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SnoCountry resorts ski into mobile to overcome down-sloping economy

Advertiser segments that were traditionally committed to print ads have decided they need to find new ways to reach customers.

That's the case for SnoCountry, a consortium of New England's leading ski areas, which have embraced KaOoga Mobile's text platform to reward loyal patrons and reach out to new ones. SnoCountry ski/snowboard resorts are depending on mobile to promote incentives, promotions and seasonal offerings to active skiers and snowboarders.

"Now that the papers are losing one percent of their circulation every seven or eight weeks, advertisers who had previously been slow to embrace new media have been forced to consider alternative or supplemental channels in the face of this really harsh economic environment," said Dave Everett, vice president and partner at KaOoga, Newton, MA.

"The reality is that, while they have generally been hesitant to experiment with costly ad channels, they are emboldened to try mobile because, if done right, such advertising can have impact, immediacy and most of all, measurability," he said.

With the region's notoriously fast-changing weather, it is an economic imperative that the ski areas be able to immediately inform skiers and snowboarders of appealing snow conditions.

The ski areas are now having skiers and snowboarders text in to join a mobile database to receive weather updates and promotions.

"SnoCountry is pleased to partner with mobile messaging provider KaOoga to offer skiers and riders instant Mobile Ski Reports, Special Offers and Last Minute Deals,' said Tom Cottrill, president of SnoCountry.

"Anything that can help ski resorts increase visits is a plus for us. Text Message Marketing is the wave of the future and the resorts are eager to keep up with the pace of this fast moving technology," he said.

SnoCountry ski areas are promoting the calls-to-action on their respective Web sites and in signage throughout the resorts asking consumers to text in for weather alerts and promotions.

Loon Mountain will continue to promote its new mobile messaging program during ski/snowboard season and during the summer recreation season.

Moving forward, Loon will continue to grow its database and will fully integrate the program's promotion within media and communications plans for next season, as well as testing and finding ways to generate more revenue.

"KaOoga's strategy is to partner with industry leaders and help legitimize this new channel," Mr. Everett said. "Ultimately, as this channel matures, there will be a commoditization of these providers and cost will largely determine client allocations."

The mobile channel has shown New England's most venerable ski/snowboard areas how they can distill their own messaging into a low-cost, high-impact, direct communication channel to their most responsive patrons.

After all, the consumers that are in this database have opted-in to receive current information on snow conditions and to be invited to participate in special incentives and promotions.

"Mobile is about impact, immediacy, efficiency and measurability," Mr. Everett said. "Remember, in every case the customer has asked to be informed and invited into the information and that creates an unmatched connection between the sender and the recipient."