Whistler Mountain Bike Part Essay Example

allowing local politicians to make crucial decisions. If resort developers rely on these politicians to act in their favor, they could receive a great deal of leniency. This is especially true when the politician resides locally, as they have the potential to benefit from approving a new development. The Canadian economy is thriving, with BC experiencing six consecutive years of solid growth and Alberta's growth being even stronger and faster. Mountain biking and biking in general align with two popular social movements today: environmental conservation (going green) and maintaining good health.

Both of these movements, the improvement of biking technology and the threat to Intrawest's resorts, could be easily integrated into a successful marketing communications program.

Threats

The US, being one of Intrawest's largest customer bases, may face economic recession leading to families being unable to afford vacations at Intrawest's resorts. This may result in the closure of some resorts. Intrawest also faces threats from environmentalists who have successfully halted the expansion of Hamburg Mountain in New Jersey, which could potentially happen to future projects as well.

Intrawest operates in a fast-paced industry that requires constant innovation in technology and projects. Failing to keep up with competitors could result in the loss of customers. Offering a variety of accommodation options, Intrawest boasts over 6,000 beds located conveniently close to the slopes. The primary target audience for Intrawest is children aged 6 and up, while their secondary target audience consists of parents between the ages of 35 and 55. The driving force behind consumer demand is pampered children. Intrawest's target market is within a 6-hour driving radius of Whistler Village.

Advantages:

As families have diverse needs, the amenities offered by Whistler Village are compelling enough to attract even the most skeptical family member.

The park has recently been changed to cater to beginner mountain bikers. During mountain bike season, children have no school and can convince their parents to choose Whistler for weekend getaways.

Disadvantages: Only a limited number of families can afford the cost of a mountain biking trip to Whistler. Some parents may fear that the bike park will be too challenging for their children and choose something they perceive to be safer. Families attracted by the bike park may get distracted by other amenities.

Reason Target would be Profitable: Changes in the economic environment, resulting in demographic population shifts, have led women to have fewer children at a later age. This means that families are becoming smaller, while parents have less free time and more money. Due to the reduction in "family time" caused by career-focused parents, children are compensated with material possessions. As a result, children heavily influence household purchases.
During their summer holidays, children likely have a significant impact on choosing family vacation destinations. Therefore, they are our most effective target audience.
With a well-executed advertising campaign that appeals to the needs and desires of children, we can attract traffic to the Whistler Bike Park.
Long-term benefits for the bike park are easily foreseeable with this target audience

Children who are exposed to mountain biking at a young age have a higher chance of continuing their participation in the sport as adults.

This is crucial because it will create a new generation of passionate mountain bikers who can instill their love for the sport in their own children. The message aims at extreme bikers aged 25 to 45, who are intermediate to advanced riders that actively seek excitement and regularly ride their bikes. These individuals can be found among the population of 60,776,238 people in the U.K. There are several benefits to targeting this specific demographic:

• More than 12% of the U.K.'s population engages in mountain biking. This group is more likely to participate in overseas competitions or events and may even involve their families.
• Extreme bikers in the U.K. frequently utilize various web platforms on the internet and possess good knowledge about them. Hence, online marketing would serve as an effective strategy. They are also inclined to introduce their friends, family, and partners to this sport.

However, there are some disadvantages that need consideration: We must market specifically towards extreme bikers without alienating other audience groups. Marketing efforts in the U.K would require an extended time frame since potential participants would need ample time for trip planning purposes.Traveling from the U.K. to Whistler is comparatively expensive and time-consuming when compared with other destinationsAccording to surveys, around 20% of riders at the Whistler Bike Park are from overseas, primarily from the U.K. A previous survey revealed that approximately 19% of the U.K. population owns a bike, with about 60% of those being mountain bikes. This suggests that an estimated 7 million people in the U.K., accounting for roughly 12% of its population, participate in mountain biking. The upcoming 2010 Olympics have heightened awareness among U.K. residents about Whistler,

making them more inclined to see it as an opportunity to promote the Bike Park. Moreover, due to the favorable exchange rate between the UK and Canadian dollars, there is a higher likelihood that extreme bikers and other audiences will choose to travel abroad and visit attractions like Whistler's Bike Park.

The reason for wanting to try out all the best Bike Parks is that they are avid extreme bikers. Therefore, we encourage them to consider vacationing at Whistler due to its outstanding Bike Park. Moreover, as many of these extreme bikers also compete in events, we can focus on promoting the main summer events to this audience. It is highly likely that the families and friends of these competitors will also join them on the trip. Additionally, our primary target audience is young females aged 20-35, a group currently lacking in the park. Their participation can greatly benefit its profitability.

The Greater Vancouver Regional District presents opportunities for targeting female riders at Whistler Bike Park. Currently, only 23% of park riders are females, despite comprising 20% of the Vancouver population. However, there has been a significant 33.3% growth rate in women's mountain biking over the past five years, indicating a profitable and expanding target group. Moreover, promoting an active lifestyle aligns well with the current trend and encourages females to engage in mountain biking.

Despite the increasing popularity of women participating in mountain biking, men still dominate with 70% representation among riders. This dominance can be intimidating for females who wish to participate in the sport. Additionally, mountain biking is an expensive activity, making alternative options offered by Whistler such as spas, shops, and social events more

appealing to many women.

While successfully attracting women to try mountain biking at Whistler Bike Park is uncertain whether they will become repeat customers or not.Moreover ,shifting advertising efforts towards targeting women would require financial investment.

However,the growth in womens's mountain biking suggests that if Whistler Bike Park is marketed towards women,it could serve as an incentive for them to visit Whistler

Whistler offers a variety of activities such as spas, shopping, hiking, and zip trekking, among others. These additional activities provide more reasons for visitors to stay and spend money. The presence of young women at the Whistler Bike Park not only attracts young men but also incentivizes their visit to the park. However, it is important to maintain a focus on the trails and riders rather than solely on the social aspect of biking, as this could potentially jeopardize the atmosphere that extreme riders expect. Currently, only 23% of riders at the Whistler Bike Park are female, suggesting room for growth. Recognizing this gap, Whistler has introduced initiatives such as Women’s Wednesdays and the Spokeswomen Bike Camp. By directing marketing communication specifically towards young women, an increase in their sales is expected to follow.

Our goal is to effectively promote the Whistler Bike Park as a top family attraction, with a focus on attracting families. The primary target audience will be children, while parents will also be targeted. We plan to maximize our reach and effectiveness through various channels, including our website.

Specifically on our website, we will create a dedicated section for families that offers detailed information about the benefits of the Whistler Bike Park. This section will showcase the different types of terrain available for riders

of all levels. Visitors can also watch video testimonials from other park visitors, view clips of riders in action, and appreciate the breathtaking views. Additionally, pricing information will be easily accessible on our user-friendly website designed to cater to both children and adults.

The website will undergo search engine optimization to maximize its visibility. In June, which is bike month in Canada, the bike park will receive extensive promotion. As the school year comes to an end and children start planning their summer activities, we will organize promotional tours at various malls within our target area on Saturdays and Sundays. We will secure sponsorships from other Whistler companies to financially support the project and invite popular radio stations from the respective region to cover the event on site. Additionally, a bike obstacle course will be set up in the parking lot where riders aged 10-30 can showcase their skills while enjoying music played through loudspeakers.

This will undoubtedly attract a large crowd of young people, as well as parents who accompany them. We can form partnerships with travel agents to promote the Bike Park and offer family rates within travel packages to Whistler.

The tickets will be sold at a discounted rate through a second party such as Safeway or Costco. This will provide convenience and incentive for our secondary target audience to purchase tickets closer to home.

Radio ads will be used to create more awareness of the bike park, with radio DJ's giving 10-second promotions informing our audience where they can purchase tickets and at what price. These ads will be broadcasted in all major cities within our target geographical area.

Publicity: The bike park staff will use

its social network connections and invite entertainment news media people to the park. They will receive free equipment rentals, bike park passes, food, and accommodations for a weekend. This will allow them to cover an entertainment news story from the bike park, increasing awareness and promotion.

Television: A 10-second commercial will be created and aired during both early and late news slots to reach parents. The commercial will also air during local popular kids programming and in Washington State, specifically targeting children in the metropolitan Seattle area.

Solution: Intrawest's solution is to target young families aged 35-50 with children aged 10 and older, within a six-hour drive from the Whistler resort.

The audience for this campaign is significant and has the potential to surpass the goal of acquiring 20,000 new riders. In the targeted demographic area of British Columbia, there are over 403,000 families with one or more children living at home. Additionally, including families within six hours of Whistler in Washington State, the total number increases by another 375,000. Competitive analysis in marketing and strategic management involves evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of current and potential competitors, including direct brand competition and product substitutes. Demographics are specific population characteristics used in government, marketing, or opinion research, such as race, age, income, disabilities, mobility, education level, home ownership, employment status, and location.

Psychographic Segmentation involves dividing the market based on factors such as lifestyle, personality, culture, and social class. SWOT analysis is a crucial part of the strategic planning process, as it scans both the internal and external environment to provide valuable information for matching a firm's resources and capabilities with its competitive environment. Geographic Segmentation, on the other

hand, divides markets into different geographic units such as nations, provinces, states, countries, or neighborhoods. Lastly, IMC (Integrated Marketing Communications) refers to the coordination of various promotional elements and marketing activities that communicate with a firm's customers.

Target Audience refers to the specific group of consumers towards which an advertising campaign is directed.

References

1. Bea Searle, Vice President, Business Development, Intrawest (personal communication, September 21 ; 23, 2008)
2. Bike Parks BC. (2008). Bike Park Information.
3. Retrieved January 2008. http://www.bikeparksbc.om/ Euromonitor International 2008, Pampered Children Driving Consumer Demand. (Date Retrieved January 2008, from Euromonitor). July 2, 2007. Going Green, Journal, Curve, 17(9): 34, November 2007. ISSN: 1087-867X Gordan Cessford. (1995).
4. Off-Road Mountain Biking: A profile of participants, setting and preferences. Retrieved January 2008.

Jack Jedwab.

• Participating in Sports and Fitness Activities in Canada. Retrieved January 2008.

http://www.acs-aec.ca/oldsite/Polls/Poll18.pdf Krolick, Cliff, Oct 1, 2007,