The consensus is that people are not digging the IKON bling.
Not that I wanted bling, but I think the designs are absolutely horrible.
Agree, 100%. Want no bling, and its pretty bad looking bling, to say the least. Alterra has a
HOST of branding challenges. As a ski marketing pro asked me over the weekend: "
What's an Alterra?"
They need to create a brand identity and value for Alterra, but core to the plan is having all of the properties that they OWN retain what they describe as their own identity and "vibe." That's not that simple, IME. Create Alterra, but have the resorts retain their own individual brands. Are you....Steamboat....or Alterra? Same question for each one. How does this fit together? We want the local GM's to keep the vibe and persona alive, but we want it done
this way.
And then it gets confusing with the pass partners. They are in for the pass, and out on the rest. The "What is an Alterra?" piece.
"What's an Ikon Pass? How does that play into all of this....long term?" Obviously it's generating predictable cash flow, and bring people into the fold.
I have a lot of faith the group running Alterra. But no doubt, based on some fairly high level conversations, I hear, they are building the plane, or refining it, as they fly it. It's almost all new ground. And still pretty new.
Pass Bling? While they have a team working on this issue of "locals" at their properties being pretty visibly hostile towards visitors skiing on an Ikon pass....and spending money in the local economy. Right now it sounds like most people want to take advantage of the pass, and to the degree they can....fly under the radar.
I would love to have seen the pitch and cost of the bling. $2.5-3 Million??