The Four P's of Alpine Ski Marketing

As the first snow of the year falls in Bozeman, I begin to look forward to the coming ski season and dream of "getting pitted in some gnarly blower," " tossing some steezy airs," and "hucking some naty bangers."

Made a short edit of the first two days of the new year skiing Lost Trail. A couple of great days with great people. @jonathanwfinch @kylefinch52 @peanutbrittle7 #armada #smithoptics #saga #losttrail #dakine #lange #pow #gopro #gopro4black #hookit #ski

A video posted by Austin Finch (@finch.austin) on Jan 3, 2015 at 12:30pm PST

I have recently begun the search for a couple of new sets of skis, and in the process noticed a few interesting things about the way that skis are marketed. Most all skis cost around the same amount. In some cases, it's actually the lack of traditional marketing and advertising that draw people to certain skis. For these reasons, I've decided to dig a little deeper into the marketing of alpine skis.

Product
In the alpine ski market there are many different ways to separate your product from those of you competitors. The first of these is in the primary use of your ski. With so many different options; ranging from all-mountain, big-mountain, backcountry, park, racing, and moguls, just a slight tweak in a products design can dramatically change it's targeted use. A perfect example of this is the implementation of "rocker" or reverse-camber in modern ski design. This change in design has allowed for skis to perform much better in deep snow than the traditional camber ski, without sacrificing on-piste performance.
via GIPHY
When creating a ski I would argue the product is likely the most important part of it's marketing plan. A simple mistake or flaw in the design and a brand is likely to lose a customer for years to come.

Price
In the alpine ski market there are very few companies that try to differentiate themselves through price. A quick search through Evo or Backcountry will show most skis fall between the $600 and $900 range with some custom, racing, and high performance skis easily exceeding $1200. Prominent companies such as K2 and Rossignol are able to sell their skis for a slightly lower price because they manufacture many of their products in Europe and China, where as pricier companies such as ON3P, Moment, and Icelantic handmake their skis in the U.S. When creating a marketing plan in the alpine ski industry, price does not seem to be a big selling point for many consumers.

via GIPHY

Promotion
Promotion is very important in marketing alpine skis. Most companies sponsor yearly films, competitions, and support a team of athletes. Companies use these athletes to get their products shown at competitions, in films, and into print publications such as Freeskier. Many brands also use personal marketing techniques and send representatives around the country to promote and demo their products at resorts or shows. It is very important their skis get good reviews and testimonials so most companies submit their products to publishers who release gear guides at the beginning of every ski season. The final and possibly most important means of promoting a product is through word of mouth. The skiing community is pretty tight knit and many people buy products solely based off of suggestions from their friends. For this reason, it is important to make the best product possible.

via GIPHY

Place
Most skis are sold in one of two places, online or in a standard brick and mortar store. In order for a ski to gain traction, it is very important that they become available on a large website such as Evo or Backcountry. These retailers sell hundreds of different models and are able to reach a very large market that some companies would be unable to cover by solely stocking in ski shops.

The Marketing and Capitalization of Harambe's Death

"On May 28, 2016, a three-year-old boy climbed into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and was grabbed and dragged by Harambe, a 17-year-old Western lowland gorilla. Fearing for the boy's life, a zoo worker shot and killed Harambe. The incident was recorded on video and received broad international coverage and commentary, including controversy over the choice to kill Harambe."

-WIKIPEDIA-

R.I.P. May 28, 2016 

On that fateful day in May, the world lost one of its greatest heroes. Born in captivity, Harambe was known as a gentle giant to his keepers. Following his death, the public social media outcry became so large that the Cinicinatti Zoo even shut down its Twitter account to escape the never ending onslaught of Haramabe memes.



Out of a terrible tragedy, an entirely new market was born. Capitalizing on the popularity of Harambe in pop culture many enterprising individuals began making Harambe merchandise of all kinds. A quick search of the word "Harambe" in Amazon produces products ranging from simple t-shirts and coffee mugs, to lapel pins and custom Nike Elite socks.

Harambe Depot t-shirt

This phenomenon has grown so large that websites, such as Harambe Depot, that solely sell Harambe related products have been created to satisfy the consumers who are hungry to get a piece of the "Sweet Prince". Even though Harambe was killed nearly half a year ago he still remains a staple subject of memes, Twitter, and Instagram posts.



Harambe's legacy and popularity had even grown large enough that at one point the official NFL merchandise shop had temporarily blocked the sale of custom jerseys sporting his name across the back. This was later determined to be an accident resulting from faulty software, but for a few days many Harambe fans took to Twitter to share their outrage with the NFL for preventing them from supporting their idol.



I do wonder how much longer the Harambe "craze" will last. But for now, the market for Harambe related products continues to remain strong. We may never get him back, but at least we can all own a piece of his legacy.

REST EASY SWEET PRINCE

It's the Corporations Man

 Can Consumers Escape the Market? Emancipatory Illuminations from Burning Man 

Having read the consumer research study on Burning Man one point that really stuck out to me was the anti-corporate culture rampant in the Burner community. This hatred of corporations was so powerful that the display of logos or brand names was even outlawed while at the Burning Man event. This hatred of corporations and so-called "corporate greed" has spread widely in modern American culture and was one of the driving forces behind the Occupy Wallstreet movement as well as films such as Food Inc.

Even The Paradox of Choice seems to have an anti-corporate message as it discusses the negatives of living in a culture with such a large variety of choices in products and services. As a supporter of free market capitalism, this hatred is something I just don't agree with. I see corporations as vehicles through which we can advance the human race in ways that may not be possible without the existence of large companies who are able to use their vast resources to create goods and services. 

Now I'm not saying all corporations are good because they certainly are not. Monopolies, employee abuse, and a biased legal system are all things that I am strongly against. As Americans, I don't think that because we see some corporations do terrible things we should generalize all corporations as terrible, evil entities of greed. Many corporations add value to their communities and to their workers lives through benefits programs, charity work, and the money they bring to the local and national economies. 

For another interesting perspective on the public hatred of corporations in America check out this link.

I am a Maximizer

Yes, I am a maximizer. I'm the guy that is hardly every happy with his performance and is always striving for the absolute best. I'm almost never satisfied and always hungry for something better regardless of the subject. I see this trait in myself every day when I'm shopping, doing schoolwork, or even just choosing what to listen to on the radio. The word maximize is defined as follows: 

"to increase to the greatest possible amount or degree"

For me, nearly everything I do I feel needs to be done to the greatest possible amount or to the best level I can possibly do it at. I've always been a maximizer, for as long as I can remember I always wanted to get the absolutely best products possible or to take advantage of every opportunity to the fullest extent. I've been aware of these qualities for quite some time, but never really considered that there was a label for these behaviors. While reading The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz, I stumbled upon the idea of a maximizer and knew immediately that that was me. I scored a 75 out of 91 on the maximizer test and fit nearly every quality of a maximizer. Among my maximizer type traits, I found these behaviors that exemplify my maximizing tendencies. 

• I take nearly every decision extremely seriously
• When I make a decision that turns out badly I regret it profusely
• Sometimes very simple decisions can be made extremely difficult by my indecisiveness
• I expect the most from myself in almost every situation
• Simple shopping trips can take hours simply because I can't make up my mind
• Sometimes decision options don't live up to my standards and I choose to simply not even participate

Although I am a maximizer I feel very fortunate to not demonstrate some of the negative behaviors common in maximizers. Many maximizers are very unhappy, in fact, in the study mentioned in The Paradox of Choice many maximizers with high maximization scores over 65 demonstrated signs of depression. Maximizers also carry a notorious amount of regret with them. In both cases, I feel very fortunate to not carry much regret and feel that I am instead a pretty happy person. 

Regardless of my status as a maximizer, I still aim to get the most out of my life. I try not to let a trait like this ruin my experiences and have instead decided to embrace it and use it to my advantage. In my everyday life, I want to excel to my highest possible extent, regardless of it that is in school, extracurricular activities, citizenship, or even something as menial as shopping for clothes. 

It's possible that this desire for excellence will be my key to future success.

For more information on Maximizers check out this guide from Psychology Today. 

What is the MINDSPACE Framework? Pt.2

Last week we discussed M through D of the MINDSPACE framework and analyzed how each piece can be applied to my own life. This week I'll continue the theme by analyzing S through E.

Salience:

Brand salience is a very important part of modern marketing. A brands salience is a function of the customer's memory of the brand and the associations that they have with it. A great example of salience in my life is the association that I have with McDonalds. For me, McDonalds has such a high brand salience from its marketing campaigns and general popularity, that when I think of fast food the first thing that comes to mind is a McDonalds Double Quarter Pounder. Nike has very similar brand salience for me in that when I think of running I immediately picture a Nike advertisement. If a brand can achieve very high brand salience with a customer, the more likely that customer is to think of the brand when they choose to buy.

Priming: 

Priming is the idea that different environmental factors can influence the decisions that a customer makes. In my life, the place where I most aware of priming is in convenience stores. Many gas stations and convenience stores intentionally place their salty snacks near the beverage section to encourage customers to purchase these items together. Grocery stores and convenience stores also place many of their small items such as gum or candy near the register to encourage customers to add these items to their purchase as they check out. 

Affect:

Affect can be described as a quick "gut" reaction that is made as an immediate reaction to an event of some kind. In marketing, this is demonstrated by the willingness of an individual to immediately purchase an umbrella after being caught in a rainstorm. In this case, it may have been wiser to purchase a waterproof jacket because it is more functional, but because of the recent traumatic event the customer experienced, they instead choose the umbrella because of a "gut" reaction.

Commitments:

Commitment devices are very common in the health and exercise industry. Because many people know that they may not be motivated to persist with their workout program or diet, it's not uncommon for individuals to invest money in expensive diet programs, gym memberships, or workout equipment in an effort to motivate themselves to get the most out of the money they have already spent. I'm guilty of this in my own life as I have purchased expensive camping equipment in order to motivate myself to make more time to camp. Unfortunately, it didn't work and has sat idle in my closet most of the summer.

Ego:

Ego is the final piece of the MINDSPACE framework. Ego is what influences many people to purchase luxury items that they may not need. If I was to decide that I need a new pair of dress shoes, I would be likely to purchase an expensive pair of Allen Edmonds even though a much cheaper pair may work just as well, solely because I feel that I deserve the more expensive model.

For more information on the MINDSPACE framework and the ideas behind it check out The Mindspace Framework.

What is the MINDSPACE Framework?

On Thursday, the class was presented with the idea of the MINDSPACE framework. MINDSPACE is an acronym developed by psychologists and behavioral scientists to assist in the understanding of human behaviors. In marketing, this framework is applicable because it assists marketers in understanding and predicting how consumers will react to products and services. In order to help myself better understand this concept, I've decided to briefly analyze each part of the acronym and how it applies to me and my own behavior. This week I will analyze M through D. 

Messenger:

The idea of the messenger is that an individual is much more likely to listen to information from a trusted source versus a source that they don't regard as credible, even if it is identical information or advice. In my life I often see this concept applied when my parents give me advice on a subject that they may not be experts in. I don't always trust that advice until I've heard the same thing from a source that is more credible in that area. In marketing, it's very import that when trying to influence consumers they are presented with information from a source they trust such as a doctor or scientist.

Incentives:

Two great examples of incentives in my life are when a professor offers extra credit for doing extra assignments or when I am influenced to take a survey due to the reward I could receive for completing it. Incentives are very common in marketing because most consumers respond very well to rewards.

Norms:

A norm is a common belief or behavior demonstrated by the majority of a group. A great example of a social norm is that many people in Bozeman choose to wear puffy jackets when the weather gets cooler. Another good example is that college students are likely to party and consume alcohol. In both cases, companies can exploit these norms by marketing specific types of jackets in Bozeman or by targeting college students with ads for alcohol.

Default:

Defaults are behaviors by individuals that can be predicted to remain the same. For me, a common default is that every morning I choose to eat greek yogurt and granola for breakfast. If a product or service becomes the default choice of a group of consumers it can be very lucrative for the company producing that product or service.

For further information visit The Mindspace Framework.

Products Have Personalities Too!

Like most of my best ideas, the idea for my first blog post came to me in the shower. Inspired by the psychologist Ernest Dichter, who we read about in the article Sex and Advertising: Retail Therapy, I decided to analyze and define the personalities of a few different common products that I found in my home.

Dove Men+Care

When I look at this product, the first thing I notice is its simple packaging. There are just a few colors and there isn't much of an effort to catch the customer's eye. Besides specifying men in the product's name, the advertising is clearly aimed at men as the target demographic. This product doesn't have an overpowering smell and is marketed as a reliable and simple line specifically made for men. For these reasons, I see Dove Men+Care products as having a very simple yet inviting male personality. If this product were a person this person would be a male, likely 20-45 years old, either with children or planning to have children, would have a comfortable job, and is likely physically active. In conclusion, I see this product having the personality of a fairly normal and active professional male.

Apple Macbook Pro

Most people are very familiar with Apple's marketing style that utilizes simple backgrounds, beautiful images, and showcases their product as a machine for people who are creative and think outside the box. I picture a Macbook as an extremely creative person who makes beautiful work. This person is also very simple in their outward appearance, they are well dressed and clean, but don't go out of their way to make a statement.

Colgate 3D Luxe

Colgate's 3D Luxe line offers teeth whitening strips, toothpaste, and mouthwash, all aimed at giving the user a whiter smile. This line uses very bright and shiny colors, both on its packaging and in its advertisements. If this product had a personality it would be very outgoing and energetic. I think this product would be very clean and not be afraid to indulge in the finer things in life.

In conclusion, I hope that my readers are inspired to find the personality in products they use in their everyday lives. Nearly every product has one and it can be the key to effectively marketing that product to the consumer.