Blog 8: Final Reflection

In marketing, there are specific factors to determine whether a company is successful or not when it comes to the marketing of a product or service. Through the practice marketing simulation, and other assignments like the blog and commercial, marketing was the key to success. Failing to market either of these assignments correctly, probably resulted in a poor grade. In the marketing simulation, my group experienced the hardships of marketing and had difficulty deciding when to market, how to market, and who to market with. When to market was important because if you continue to advertise late into the product life cycle, it will negatively affect net profit due to the overspending on advertisements. How to market was another important factor because if you want your product to be viewed in a certain way, than you have to advertise the product specifically to your company's standards, while also appealing to your target market. Finally, who to market with may be less significant, but is still relevant to marketing success. Although we were unable to play around with this aspect as much, it is pretty much apparent what needs to be done as far as who to market with. Cross promotion is mainly what I'm referring to; if you promote your product with a completely different one, it will most likely benefit both sides of the marketing campaign.

In addition to advertising, it is always important to address the marketing mix early in a product's life cycle. When a product or service is in the introduction stage, it is necessary to do this because you need to show people what your product or service is, and what it entails because most people want to know a few things, how much the product is, where it could be purchased, or if there are any upcoming sales. Heavy advertising in the introduction stage can create brand awareness. Brand awareness is crucial in marketing because it can sometimes lead to brand loyalty, and when a consumer is completely loyal to a brand, it is primarily what separates a really successful company from a mediocre one.

The most important part of marketing, on top of all of the things previously discussed, is making adjustments in advertising a product. Most companies are not successful after they release their first advertisement. But failure is a good thing, because you can learn from your mistakes. An advertisement can fail from two things, it may not get the amount of views you want, or it may not appeal to your desired target market. If either of these things are lacking in an advertisement, then adjustments must be made. Although in some cases, advertisements may appeal to your target market, and receive an exceptional amount of views, but sales may still remain at a constant rate. Through some experience in the marketing simulation, I found out that advertising sometimes takes longer to work than you may expect. Most of the time, an advertisement may take longer to be successful because people are still unaware of the product. The only time advertising should be held back is after the growth stage in the product life cycle. 

Blog 7: Spring Conditions in December?

This weekend was an interesting one in the fact that Stowe, probably along with other east coast mountains, experienced something that doesn't usually occur in December; and this would be the spring-like conditions. Some may put El Niño to blame, and this is most likely a correct assumption. Saturday especially, the sun was blazing down like a beach day in mid-July, and the snow quality was definitely one for the books. With the slushiness and warmth of April, it is difficult to say whether the season will take a turn for the worse, or for the better. Although with the extreme weather conditions of this weekend, it would be absurd to say that the temperatures will get warmer.

I recently brought up this concern in one of my previous posts about snowmaking and how El Niño may play a role in this freakish phenomenon. What I'm trying to say here is that mountains will absolutely have to spend more money on snowmaking. With little flakes here and there, it simply is not enough to keep mountains open until their projected closing dates. Unless mother nature flips this unnatural occurrence, I'm afraid that mountains all over may lose ridiculous amounts of money. I know that skiing conditions won't effect skiers like myself because I'll be on the mountain regardless, but the rest of the skiing population who find skiing to be more of a physical workout, may skip out on their planned vacations. I'm mainly referring to the older generations when I say this because I highly doubt that people like my 75 year old grandfather will be tearing it up all winter on those sheets of ice they call trails; or vice versa, when the ice hits 50 degree temperatures and turns into slush.

For some mountains, like Stowe, snowmaking isn't a problem because they can make up for it with their $20 burgers and $120 day passes. But other mountains like Smuggler's Notch, may suffer from this warm stretch of weather because as some of you may already know, Smuggs doesn't like to rely on machines for their snow coverage, nor do they groom their trails. So with warm weather rolling in, and rainy days every week, Smuggs may suffer financially from this bizarre weather pattern.

This is not only a concern in the east coast, but places out west as well. Let's use Mt. Hood for an example, this summer basically had zero coverage, which is rare for a mountain that offers year round skiing. Windells, a ski camp that relies on Mt. Hood for their business, was severely slacking this past summer. With a very limited supply of some of the smallest jumps I've ever seen the camp have, to the odd zig zag setup they had, the quality of the Windells park was probably at an all-time low. A few years ago, in 2013 to be more specific, Windells had quite the setup with some pretty descent sized booters in the lane. Making jumps of that caliber this past summer was not an option with the lack of snow. Windells may have to change some of their marketing tactics if they still want skiers from across the country to visit their awesome camp.

Blog 6: Trendy Companies for 2015

We've seen it all over NS and through other social media sites so this year, the talk is around Virtika and Line. Virtika has been blowing up with their picture ads and has done a lot more promotion than recent years. Virtika started out as First Drop, which was a descent company that didn't really get too much attention. First Drop recently became Virtika and has completely reshaped their brand, from the logo, to the clothing itself. The brand they are today is viewed as a high quality and pricy brand. Although the priciness of their clothing is not an issue, because the quality and overall look of the clothing supports the high numbers. Virtika has been recently filming in different locations around the world and has been showcasing their products from a variety of perspectives.

I have been buying their products for years and as a customer, I can honestly say that I am pleased to see how the company has turned out. Virtika used to have odd color combinations and somewhat unappealing designs but with their improved brand, Virtika has struck the skiing industry from the bottom of the food chain. With big name competitors like Saga, Virtika has really shown that they are capable of being one of the few elite brands in the industry.

On top of Virtika's recent success, Line has been another company that has been put in the spotlight. Although they may not be underdogs like Virtika, Line has still shown that they are a ski company worth spending on. The advertising that Line has been doing is just genuinely strange to me but in marketing, this is a good thing. Uniqueness in advertising is what every company looks for. Line hasn't been directly promoting their products but rather they are promoting their brand, which is more important in the first place. Creating brand awareness is the key to success in any aspect of the business world. Whether their advertisements are long, or as short as ten seconds, you always leave thinking about the company. As long as a company is in your mind after the advertisement, that is the primary focus in advertising; giving an impression and having the viewer leave with that impression.

Virtika and Line have done completely different advertising in the fact that one has focused on the apparel aspect of advertising, and the other on just the brand awareness. Personally, I probably won't purchase anything from Line this year but am definitely likely to buy something from Virtika. In both the short and long run, Virtika's type of advertising was more effective because it is actually steering people into buying their products. Although it is important to create brand awareness before you actually jump into the way Virtika is advertising because if nobody knows about your brand, how are you supposed to sell products?

Blog 5: What to Expect This Winter

As we approach the latter half of the month of November, it almost seems as if we are just beginning to feel the cold air. The inconsistencies in weather in the past few weeks have forced ski resorts across the country to close their lifts. Killington, as well as many other resorts in New England, have been closed due to the lack of snow and cold weather needed to make snow. Although Killington opened relatively early this season, they had no choice but to close for a short period of time mainly because of the terrible conditions. This early in the season we come to expect these types of behaviors in weather, but this year in particular might take a turn in the wrong direction, and some say the reason behind this is El Niño. El Niño is a change in weather due to a rise in sea temperatures and a disruption of weather patterns in the jet-stream. This in turn, causes warmer than average temperatures in the north, and colder than average temperatures in the south. What might this do to resorts? Well the answer is simple, it'll force them to make more snow. 

The majority of ski resorts make snow throughout the season and the resorts that do make snow only produce so much of it every year, and are scheduled to stop at a certain time, which is usually February break for most. Since the weather is taking a severe negative swing, resorts may have to spend more money making snow. From a business perspective, what might this do to net profit? It'll definitely affect it in an unfavorable way. In addition to the predictions for snowfall, resorts might fall in sales for passes. For all those day-trippers out there, you might want to think twice about that 2 and a half hour drive to the mountain if there's no fresh pow to show for. 

Now that I have addressed all of the bad news, here is something that you might want to look forward to; the urban aspect of skiing. Urban skiing was thought to be a fad when it was first introduced about a decade ago, but has become increasingly dominant in the sport that most people believe would only take place on a groomed mountain. Urban skiing is much easier, and more tolerable in warmer temperatures, and when there isn't ten feet of snow on the ground. From finding basic trannies, to hitting massive high risk features, all usually don't require that much snow. All you need to make a successful urban location is a smooth run in, and a half descent landing. 

Regardless of weather conditions, it's definitely not stopping those hardo shredders out there like myself. It most likely will not be that blizzard-filled winter we all hoped for but I plan on skiing just as much, maybe even more than years past. Skiing is a sport that relies on natural occurrences so all we can do is wish that mother nature sympathizes for this skiing nightmare.

Blog 4: The Decline of the Iconic Company

In years past, the company Jiberish, was a thriving business selling out of stock in sometimes the course of one day. Jiberish is a widely known company through primarily park skiers and boarders. Although Jiberish may be a small company, starting out with only one local store in Denver, Colorado, the company was put up on a pedestal. Why? Because Jiberish makes a certain amount of clothing, and when production stops, it stops for good. In other words, it is pretty rare to find certain pieces of clothing, especially as the years pass.

In the 2009/2010 ski season, Jiberish launched the legendary winter line that is still well-known to this day. In this season in particular, the people who were sponsored by Jiberish, were the few elite, and most innovative riders in the industry at the time; the skiers included Henrik Harlaut, Tom Wallisch, Jon Brogan, and others. Park skiing has increased at such a rapid rate, and these skiers are held responsible for this insane progression. 

Park skiing around 2009, was at a very vulnerable stage; meaning that there was much to be discovered. Jiberish helped unveil a new realm of skiing by sponsoring these skiers that I previously mentioned. Jiberish was known for their stylish riders, and was not focused on the technicality of their riding. Jiberish wanted to show skiers that anyone can do a simple trick, but to do it with style, and to make it look clean is something that comes with natural talent and years of practice. So at this time, Jiberish was looked upon as a catalyst for the progression of skiing.

More recently, in 2011 and 2012, Jiberish was still the iconic company that it was a few years back. Still selling out of stock and even collaborating with big name film companies like Level 1. Jiberish's image was still the same, even opening up 2 more stores, one in Boston, and one in Utah. But the clothing that the company was selling seemed to become much less valuable, and the statistics really show how the company declined in sales. And since Jiberish is a clothing company, selling less clothes became a severe issue.

The Jiberish brand is still valued because people can look back to what it once was, but it is severely down in sales, and even sponsorships. The skiers that were sponsored by Jiberish in 2009/2010, are no longer associated with them whatsoever. Although the importance of the company, which is the stylish riding, is still a major contributor in the company today. Jiberish may be down in sales, but people still respect the brand, and the people who ride for it.

Blog 3: The Oakley Airwave

The first section of the product life cycle diagram is commonly referred to as the Introduction Stage. In this Introduction Stage, new products are being introduced to the target market. In regards to the ski industry, a product that epitomizes this stage is the Oakley Airwave. This extraordinary modern technology is quite similar to the Google glasses, which are still a relatively new product. These Oakley Airwaves are a ski goggle technology that allows you to see your speed, altitude, etc..., all on a personal projected screen, similar to the Google glasses. At the shocking price of $650, this product has been unappealing to the average skier or boarder who mainly look for something that is exceptionally cheap. Fortunately for Oakley, this expensive product does not require as many sales as the ordinary goggle, mainly due to the fact that one set of Airwaves is almost 5 times the price of a standard, high quality goggle from Oakley. The ski industry in general, is very complex, and based off of high prices. Skis for instance, can range from $400 at a blowout sale, to $1300. What I am trying to portray here is that most of the basic necessities required for skiing are high priced, so having a high price is nothing new to this industry. Since this technology is so advanced, it is almost essential to price this product at $650. Over time, I believe that this price will decrease but will absolutely remain well above the price of the standard goggle.

As far as marketing goes, Oakley has done a somewhat subpar job advertising this product. With me being a skier, I follow nearly every company, and am up to date with every new product that is introduced to the industry. Personally, I have not seen a lot of advertising of this product; however, the power of the word of mouth covers up for Oakley's slack in advertising. There has been a fair amount of hype about this product over the internet, and through word of mouth, because Oakley is the first company in skiing to design something of this caliber. As a company, I feel that Oakley will succeed in the development of this product because Oakley is one of the top name brands in ski goggles, with competitors like Smith and Electric, maintaining the quality of their brand is no difficult task. Even if this product falls to the decline stage rather quickly, Oakley should not be concerned because they have too strong of a company to fall from one product.

Overall, the Oakley Airwave is not a "must have" product, but it is definitely dragging attention to the brand itself. Whether people actually buy the product or not, Oakley is receiving some strong recognition for their innovativeness. People throughout the industry will be talking about this new product that Oakley has come up with. With all of this talk about the new product, it puts Oakley in the spotlight, which I believe is what they mainly wanted from the creation of this product.

Blog 2: What to Shred With This Year

With the cold weather rolling in, it's pretty hard to not think about that first day you hit the fresh pow; but what is going to be the hot new ski on the market? With all the new skis being manufactured, it's almost overwhelming. So what's the harm of using a ski that's a few years old? Personally, my all-time favorite is the 2013 Armada ARV. Even though it has a positive camber, it rides like an all mountain ski and flexes like a buttery rocker. The ARV is definitely underrated and not to mention how light they are. Picking them up is like holding a pair of ski poles which allows you to really perform tight maneuvers in and out of the park. On top of everything already mentioned, the ARV is a relatively thick ski through the middle of the camber and thinner on the ends to really hold that reputation of a flexible ski. The thickness in the middle is key because when you're riding through the deep pow, it is necessary to have a solid base when you're cruising through the back country and dropping massive cliffs.

There are times where the flexibility can really be tested with those hard presses and the tweaked grabs in the air. If you're trying to pull hard on the nose with little resistance, the ARV can definitely make that possible. Even in the streets on those late night urban sessions, the ARV can perform to your liking. With slow run-ins and little speed, the ARV can give you that extra push. For years now, I have used the ARV everywhere and I can honestly say that there is no other ski that can replace the ingenuity that went into the design process of this ski.

I understand for some people, the graphics on the ski could make or break the whole picture, but fortunately for the ARV, you shouldn't have any concerns. The ARV combines a unique blend of creatively and simpleness to appeal to everyone on the market. The graphics on some skis are too intense, and others are just too plain. The ARV is in a comfortable medium between these two extremes, appealing both to the graphic lover, and the people who like those plain, single colored graphics. 

All in all, the ARV is a must have for the ski season because it can be used and abused anywhere on and off the mountain. Although I do not recommend this ski to a beginner because it requires some skill to handle the power and flexibility. If you are worthy of this wonderful creation, you have to invest in a pair. Also because the ski is a few years old, the prices are probably very low. At your local ski shop or somewhere online, you could probably buy the ARV for $300, which is incredibly low for a ski of this caliber. From the graphics, to the durability, the ARV is all around my favorite ski that has ever been created and I greatly encourage you to make the purchase.