Today, marketers that plan to take premium brands to their customers have to come up with something more effective than mere billboards at bus stops. The major challenges they face are emotionalisation, customer loyalty and direct communication.
According to leading trade journal W&V, “Moving Marketing” from Data Media One is currently one of the most innovative forms of advertising and event marketing in the industry today.
Brilliant sunshine, dazzling powdery snow, a glorious mountain backdrop – the perfect day to head off to the slopes. And they’re not red or black, but … lilac. The slope at Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria features branding in the Milka design – from the starting hut to the wrappings around the lift supports. “Milka was one of our test partners for the Skimovie routes, which are the main component of our customer loyalty programme for mountain sports regions and innovative companies”, explains Franz Holzer from Skidata, the global market leader in electronic access solutions that developed the marketing tool.
Skiers on the slopes have their performance tracked by cameras and can later download the video, including their personal times, from the Internet. Holzer reveals that these clips are then busily posted on social networks including Facebook and Twitter, generating an enormous multiplier effect that would gladden any marketing expert’s heart.
BMW, the second partner of the Skimovie routes, has taken the idea a step further and opened up new avenues for event marketing. The automotive manufacturer now operates 17 slalom race routes in selected skiing areas known for their visitors with high purchasing power. Collecting points becomes a sport in itself. Badges are awarded for the successful completion of the BMW xDrive Cup Skimovie Giant Slalom, downhill runs are held on further selected slopes in the region, and other exciting activities include a test drive in the new BMW X3 on the xDrive course. The overall winner can look forward to a BMW X3; the other competitors can take their memories, videos and photos home to share with friends.
280,000 impressions are already generated per season and Skimovie route – and that number is growing all the time. News of the fun idea is spreading through the Internet like wildfire. An overview of all Skimovie routes is available and the skiing resorts themselves have long since integrated the service into their websites - like Skiwelt Scheffau. Marketing is on the move! Skidata is present in 55 countries, so that slopes with the service can be set up in any skiing region. “Advertisers are not the only ones to benefit; regional tourism also comes away a winner”, says Holzer.
Skimovie routes are also an excellent event element for companies seeking to offer customers or employees something special. “The runs can be branded with company logos, as we already did for Google.” As for how things will develop in the future – Holzer’s advice is “wait and see”.
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