Question

Snow skiing and snowboarding remain popular hobbies. More than 10 million people in the United States participate in the activities each year. Ski resorts can be found across the country. The marketplace for equipment continues to grow. Ski and Snowboard Specialists offers a wide variety of equipment combined with connections to numerous resorts nationwide. Enthusiasts can shop online for skis, poles, snowboards, masks, clothing, and other gear and, at the same time, receive access to information about which areas have the best current conditions combined with discount offers for lodging, lifts, and other accommodations. Considerable competition exists for both equipment and informational/booking services. Ski and Snowboard Specialists sells products from the major manufacturers of equipment as they compete with local sports equipment stores and the lodges themselves. Travel agencies and other groups offer booking services. In the midst of this clutter, the marketing team believes the key to future success will rely on continuing engagement with those who have taken advantage of the reasonable prices the company offers for equipment and the convenience provided by the booking side of the business. The company’s primary website can be combined with mobile marketing and other new marketing techniques to entice new visitors while building loyalty with returning customers. To help achieve these overall objectives, the marketing team has established relationships with two professional skiers who serve as instructors at popular resorts. One is located in Colorado and the other in Maine. These individuals and their resorts regularly provide advice about all aspects of the two sports. Ski and Snowboard Specialists’ marketers have recently hired a major national advertising agency to assist in all aspects of the firm’s promotional efforts. The goal is to cast a wide net to attract and keep as many new clients as possible.

question?Discuss how location-based advertising could be featured by Ski and Snowboard Specialists

Answer 1

Location-based advertising is relatively new concept of advertising making advertising more effective and target specific. It combines mobile marketing with the most convenient location for accessing the service based on their location. Data mining teamed with communication technology has revolutionised advertising. Let's say a person who is a regular at KFC is two streets away from a KFC which is at say 1750 East 4th Street. Santa Ana, CA. This person receives a message on his mobile stating special offer on your favourite KFC bucket just 2 streets away, It's Finger Lickin' Good. That can be really a big temptation for the target and the chance of a sale really increases manifold due to the advantageous location of the target.

This can be implemented by Ski and Snowboard Specialists in their advertising campaign very successfully by planning the entire campaign judiciously with extensive use of data available. The success of this campaign hinges on accurate identification of the target customer base after meticulous classification and interpretation of available data. The Ski and Snowboard Specialists would need to identify the most accessible travel routes available to and from Maine and Colorado. All major cities placed along these routes should be identified, then people who regularly take holidays and winter sports enthusiasts should be identified and the most viable destination package presented to them. The package should be an end to end solution as already all data is available to present them with the best in terms of travel, stay, equipment and personalised care and ski instructors. The solution should be irresistible in terms of value for money as that is what a customer wants and customer satisfaction will ensure their retention.