MARKETING _>>
The written narrative on the website varies in length and detail depending on the conditions. “When conditions are good—say, a good powder day—it’s easy for the data to speak for itself,” he says. “When we haven’t had snow for a while or conditions are more challenging, I tend to lean more into narrative-based reporting,” which includes details like trail recommendations based on snow- cat operator reports. Nub’s Nob, Mich., general manager Ben Doornbos likes to write the ski area’s snow reports himself “so that I’m the one to own the message for the day,” he says. “The snow report is a great way for me to communicate to our skiers, but it’s also a tool for our frontline employees to use when interacting at places like the ticket window and rental counter.” Doornbos starts with an early morn- ing ride on a snowmobile well before lifts open to check out the conditions across the ski area’s 53 trails and 243 acres of ter- rain. New snow is measured in the same
location every time. After inputting the data to the website and crafting some written comments, the snow report is typically released 90 to 120 minutes prior to the lifts opening. “THE SNOW REPORT IS A GREAT WAY FOR ME TO COMMUNICATE TO OUR SKIERS, BUT IT’S ALSO A TOOL FOR OUR FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES TO USE WHEN INTERACTING AT PLACES LIKE THE TICKET WINDOW AND RENTAL COUNTER.” At Arizona Snowbowl, a member of the grooming team checks for new snowfall at the designated snow stake by 5 a.m., and a member of patrol checks the same spot later in the morning. Both
groomers and patrol use an email tem- plate that includes the amount of snow, the name of the person who checked it, and the time it was checked, to commu- nicate information to the snow reporting team. The snow reporting team can also reference the grooming plan, which it receives by 4 p.m. the preceding day. The data is recorded and updated on the website, SnoCountry, and Onthes- now by 6 a.m. “An email to some of our stakeholders also goes out as of 6 a.m., with a short synopsis of the snow totals, weather for the day, road conditions, and a PDF that lays out all open and groomed/ ungroomed trails,” says marketing man- ager Angie Grubb. Additionally, as at White Pass, the Snowbowl snow report- er records an audio synopsis of the report and sends it to local radio stations for them to play in the mornings. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyo ., provides daily and accurate snow reports with a personal touch using a team of snow reporters. “We pull data from the
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