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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMKT Vail Response to CSE RFQ Response to RFQ Strategic Special Event Planning Submitted by MKT Vail LLC November 26, 2012 Response to RFQ Strategic Special Event Planning Submitted by MKT Vail LLC Background MKT Vail is a strategic marketing consultancy established in August, 2012. Its principal is Adam Sutner, the former Sales & Marketing Director for Vail Mountain, having tenured from October, 2008 until August 2012. During that time, under my leadership Vail solidified its market position as the leading North American Ski Resort brand. Many key leadership initiatives contributed this strong position, notably: -Identification of events as a key driver of brand experience, NPS, purchase consideration and Net Promoter Score; Vail in winter now leads the industry in NPS with summer growing rapidly. Notable new events which I either conceived of or was primarily instrumental in bringing to Vail as key business drivers: Burton US Open, Vail Family Holidaze, US Ski Team Announcement Event, Australia Day Celebration, and for 2012-2013, Vail Sol y Ski aimed at the critical Latin American market. It’s notable that events are now used strategically to manage occupancy, skier visit mix aimed at greater share of destination market, and as a tool to manage calendar challenges. They are recognized as strategic drivers, not just tactical events, and considered together, form a large part of the backbone of Vail’s brand platform - Vail Mountain event spending during this time period grew modestly, yet total event spending grew exponentially due to the business model we employed which maximizes the spending leverage by event partners, sponsors, and other stakeholders - Led a resurgent brand movement that returned the Vail Brand to a salient core brand positioning following the evolution in 2007 to a more luxury oriented positioning. Key to this was moving the role of brand management from an outside agency to internal ownership which was key to rallying the extended Vail team and community around the brand, and to simply getting the brand exactly right - Embraced the surge in growth of the social media market and steering Vail into a content driven leadership position within it - Identification of year round brand integration with the VLMDAC as a powerful opportunity, and joint leadership with the VLMDAC on leveraging this insight; it can be strongly argued that this new position has strengthened both the winter and summer business as validated by Burke Quantitative research conducted during both seasons - Part and parcel of the year round brand integration was a sub-strategy that aimed to draw the Vail Mountain and Vail Community relationship closer together to support the brand goals; this required a new orientation aimed at solidifying key relationships across the community - Marketing investment in Mexico, Latin America and other key International markets; the first time Vail Mountain marketing had done so - 2010-2011 season experienced Vail’s best ever business year on nearly every measureable business metric, including skier visits, EBITDA, Net Promoter Score, International market leadership of all North American resorts, as well as all key brand measures - The aggressive promotion of use of high production value video as a brand and social media asset -1- Response to RFQ Strategic Special Event Planning Submitted by MKT Vail LLC MKT Vail – Background In the short few months of its forming, MKT Vail has partnered with Vail’s Commission on Special Events in strategic planning during the 2013 Event Funding Allocation process. Most recently, MKT Vail was awarded the Strategic Brand Planning assignment for the Vail Local Marketing District, following a competitive process involving six or so other agencies. I am also working for a Vail based experiential marketing agency, Highline. In this role MKT Vail is working on numerous projects including Telemundo, the NBC owned Hispanic Network, Snowshoe West Virginia Ski Resort, developing the experiential agency of record relationship with the largest U.S. independent Hispanic agency, Lopez- Negrete, as well as other duties. MKT Vail is also consulting with the Vail Info Services group on the aspect of service excellence aimed at its representative delivering an optimal guest experience that also conveys the Vail brand as part of their daily customer interactions. Snowshoe is not viewed as a conflict as it draws its audience from a regional Southeast market which is one hundred percent drive traffic. During this time period, MKT Vail developed a comprehensive set of Vail community relationships and utmost credibility within these. I am especially proud of having helped to break down putative barriers that existed between the Mountain and Town, notably helping to forge a resurgent integrated Vail brand between the two which is believed to have strengthened not only Vail’s brand position, but also supports the working process of keeping it strong. These relationships include: the CSE and VLMDAC board members, Town of Vail Council members and other relationships across the community in lodging, retail, and dining. I’ve also developed strong relationships across the vendor and partner community, both local and further afield, including Highline, Site Marketing, Jack Affleck Photography, Satchele Burns for video whom I also partner with on conceptualization and production, Kristin Yantis in PR, numerous Denver agencies, as well as most of the current roster of Town of Vail event producers. I’d offer that my experience, skill sets, and range of relationships will provide unequalled value and support to the CSE in its ongoing enterprise. My broad experience across the spectrum of marketing and geographic expanse has been characterized by bold executive management with a record of high achievement in high performance environments. I’ve formed comprehensive personal skill sets from cross functional and vertical leadership; innovative strategy development, planning and execution; all aspects of communications, product development and positioning; commercial strategy/sales analysis, social media strategy, and on target budget management. My personal strengths include bold strategic thinking, brand insight and development; breakthrough communications, persuading and influencing at the board level’ innovation, generating organizational impact and creativity; hands on leadership and team/personnel development In terms of background experience, I have nearly 30 years of industry experience on both agency and enterprise sides of the business, including the following sector experience: Ski and snowboard industry; destination resort marketing; power sports, automotive, pharmaceutical, technology, men’s fashion, packaged goods, and recreation. My formative experience was honed at TBWA Chiat/Day Advertising, at that time arguably the world’s pre-eminent branded creative agency, where I worked across the globe managing the Nissan brand and other blue chip clients. During this time I became well versed in the value of brand, and the optimal processes required to understand and nurturing world class brands in the culture of Chiat/Day’s vaunted Account Planning process. -2- Response to RFQ Strategic Special Event Planning Submitted by MKT Vail LLC MKT Vail would bring this experience, and it’s developed and trusted relationships to bear in a way that helps to continue the momentum and leadership resurgence embarked on by the CSE over the last several months. MKT Vail’s support marketing expertise, event experience and brand management leadership will be characterized by bold but respectful leadership, keeping the brand fresh, dynamic and relevant, helping to keep the CSE motivated, engaged and passionate, and above all helping to provide innovative solutions that effectively deliver on the CSE’s objectives and mission Because of MKT Vail’s unique position working concurrently and in collaboration with the VLMDAC, I believe I am well suited to the CSE’s needs. It is worth reiterating the long term objective for Vail’s summer season which is to equal if not surpass that of its winter business. The current ratio being 70% of total revenue in winter, 30% in summer, although summer is growing at an increasing rate. With the CSE performing at an optimal level, leveraged more powerfully with a fully aligned VLMDAC, it is MKT Vail’s belief that this goal is attainable with the 5 year planning horizon. An analogy to a resort like Jackson Hole feels relevant – where summer business surpasses that of winter. -3- Response to RFQ Strategic Special Event Planning Submitted by MKT Vail LLC Approach to Scope of Work If selected, MKT Vail would approach the outlined scope of work as follows: 1) Develop 1, 3, 5-year strategic plan including measurement and metrics The task for the short term is to help the CSE sustain its tighter approach for 2013 and to achieve the newly stated objectives. The first task is to help continue this momentum and achieve the CSE’s newly stated 2013 objectives: a) keeping aligned closely with the VLMDAC and Town of Vail objectives b) Driving positive economic impact in occupancy, sales tax, and group business c) Maximizing event producer funding leverage d) Re-focusing on destination overnight business; out of state and in state e) Further refinement of optimal calendar alignment f) Maintaining superior community and guest experiences Longer term, the Vail event platform needs to be kept relevant, fresh and desirable, with continued optimization of the calendar management objective. From a metric standpoint, while current measurement strategies are robust including the Economic Impact study, the on-going Intercept studies, what remains elusive and potentially key to Council’s expectations as well as the CSE’s own mission of increased accountability is our ability to accurately and comparably measure event attendance. Specifically, from the standpoint of cause and effect relationship between a given event and its effect on visitation and the associated economic impact. From a mid-term to 5-year standpoint, the CSE will need to pay close attention to key strategic dynamics on the mid-term radar: - the fruition of Vail’s 50th Anniversary and the way forward for the next 50 years - the integration beginning in 2013 of Vail Resorts’ Epic Discovery and its role as it relates to the VLMDAC’s marketing strategy - the road to the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships and its potential to lift International business as it did following 1989, and especially now given Vail’s relative growth in International strength - the potential for significant further development with Ever Vail - the need to, working with Vail Mountain, begin to solidify Vail’s strength with younger demographics; a key opportunity also facing some of our current events such as Bravo, Dance Festival, and others - the opportunity to help crack the relevance and desirability of the Health & Wellness movement as a potentially strong new aspect for Vail’s brand and the business potential behind it - especially import is to keep the Vail brand highly desirable competitively in order to ensure a value perception amongst the higher level demographic that is Vail’s target -4- Response to RFQ Strategic Special Event Planning Submitted by MKT Vail LLC 2) Collaborate with and guide the CSE members to strategically approach event and funding decisions MKT Vail would look to maintain the strong level of service expectation established in the initial relationship period of Oct-Dec 2012. The goal will be to help maintain an environment characterized by strategic rigor and discipline keeping all decision making criteria robust, aligned with appropriate sister relationships such as Town of Vail Council objectives, and critically the VLMDAC. MKT Vail’s approach to this will be to always put the CSE and its members first, adopt a firm but respectful demeanor, and continue the same passionate and committed energy level that’s been established. 3) Track marketing efforts of publicly funded events, monitor compliance with the approved marketing plans and assist event producers in achieving compliance with the Marketing Checklist This category falls into MKT Vail’s sweet spot. As a co-author and innovator of the marketing checklist, my belief is that this insight, that marketing can be the differentiator between good events and bad events, or good events and great events, is essential to moving beyond success and into greatness. Essential to this is that it requires a sustained and skilled commitment, and above all knowledge of the sometimes unique Vail marketing environment and one that MKT Vail has vast experience and know how in navigating through. This, coupled with my relationship strengths and good credibility, will provide for an effective management of these duties. 4) Continue collaboration on the year-round Vail brand with all of the stakeholders and deliver tangible results Key to this will be maintaining the strong integrated relationship across the community including with Vail Mountain and Vail Resorts. Establishing a strong relationship with Vail’s to be named Marketing Director will be essential to this. Equally, the strong community integration that’s been established of late will need to be nurtured, maintained, and kept relevant. Finally, maintaining the CSE’s own objectives in this aligned manner will allow for a harmonious synergy between all the essential moving pieces. 5) Leverage research to develop strategies to grow overnight visitation - domestically and internationally One of the key aspects of recent success in accountability and performance has been the CSE’s commitment to marketing discipline related to research and its application. MKT’s philosophy is to continue this approach, judiciously as it’s important to preserve as much budget strength in ‘working media’ as possible in order to get the message out with maximum reach. However, as a leadership brand and community it’s important to maintain the quality of research that we are now committed to. It’s notable that a similar ethos is in place within the VLMDAC. Chief amongst this will be designing and implementing the event attendance research initiative. The qualitative Memorial Day research initiative is also a good recent example of this commitment. MKT Vail’s strong background in all facets of marketing and consumer research developed over 25 years will add value to the design, selection and skilled interpretation and dissemination of all generated data. -5- 6) Develop consistent metrics to assist in the accurate assessment of event attendance As addressed in question five; this is a vital new initiative for 2013 and one that is being requested for incremental funding from the Town of Vail Council. MKT Vail will work closely with Kelli MacDonald, Sybill Navas and the board to effectively develop, deploy and utilize these new data. 7) Oversee alignment between CSE and VLMDAC on objectives and strategies Effective coordination is already happening with a large degree of success! As stated in CSE interactions, more deeply and effectively managing the leverage opportunity of CSE events within the VLMDAC marketing plan represents a large opportunity from both a business and brand standpoint. Some examples: - Dallas as a destination market opportunity for Bravo leveraging the high awareness and donor penetration in Dallas as well as the non-stop summer flight - Helping to ‘internationalize’ Vail’s marquee events such as Bravo, Dance Festival, Lacrosse and Soccer tournaments - Helping the putatively new Memorial Day event get off the ground fast and effectively out of the gate - More generally, to ensure that Vail events are on strategy at all levels and effectively communicated to our target prospects MKT Vail’s recent awarding of the VLMDAC Strategic Brand Planning agency assignment puts it in favorable position to drive effective alignment between these two key entities. -6- Budget Comments For the scope of work outlined, and given MKT Vail’s recent assignment of the VLMDAC business, it is felt that the $49,900 proposed professional fee is quite adequate. Within the outlined scope and at this funding level MKT Vail would propose that no man-hours estimate apply. MKT Vail would see this as, combined with the VLMDAC role, as a nearly full time commitment during season and critical timing periods. Equally, MKT Vail is fully happy to take on added resources as the business prescribes, as well as of course working alongside all Town of Vail staff as appointed other partners. -7- Thank you! MKT Vail Adam Sutner 612.423.2326 MKTVail@gmail.com Adam M. Sutner 1711 Geneva Drive, Vail, Colo. 81657 •612•423•2326• Asutner1@Gmail.com PROFESSIONAL · Executive Manager with record of high achievement in high performance environments PROFILE · Comprehensive personal skill sets; cross functional and vertical leadership; innovative strategy development, planning and execution; all aspects of communications, product development and positioning; commercial strategy/sales analysis, social media strategy, and on target budget management · Extensive leadership experience in both industry and agency environments across U.S., European and global markets · Personal strengths: bold strategic thinking, brand insight and development; breakthrough communications, persuading and influencing at the board level’ innovation, generating organizational impact and creativity; hands on leadership and team/personnel development · Sector experience: Ski and snowboard industry; destination resort marketing; power sports, automotive, pharmaceutical, technology, men’s fashion, packaged goods, recreation MKT Vail, Vail, Colo. Marketing Strategy Consultant August 12 – Present Marketing strategy consultancy provided to resort municipalities, experiential marketing agencies, and related categories. Clients include: Town of Vail Commission on Special Events,, Town of Vail Strategic Brand Planning, Highline, a full service experiential marketing agency, Telemundo, Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia. EMPLOYMENT Vail Resorts Inc., Vail, Colo. HISTORY Sales & Marketing Director, Vail Mountain, October 08 – August 12 Sales and Marketing Director for Vail Mountain and member of Vail Resorts cross functional sales and marketing leadership team. Led all marketing and sales efforts for North America’s premier ski resort. Tenure included 2010-2011 season, Vail’s most successful business year in every measureable metric including skier visits, EBITDA, Net Promoter Score, International market leadership of all North American resorts, as well as all key brand measures. Key leadership highlights include Ski Magazine’s number one rating for Digital Presence in all years of its existence as a measure; bringing the Burton U.S. Open to Vail after 30 years in Vermont; inclusion on 2015 Alpine World Championship marketing team, lodging occupancy leadership for Western Resorts all four years of my tenure; NPS leadership for all North American Resorts; exponential Facebook fan growth and leading engagement, leadership of Vail’s 50th Anniversary marketing plan and celebration, as well as leadership of Vail Community’s summer season Local Marketing District efforts which has generated summer season compound growth in recent years. Importantly, led a resurgent brand movement that has achieved unmitigated N. American brand leadership as measured via Burke Quantitative studies in all key aspects; unaided awareness, first mention, consideration, as well as virtually all key brand diagnostics. Polaris Industries, Medina, Minn. S x S Division Marketing Manager, January 07 – October 08 Corporate Marketing Manager, February 04 – December 06 Recruited from Polaris’ Advertising agency to add weight to cross functional, cross organizational leadership in marketing initiatives. As Corporate Manager, led a team of five direct reports, responsible for Brand Development, Retail Marketing Strategy, Retail Research, Barter and Corporate Trading, Dealer Co-operative Marketing (at $20 million the largest marketing budget in Polaris by a factor of three), and management of all centralized marketing services including Event Management, Consumer Research, Partnerships and Licensing. Ownership of principal Ad Agency relationships; in Q4 ’06 led successful process to integrate from three disparate agencies down to one, saving the organization $2 million plus in fees while expanding and improving the quality and level of services. In January 2007 was promoted to the S x S Division Marketing Manager role, reporting to the General Manager. The S x S division is Polaris’ fastest growth business, with projected ’08 revenue of $660 million, $170 million operating profit, 60,000+-plus unit volume, and number one market share position in a category growing at more than twenty percent annually. Adam M. Sutner continued Corporate Marketing Highlights · Redefined company’s retail marketing strategy by creating annual consumer promotion events strategy. All business units and eighty percent of independent dealers participated driving 18 percent-plus sales lift during event periods · Measured, restructured and streamlined all agency relationships with rigorous review process. Transitioned three AOR’s including advertising and media, direct, and dealer/trade marketing · Built Consumer Insight tools adding on-line focus groups, web-based surveys, consumer panels and early stage new product clinics driving research use and spending twenty-five percent-plus year on year S x S Marketing Highlights · Managed all aspects of the S x S marketing and advertising; combined spend of $12 million annually · Responsible for the most effective new product launch in Polaris history, the RANGER RZR which achieved a scarcity position and an average 30-day rate of travel · Managed the RANGER brand to a dominant position on all effective consumer measures: Awareness, Familiarity, Opinion, Consideration and Intention · Part of team that moved the brand from number three market share to a leadership position Martin/Williams Agency, Minneapolis, Minn. Vice President, Management Supervisor, December 02 – February 04 · Managed the Polaris Industries Account and member of Agency Executive Management team and primary agency New Business Development Executive · Supervised account team of eight, and broader inter-disciplinary team of 40-plus Responsible for Polaris account P&L ($3.5 million), and led successful new business pitch to secure Polaris Industries Retail account ($2.0 million-plus in revenue) PeoplePC Europe Ltd., Paris, France, London, England Vice President Marketing - Europe, May, 2000 – May, 2002 PeoplePC was a technology start-up. PeoplePC developed, implemented and managed digital connectivity programs for large corporate enterprises, commercial enterprises and other channels. Launched in March 1999 in the U.S., the company entered the European market in May 2000, and established operations in the UK, France and Germany. PeoplePC was publicly traded on the NASDAQ. See www.peoplepc.com · Overall responsibility for European marketing activities, member of executive management team, brand development, communications/PR and corporate positioning · Helped pitch and win the Vivendi-Universal NetGener@tion program, at £200 million turnover (Immediate involvement included operational and project management of the development and deployment phases of the project; entirely in France) · Responsible for commercial activities including product strategy and development; commercial strategy; creation of back-end revenue streams; partner/affiliate relationships; lead generation process design; customer support strategy; downstream CRM activities; packaging and member messaging (on and off- line) · Significant achievements included development of PeoplePC brand into UK/French market leader in awareness and brand saliency measures, launch of three separate e-Commerce environments in two countries, development of back-end applications strategy and products (principally e-Learning, E -HR and Internal Communications), repositioning of PeoplePC to quickly penetrate the emerging B2E market particular to the UK, and launch of the largest web-based e-learning deployment in UK history · Clients included: Vivendi-Universal, Ford Motor Co., Virgin Atlantic, Sainsbury’s, BT, Powergen, BASF, Sodexho, Severn Trent, Budgens and Countrywide Assured Group Adam M. Sutner continued TBWA Chiat/Day Inc., Amsterdam, Netherlands, Brussels, Belgium, Melbourne, Australia, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver Group Director – Nissan Europe/Middle East, May, 1998 – April, 2000 (Amsterdam) Managed European client headquarters agency operation. Develop ed and executed all communications activities (national and pan-European). Principal agency contact for Nissan Europe Marketing Department and senior management. In Q1 2000, agency revenue and remit more than doubled through appointment of TBWA as agency of record for AtL, BtL, media and brand event activities. Managed restructure of agency organization and business model from de-central to centralized framework, driven by a re-staging of the Nissan brand. Reported to agency European president. Concurrently, TBWA was appointed global agency of record for Nissan. Responsible for European P & L, and all personnel decisions. Overall group management responsibilities included: · Pan-European brand strategy development, model positioning and introductions · Creative development: AtL, BtL and model brochures for 31 countries NB – Led successful agency pitch for Nissan Middle East (GCC) consolidated Nissan account. Management of Middle Eastern operation placed under the purview of Nissan Europe operation. Established joint Dubai/European account operating structure. Also spent 4-6 months on assignment living and working in Tokyo. International Group Director, May, 1996 – April, 1998 (Brussels) · Established and managed agency international division, an independent unit of TBWA Brussels. Primary client Novartis was world’s largest pharmaceutical company and 14th largest global corporation. Reported to Agency European President · Pitched won, structured, staffed across Europe, two separate divisions of Novartis; Consumer Health Products, Animal Health Products Group Director – Nissan Australia, January, 1996 – May, 1996 (Melbourne) February-May 1996 spent on assignment with TBWA Melbourne, Australia. Leadership of successful agency pitch for Nissan Australia business ($20 million billings). Duties included securing early client relationship, structuring, staffing agency resource and executing initial campaigns. General Manager – Nissan Regional Marketing, Feb., 1994 – May, 1996 (New York) Management Supervisor – Nissan/Infiniti, Nov., 1991 – Feb., 1994 (Los Angeles, San Francisco) Account Supervisor – Nissan/Infiniti, June, 1988 – Nov., 1991 (New York, Denver, Los Angeles) Scali, McCabe, Sloves, Inc., New York, N.Y. Account Supervisor – Volvo North America, August, 1989 – Nov., 1989 Ammirati & Puris, Inc., New York, N.Y. Associate Media Director – BMW North America, Jan., 1987 – May, 1988 Wells, Rich, Greene, Inc., New York, N.Y., Chicago, Il. Media Planner, AE. – Procter & Gamble, Midas Muffler Corp, March, 1984 – Jan., 1987 Adam M. Sutner continued EDUCATION Columbia University, New York, N.Y. Bachelor of Arts Degree – Political Science and Art History AAAA Executive Leadership Program Graduate, Santa Monica, Cal. - 1995 BBC-Firefly Communications – ‘Handling The Media’ Immersion Training Program London, England - 2001 Polaris Leadership Development Program – Polaris, Medina, Minn. - 2005 PERSONAL Reading, art, travel, skiing, soccer and rugby. Have lived across the U.S., and abroad including Canada, Mexico, Melbourne, Brussels, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Dubai and Tokyo. Spent a year season working and skiing the back country in Chamonix, France. Former professional soccer player and have played internationally at numerous levels. Conversational Spanish; verbal and written. BOARDS Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum Board of Directors; 2009-2011 Vail Symposium Board of Directors; 2010 REFERENCES Available upon request