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Advertising Age recently posted an interesting case study in their About Digital video series about Vail Resorts and their recent shift this season to social media advertising. The video explains how they are abandoning their traditional marketing strategies and opting for new media solution. Specifically, the long lead times associated with the print advertisements they have always relied on as a primary source for advertising is not as effective because their message can change with the weather and social media is the best medium to deliver their message at the right time. They are also posting videos as the season begins, that they refer to as “ski porn” to get consumers excited about the upcoming season and get people talking and planning their winter adventures. The shift to social media has also taken some strain off their advertising budget that primarily is spent before the season even starts. I think this is a great strategy; it allows the resort to connect with customers on a more intimate level and it saves them money that will hopefully alleviate the rising costs of lift tickets. Other resorts have resorted (terrible pun) to social media in their marketing strategies.  For example, Mt. Hood Meadows has a twitter account where they can announce specials, weather alerts, new websites, and other items of interest. I know they get cell reception at Meadows so I would love to see an app that reports on snow conditions, trail reports, and the size of lift lines so riders can get more runs out of the day. In October Mountain High Resort announced that they would be the first resort to launch an app that gives weather conditions and ticket information and I would expect to see other resorts following suit. As more and more businesses find new ways to use social media for its advertising potential it is very exciting to see where this new medium will take us.

Chado Advertising & Design just launched a new social networking forum called XCD: Cross Cultural Design where users can come together to share ideas, innovations, experiences, and work in the field of creative communication design, specifically dealing with cross cultural communication where design transcends socio-cultural boundaries for international marketing. Users sign up to enter the new web community where they can upload pictures, videos, and articles to share their work and experiences with design enthusiasts, students, and other creatives. Users can also form groups, post events, and discuss topics in the forum. There will also be short webisodes produced by Chado Advertising & Design called Black&White Discussions where enthusiasts and experts in different fields will come together to discuss current advertising and design topics, trends, and their predictions for the future of this exciting field.

Visit  X.C.D: Cross Cultural Design here to join the network, connect with others, and share your experiences and knowledge.