Snowbird and A Study In Strategy
At the end of 2023, a billboard from the mountain resort Snowbird got some serious LinkedIn love and even made its rounds on TikTok, piquing the interest of brandfluencer (and Forge partner) Ashwinn Krishnaswamy.
Snowbird is one of several ski resorts just outside of Salt Lake City, and the billboard – which appeared to be a common trail marker – was placed at the entrance of one of the canyons. The wrong entrance, but for the right reason.
Below the usual markers (Beginner, Intermediate, Expert) and pointing toward the other, distant canyon where Snowbird is nestled, was a fourth marker in red, designed to turn heads: A different breed.
Standing apart isn't something new for Snowbird. In 2017, it launched the One-Star Campaign, which smartly took one-star reviews, critical of the mountain's difficult terrain, and turned them into advertising gold. With headlines pulled straight from visitors’ mouths like "No Easy Runs," "Too Advanced," and "Disappointed," Snowbird tuned into their true target: skilled skiers and snowboarders.
As a brand strategist and long-time namer (whose partner skied Snowbird at minimum visibility and absolutely loved it) this billboard and its earlier campaign thrills me. And, rightfully so.
The Good
Snowbird sets itself apart in the minds of consumers by upending the expected. Plenty of brands turn heads (think of Old Spice’s outrageous commercials or even The National Park Service’s Instagram account), but rarely do brands take a could-be weakness (in the case of Snowbird, with its steep bowls, chutes, tree runs and cliff jumps, being less family-friendly) and use it as a superpower. Even fewer do it so successfully.
Snowbird taking a would-be negative and splashing it across magazine pages and roadways shocks, turns heads and ultimately, drives curiosity. In short, it does what it was meant to do while ensuring the brand and its message – in a (physically and figuratively) crowded space – doesn't get snowed under.
The Great
These anti-"everything for everyone” ads are a brand strategist’s dream.
Brand strategy is all about making choices and, more specifically, being willing to alienate some people in order to establish a reach that's right. For some brands, making these decisions in the early stages of brand development are difficult, if not impossible. They want to be daring and provocative, candid and open, warm and fun-loving, friendly and funny. In short, all things to all people, all of the time. For others, choosing a position and aligning with an archetype (The Outlaw, The Hero, The Everyman) is easy, but executing against its decision is another story. The result of power executions that stray from the brand’s established DNA: too many messages and inconsistent voices, which leads to a lack of coherence, or a tepid brand. Ultimately, trying to say everything to everyone dilutes the brand's message, says nothing and risks resonating with no one.
Of course, some brands need to be all things to all people (think of the ubiquitousness of Apple’s technologies or the sweeping, national reach of Verizon’s network). For these brands, messages with broader campaigns (paired with segmented marketing) work, but for most, their market is not just smaller, but more specific.
Snowbird has identified what makes it different: difficult terrain that requires experience and technical skill. It knows its market: expert riders and skiers who don’t take themselves too seriously. And, unlike other brands, after identifying its unique selling point, Snowbird has, in execution, been willing to turn a figurative “cold shoulder” on the temptation of selling the mountain as family-friendly, when it’s inherently not. In the end, Snowbird is able to connect with their “ride”-or-die audience, sharing a laugh and, inevitably, having a lot of fun.
About the writer:
Formerly of Catchword and Character (Dentsu), Stevie Belchak is a freelance brand strategist, writer, and namer, who doubles as a poet and essayist.
Snowbird and A Study In Strategy
At the end of 2023, a billboard from the mountain resort Snowbird got some serious LinkedIn love and even made its rounds on TikTok, piquing the interest of brandfluencer (and Forge partner) Ashwinn Krishnaswamy.
Snowbird is one of several ski resorts just outside of Salt Lake City, and the billboard – which appeared to be a common trail marker – was placed at the entrance of one of the canyons. The wrong entrance, but for the right reason.
Below the usual markers (Beginner, Intermediate, Expert) and pointing toward the other, distant canyon where Snowbird is nestled, was a fourth marker in red, designed to turn heads: A different breed.
Standing apart isn't something new for Snowbird. In 2017, it launched the One-Star Campaign, which smartly took one-star reviews, critical of the mountain's difficult terrain, and turned them into advertising gold. With headlines pulled straight from visitors’ mouths like "No Easy Runs," "Too Advanced," and "Disappointed," Snowbird tuned into their true target: skilled skiers and snowboarders.
As a brand strategist and long-time namer (whose partner skied Snowbird at minimum visibility and absolutely loved it) this billboard and its earlier campaign thrills me. And, rightfully so.
The Good
Snowbird sets itself apart in the minds of consumers by upending the expected. Plenty of brands turn heads (think of Old Spice’s outrageous commercials or even The National Park Service’s Instagram account), but rarely do brands take a could-be weakness (in the case of Snowbird, with its steep bowls, chutes, tree runs and cliff jumps, being less family-friendly) and use it as a superpower. Even fewer do it so successfully.
Snowbird taking a would-be negative and splashing it across magazine pages and roadways shocks, turns heads and ultimately, drives curiosity. In short, it does what it was meant to do while ensuring the brand and its message – in a (physically and figuratively) crowded space – doesn't get snowed under.
The Great
These anti-"everything for everyone” ads are a brand strategist’s dream.
Brand strategy is all about making choices and, more specifically, being willing to alienate some people in order to establish a reach that's right. For some brands, making these decisions in the early stages of brand development are difficult, if not impossible. They want to be daring and provocative, candid and open, warm and fun-loving, friendly and funny. In short, all things to all people, all of the time. For others, choosing a position and aligning with an archetype (The Outlaw, The Hero, The Everyman) is easy, but executing against its decision is another story. The result of power executions that stray from the brand’s established DNA: too many messages and inconsistent voices, which leads to a lack of coherence, or a tepid brand. Ultimately, trying to say everything to everyone dilutes the brand's message, says nothing and risks resonating with no one.
Of course, some brands need to be all things to all people (think of the ubiquitousness of Apple’s technologies or the sweeping, national reach of Verizon’s network). For these brands, messages with broader campaigns (paired with segmented marketing) work, but for most, their market is not just smaller, but more specific.
Snowbird has identified what makes it different: difficult terrain that requires experience and technical skill. It knows its market: expert riders and skiers who don’t take themselves too seriously. And, unlike other brands, after identifying its unique selling point, Snowbird has, in execution, been willing to turn a figurative “cold shoulder” on the temptation of selling the mountain as family-friendly, when it’s inherently not. In the end, Snowbird is able to connect with their “ride”-or-die audience, sharing a laugh and, inevitably, having a lot of fun.
About the writer:
Formerly of Catchword and Character (Dentsu), Stevie Belchak is a freelance brand strategist, writer, and namer, who doubles as a poet and essayist.
