Last week Vail Resorts blew the doors off of the ski industry with its release of EpicMix, a revolutionary app that could change the way people experience winter sports. EpicMix can be accessed via mobile and online devices, but the real work is done by the RF chip inserted into the passes and tickets of skiers and snowboarders.
The chip detects every time you access a lift gate and adds the data to your personal account. An integrated system then uses that data to track days on-mountain, vertical feet travelled (by lift), and will automatically update your Twitter and Facebook accounts when you achieve certain milestones.
You also earn pins, like a digital version of the kind you can buy at a souvenir shop. When I was a kid my dad gave me a green circle pin, then a blue square, then a black diamond. These were small awards for my achievements, and the digital pins serve the same purpose. For avid travelers, you might want to think about it as having your passport stamped.
The drawback is that there is currently no real world value for said pins. However, this is just the beginning of social gaming in the ski sports industry. Let’s say “5 Days” on-mountain and you get a free beer, or “100 Days” and you get 25% off your ski pass next year. Companies like Oakley, Burton, or Red Bull could even tie in sponsorships for pro athletes. These are all developments that are around the corner, and the possibilities are endless.
Just go riding like you always have, and watch the stats and pins pile up. Vail Resorts was smart enough to make it completely effortless, even if you have no idea what social media is. I say all this with a wince, wishing that Aspen Snowmass had been the ski company to hit the front pages of Wired Magazine, Transworld Snowboarding, and Mashable.com, amongst others. Still, you must give credit where credit is due. When Vail hires CP&B and Odin to manage a project, you know that they mean business. The question now, which skiing executives around the world must be asking themselves, is “Why didn’t we think of that?”
Have you ever been to far Eastern Europe? If so, then you know that it takes US culture a while to reach certain places. That Katy Perry track “California Girls” won’t hit Kiev for another ten years. That’s how it is with technology in mountain towns. The more isolated you are, the longer it takes to find the new goods. After all, we live in the Rocky Mountains, not Silicon Valley. Let’s just say that since Vail is located off Interstate 70, that the social media wave arrived there first. Now it’s time for everyone one else to play catch-up.
Aside from all the hot PR, does EpicMix matter? Visitors may embrace it for a week, but once the vacation is over, the app renders itself useless. That is true, but you must consider the emotional effects. If a visitor has a positive experience with EpicMix, it translates to brand loyalty. The app sits on your mobile desktop all year, and that may be enough to make a person book a trip to the same destination next winter. The more visits, stats, and pins that you acquire, the more devoted you become to that resort. Terrain, amenities, and culture will remain the key factors, but this is an extra amenity that some people may require.
Functionally it is a much better tool for a local that plans to ski or ride with a season pass. They can measure stats annually, compete with friends, and compare year to year. Mountain town locals are slow to adopt new tech, but tie it into the lifestyle that they love, offer rewards, and see what happens.
The immediate impact of EpicMix has been substantial, but the long term goals are even more important. It should be seen as a strategic move to claim stake in a new generation of skiers and riders. They want to attract savvy customers, employees, and residents not just in 2010, but for years to come. Ultimately, the statement that Vail Resorts has made with EpicMix is more important than the app itself. The ski industry and beyond has taken note, and it’s only a matter of time before we see similar apps from other resorts. The assignment: Make it better than EpicMix.
A final note: Vail may have a hot new app, but Aspen Snowmass has had ESPN X Games for years. In the effort to attract new skiers and shredders, I’ll take X Games every time.