Westbound Boarder

Very interesting interview (click on the link to watch) with Rob Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts, in AdAge this week highlighting his take on the future of the ad industry and why Vail Resorts has turned to social media to find the answer. I find it especially interesting that Vail Resorts chose to reduce this year’s print budget by 80% — 80%!! - due to print lead times (which are often more than 4 months out) no longer fitting with their business model. Katz points out that consumers are no longer planning their vacations 4 - 6 months in advance; they are instead planning spur-of-the-moment trips as close to one week prior their departure. Vail has changed their ad model to reflect this new sentiment, now crafting marketing messages on a weekly basis. Smart strategy, and in my opinion, Vail is leading the charge in a new ad model that many other resorts will soon follow. I wonder if the magazine industry will follow suit?

What do you think - In what way do you see online and social media changing the way the action sports industry does business, particularily in terms of advertising?