I just finished watching the CEO of Vail Resorts talk about the impact social media marketing has had on the marketing cycle.
The talk – available for a limited time here at AdAge - highlighted that they have changed their marketing mix and reduced the number and frequency of magazines and other more expensive media. He articulated something quite different as to the reasons why. It's not simply that social media has more impact, which can be argued, but rather the lead time for traditional media is too long.
Committing to running a print ad is more than just running it in a publication. Space needs to be purchased, strategies agreed upon, and creative brainstormed and produced. This cycle can happen quickly but most of the time takes months.
By rotating the marketing spend to social media, Vail Resorts can change the marketing message at the drop of a hat. Do they need to juice up occupancy for a week? Run a special using search engine marketing or links to one's Facebook friends. Create an event out of coincidences.
He likened his marketing strategies akin to a political campaign. What's the message of the week? How do we support this message? What are the forces we need to fight?
Who would have thought that politics and business would be aligned so closely now?
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