsor” is the right word, but it can’t help but think it’s close.
The simple thread that connects these two videos is this:
Somewhere these families stopped being just another face in the crowd, something more than a post from a one-off influencer, and started to be treated in a way that starts to look like a pro skier in terms of attention and focus and being part of the story and brand.
I don’t know if that’s the answer, but I like the direction. A lot.
And I sincerely hope I see more.