You’ve probably heard the news already, but in case you hadn’t, Waterville Valley has become the Official Mountain Resort of the Boston Red Sox. It’s a unique partnership, a fact they addressed in their official news release, but they wouldn’t have done it without a reason, right? According to Waterville CEO, Chris Sununu:

“The Boston Red Sox and Waterville Valley Resort share much of the same market. We are in the business of providing an exciting and fun opportunity for New England families to spend time together. It is a perfect partnership.”

Red Sox exec Sam Kennedy had this to say:

““Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox and Waterville Valley have created memories for generations. Both will continue to create memories for many years to come, which makes this partnership so special for many.”

I’ve never been to Waterville and I’ve never been to a Red Sox game. Even though my love of baseball was lost somewhere between the 94-95 lockout and the 97 Marlins fire sale, I know I am in the minority when I say I haven’t watched an MLB game in years. Baseball is huge, it’s “America’s pasttime”, and the Red Sox are one of those teams that, win or lose, they’ll make headlines.

A Good Move?
I love the partnership. I agree with both Chris and Sam that this is a solid match between two brands that focus on sport, family, fun, friends, and a dash of history and tradition. If you had to pick a team to associate your brand with, it’s hard to beat the Red Sox. They don’t seem to be on the receiving end of the anti-team venom the Lakers and Yankees see, but they are popular enough to be known and loved.

Will people come to Waterville simply because they saw the banner at the game or see the two logos side by side? I don’t know. That’s a tough thing to measure, but my gut says it’s a good move. What do you think?

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.