As season pass week rolls on, let’s tie a couple things together, shall we?

The first is something I talked about a couple years ago: our season pass pricing strategy makes zero sense for a 20-something. Sarcastically, I said it this way:

“Congratulations on graduating from college! We’re now going to charge you the same price for a season pass as your dad! Yes, that dad who no longer has to buy your season pass (or groceries, clothes, etc.). And the same dad who has no student debt, makes 30% more than you, and already owns his home.”

Legally, we may treat at 22 year old as an adult. But financially? They are anything but.

Now think about how various insights on Millennials have described this group.

• The “Me Me Me” Generation
• They wantrecognition
• They are looking for flexibility
• They postpone marriage and rent

Okay, so we’ve got a lot of season pass pricing that asks kids to pay the same as their parents before they even graduate from college. And you’ve got a group of people who crave flexibility and being noticed, recognized, and appreciated who are being lumped into a group that includes the exact people they’re trying not to be: their parents.

So let’s compare Epic/Ikon approach.

Ikon at least has a young adult pass, but again it ends at age 22. And Epic doesn’t even go there. If you’re 13 years old, you’re an adult.

Enter Peak Pass
Now, compare that to the pricing matrix for the Peak Pass. You see the main pass, Explorer, and an Explorer Youth. But look closer at the ages between those two passes.

Yep, Explorer is 30+ and Explorer Youth is 7-17.

So what about ages 18-29? Peak has noticed and recognized this group with a completely separate pass, with separate pricing, and it’s own name that carries meaning of freedom and exploration. Huh, how ’bout that.

Actually Designed for Them
Every ski conference for the last 5+ years has had a session on Millennials. We’ve discussed and analyzed them ad nauseum.

But the Drifter tier of the Peak Pass is one of the first products I’ve ever seen that is truly designed for them in price, in age bracket, and in name. It gives them until they’re 30 to get on financial footing and speaks to this group with words and design in a way no other pass does.

At a time where our industry typically celebrates big splashy marketing wins, Peak Resorts is quietly cranking out a ton of small victories (including that “How the East Was One” tagline which is gold). In my book, the Drifter pass may be one of their best.

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.