@achilles, agreed ... some good Spring skiing attire
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Great visuals. Some average skiing.
And missed a very big trick with no audio and/or text explaining
How many resorts in Scotland
Length of season
Snowfall
Lift infastructure
Web address
Etc
Etc
Etc
Amateur compared with promos that are out there.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Yes, I thought that. If I was wanting to ski in scotland that's the information I want. On the "inspirational" side would also like to see some children having a ski lesson and playing in the snow and perhaps some people relaxing with a drink. The video gives the impression that the place is all about would-be gnarly kids.
Nobody watching that vid would even know there was more than one area.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
And certainly seem to be a lot of rocks about.
One or two sections show skiers/boarders going through areas rather similar to that which clobbered poor Schumacher.
Still, i enjoyed it.
Scenery quite marvellous - am i right in thinking it was Glencoe?
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Quote:
i enjoyed it
so did I. But then I have lived in Scotland, have skied in Scotland, and love the place. What was the target audience?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Bit of a shame really. Seems like they could do with some advice:
Don't show people walking as it looks like you have to trek everywhere
Don't show days with loads of bare patches - film on days after a large dump
Don't have drone shots over boulder fields with all the snow blown off - have drone shots of powder fields with fresh tracks being made
Have some graphics showing length of season and number of resorts etc.
Show people being instructed and smiling - try and get new punters
Show people in an attractive looking eatery, eating very well presented food and smiling
Have attractive children throwing snowballs, making snowmen and sledging.
Have an attractive family in an socially aspiting car driving on empty roads to a car parking space next to the lifts.
Have an attractive couple in a hot tub unwinding at the end of the day
Show an attractive person getting a massage off another attractive person in low sodium light
Show a husky bounding in snow fields with no dog poo on it
Have a horse drawn sleigh whisking and elderly, but still attractive couple through the snow with a tartan blanket over their legs.
Show a toned attractive person applying sunscreen
Show an attractive couple choosing a decent French red from an attractive but not lecherous waiter in a cosy looking restaurant with bottles of the finest single malts behind
Don't show a ginger person being blown backwards by wind direct from the arctic, swigging from a bottle of Costcutter whiskey whilst eating a pasty with a traffic jam in the distance and a massive queue for a single man chairlift behind him
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Jonpim wrote:
And certainly seem to be a lot of rocks about.
One or two sections show skiers/boarders going through areas rather similar to that which clobbered poor Schumacher.
Still, i enjoyed it.
Scenery quite marvellous - am i right in thinking it was Glencoe?
It was filmed at Glencoe, Cairngorm and Nevis (I think). The park and half pipe were at Cairngorm. The rocks would be at Glencoe.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Tue 24-11-15 10:24; edited 1 time in total
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
cameronphillips2000 wrote:
Show people in an attractive looking eatery, eating very well presented food and smiling
That could be a challenge, on the mountain at least.....
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Nice 2 minute video.
Not much of a narrative or human element - but then the last Ski Scotland video series (below) had exactly that.
I always think that Scottish skiing doesn't really need to be "marketed".
If people have had a good day people they love a "boast post" on facebook / forums / twitter etc
So the product actually promotes itself to the core audience (i.e people with 3 hrs drive of the resort).
What the resorts actually need to do is to is educate customers how to make the most of the conditions and read weather forecasts.
The worst thing you can do with Scottish skiing is to pretend it is "like the alps" (as Cameron Philips suggests)
Of course the skiing can, occasionally, be as good as anywhere.
However more often than not a few rocks / heather / variable weather are all part of the fun.
Agree with Haggis_Trap: Scottish skiing is quite different from alpine.
Much more of an adventure, and most of Cameron's list would be inappropriate.
(I suspect he was rather tongue-in-cheek by the end of his list).
As for food: my son Tom thought the food far better in Scotland. Bacon or sausage butties and yummy homemade cakes - way better than the poncey food in France.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Yes, My comment were a bit tongue in cheek, aimed at the whole skiing industry PR machine. Scotland should lie like teh best of them though. If you're on the field, you've got to play the game.....
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Of course Scottish skiing is different from alpine - but it's not just about would-be gnarly dudes, is it?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
agree - little point making an "extremo" TGR style promo video
cameronphillips2000 wrote:
Yes, My comment were a bit tongue in cheek, aimed at the whole skiing industry PR machine. Scotland should lie like teh best of them though. If you're on the field, you've got to play the game.....
the slick ski industry marketing machine is generally a cringe sickly worthy experience (especially in north America).
however I don't thank Cairngorm is competing with Courcheval.
rather they are competing with all the other activities you can do on a weekend in northern UK.
bulk of Scottish skier days are opportunistic weekenders from north of Manchester.
I would guess 60-70%, maybe more, live in Scotland ?
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Tue 24-11-15 11:21; edited 1 time in total
Nice 2 minute video.
Not much of a narrative or human element - but then the last Ski Scotland video series (below) had exactly that.
I always think that Scottish skiing doesn't really need to be "marketed".
If people have had a good day people they love a "boast post" on facebook / forums / twitter etc
So the product actually promotes itself to the core audience (i.e people with 3 hrs drive of the resort).
What the resorts actually need to do is to is educate customers how to make the most of the conditions and read weather forecasts.
The worst thing you can do with Scottish skiing is to pretend it is "like the alps" (as Cameron Philips suggests)
Of course the skiing can, occasionally, be as good as anywhere.
However more often than not a few rocks / heather / variable weather are all part of the fun.
I can't quite fathom why they are wearing ski goggles in the Snow Factor
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
At the end of the day marketing is about perception of a concept. I've skied in heavt rain in whistler, La plagne with hardly any snow and the Dolomites with piles of slush on pistes running through bron mountains. I've paid ten Euros for a crappy hot dog and frites in Courchevel and 7 Euros for a beer.
I've had wonderful bluebird days in smalll resorts in Andorra, The US and Scotland.
To make a resort work you need revenue and, therefore, marketing is very important.
@cameronphillips2000, God no! Scottish skiing is different, don't try to make it seem like a "not quite as good as the Alps but come anyway" kind of place, make it sure people know its Scotland!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Just make sure people want to go, full stop. That's what marketing is about.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Successful marketing also needs to be focused directly on the target audience.
In this case that is primarily people within 3-5hrs drive of the Scottish ski resorts.
Scottish skiing also has the unique problem that conditions are highly variable.
So the majority of trips are opportunistically planned.
Luckily the internet seems to be have solved this problem (and is one of the reasons Scottish skiing is enjoying a renaissance)
Real time web cams, road reports, weather forecasts and ski reports are more accessible than ever.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@cameronphillips2000, agreed, but by selling what it can be at it's best, not something that it isn't.
I'd have got some better skiers though, definetly shown some instructing and that chap with the hat wouldn't have got within a mile of my edit. It look look a little amateurish.
I don't think Scottish skiers or the industry up there knows just how little people south of the border know about things up there.
I'm a fan of Scottish skiing and have been up quite a few times. Ski freinds of mine in England were amazed there was more than just Aviemore and that the season was more than a few days when they felt the UK had snow. I think the best thing about Scottish skiing is the late season spring skiing which usually runs into May. A fellow skier was astounded when I told him there were great conditions at Glenshee in early May last year and did he fancy popping up for a long weekend?
You don't need technically perfect skiing in an ad. Why does porn feature fat ugly men with beautiful girls? Surely a marketing video whould give the impression you don't have to be Franz Klammer to ski there? A lot of the skiers in the video are good -they're going down the hill, in control and enjoying it. That's what it's all about.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
cameronphillips2000 wrote:
I don't think Scottish skiers or the industry up there knows just how little people south of the border know about things up there.
I'd agree with that.
We make an annual pilgrimage but they are not really focused on tourists from England. I'd say they are missing several tricks. Nevis Range in particular is an opportunity lost.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
AndAnotherThing.. wrote:
cameronphillips2000 wrote:
I don't think Scottish skiers or the industry up there knows just how little people south of the border know about things up there.
I'd agree with that.
We make an annual pilgrimage but they are not really focused on tourists from England. I'd say they are missing several tricks. Nevis Range in particular is an opportunity lost.
Whose fault it that ?
The UK ski press / industry, let alone the newspapers, generally have zero interest in running features on Scottish skiing.
Here is the irony : I know from experience that it is actually easier / more likely to get a foreign ski magazine to run a piece on Scottish ski magazine than a UK ski magazine.
For example Aka Skidor (Sweden) and The Ski Journal (North America) both running feature length spreads on Scotland this winter. Last winter some high profile French skiers from Ski Pass website made a great video webisode at Glencoe. All of these trips were partially supported and funded by Ski Scotland marketing group...
It is tricky : the marketing budget for Scottish skiing is very small. Ski Scotland is just one small part of Visit Scotland and the resorts don't have loads of spare cash to burn.
Though the core market for Scottish skiing will always be "local" people who live with 3-5 hrs drive. Primarily these people need to be educated how to get the most out of scottish snowports so they can watch the web cams and are aware enough to take advantage when conditions do turn good.
Successful marketing also needs to be focused directly on the target audience.
In this case that is primarily people within 3-5hrs drive of the Scottish ski resorts.
Scottish skiing also has the unique problem that conditions are highly variable.
So the majority of trips are opportunistically planned.
Luckily the internet seems to be have solved this problem (and is one of the reasons Scottish skiing is enjoying a renaissance)
Real time web cams, road reports, weather forecasts and ski reports are more accessible than ever.
Then the first things that should come out loud and proud in the marketing materials are:
look how close we are
look how easy it is to spend a day in the Scottish mountains
add in what's on offer and where to find the latest up to the minute information - web site, facebook, web cams, road conditions etc etc - and you start to make a compelling argument on why people should choose Scotland
This is a promo for a small private company offering ski holidays in the High Tatras of Slovakia. Not perfect but a damn sight better than the Scottish offering
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Wed 25-11-15 14:26; edited 1 time in total
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I don't think it's bad...don't think I've had conditions as good as in that video during any of my 5 trips!
If you over sell it, punters will come back saying how it didn't live up to expectations and put others off.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Mike Pow wrote:
. Not perfect but a damn sight better than the Scottish offering
The original video we are all commenting is (I am told) just a trailer.
The full 11 minute version is apparently due out next month.
So lets see what it is like then : it was made by the people who did Danny Mckaskils skye ridge film.
Ski Scotland and the resorts have obviously done several other different videos (some of them linked above and all online).
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Respectfully they have it all wrong if they think many people will sit through an 11-minute promo first off.
90 sec to 2 minute overview of Scottish skiing with all the elements included
Individual 90 sec - 3 minute videos of each of the ski areas
full length video combining all of the above elements
The trailer is professionally made and looks great, with great visuals, sweeping panoramas etc.
But none of the ones I've watched highlights what makes Scottish skiing unique / special.
There's no message.
If the target audience are those living close by, especially families and people being introduced to the sport for the first time then something along the lines of:
Home is where the start is
Ski Scotland
For those who haven't skied/snowboarded Scotland for a while:
There's (s)no(w) place like Home
Ski Scotland
I know they're corny but I came up with that after about 5 mins of thinking.
Taking a theme / branded message like that the marketing can be directed at specific demographics with specific needs.
As Simon Sinek puts it
'Start With Why'
Why ski/snowboard Scotland?
Once that's determined then everything else - the how and the what - is easy to market.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Incidentally - Scottish skier numbers are now increasing in recent years (after a dip in the late 90s due to run of poor winters).
IMHO the internet and resultant easier access to real time web cams / road reports / ski reports and weather have certainly helped this renaissance.
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