Issue #39 ------- Aspen's Marketing Mishap-- Vail's Idea?

"Out of the bosom of the Air, Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken, Over the woodlands brown and bare, Over the harvest-fields forsaken, Silent, and soft, and slow Descends the snow." 
-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow  

"But where are the snows of yester year?   -- Francois Villon

 

MARKETING ASPEN WITH NO SNOW? 

In these quiet days of the off-season, everyone in Aspen eagerly awaits the start of ski season, hoping that our lifeblood - SKIING - brings the tourism and related revenues to save jobs and businesses at our hotels, restaurants and shops.
 
But while our competitors in Utah are sending out email blasts (read here) that tout their abundance of new snow and the front range resorts are making snow (of course, Arapahoe Basin is already open for skiing), what does Aspen do?  The City and the SkiCo jointly organized an event over the weekend that screamed to the world in expensive photos that Aspen's slopes are brown, and skiers are dressed in their gear with no place to go!  It was part of an International Day of Climate Action.  According to the organizers www.350.org, "On October 24, people in 181 countries came together for the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet's history.  At over 5200 events around the world, people gathered to call for strong action and bold leadership on the climate crisis."
 
Ok, that sounds like a noble cause, but to broadcast a photo over the internet and in Times Square of hundreds of skiwear-clad locals on Aspen's brown slopes spelling out a "Save Snow" message seems more than a little misguided.   Other participating tourist destinations like Sydney, Paris, Cairo and Botswana submitted photos that made us want to visit, while Aspen sent the message that the mountain has dreary and dry brown slopes, and frustrated skiers. 

 

 

 

In fact, could the rumor be true that Vail suggested this promotion to Aspen's organizers, and they bit??  Now THAT would be a stinging Ant Byte!!

 

** LATE-BREAKING NEWS **  THE $1 MILLION MARKETING FUND THAT DISAPPEARED OVERNIGHT

Last night, City Council was forced to void the Local Marketing District Tax question (5A) on the ballot due to a series of errors the City made in producing the voter information sent to the County Clerk whose office is conducting the November 3 election.  Apparently Colorado law requires waiting until next November before this tax measure can be placed on the ballot again.
 
The estimated revenue loss is $1 million, which leaves a gaping hole in Aspen's marketing budget.  This is terrible shame, but perhaps given the "Save Snow" event, the City didn't really have a marketing message ready for primetime anyway.
 
The Red Ant doesn't think we can blame Vail for this one! 

 

VOTE THE REST OF YOUR BALLOT!

 

Despite the 5A problem, the rest of your ballot still counts.  Mail it today -- and don't forget the 61 CENTS POSTAGE!

 

Vote NO on 2A, the IRV advisory question.  IRV is a confusing, complex and unfair method of voting.  Tell City Council to ditch it!  Even The Aspen Daily News endorsed a NO vote on IRV today:  Click here