White Grizzly Adventures (WG) is a snowcat skiing lodge located near Nelson, BC. They are one of the longest-running cat skiing operations in BC, having been in business since 1998. When we started working with them in late 2023, WG had recently been acquired by new owners who had big plans for the operation.
Under the previous owners, WG had a very loyal following and an extremely high repeat rate. But its pricing was low compared to competitors and its perception in the market reflected that. It was considered by most skiers to be a bottom-tier operation that they would only consider if they could not get into a ‘better’ cat ski lodge. In the older days of the sport, cat skiing was considered a ‘poor man’s heli skiing’ and it mostly was, with lower quality accommodations and meals compared to more upscale heli ski lodges like CMH and Mike Wiegele. But over the years, the ski industry had changed, and most cat ski lodges had become much more upscale, providing a guest experience similar to heli skiing and at a price point not much lower.
This has coincided with changing demographics and a more affluent clientele entering the sport, with many guests preferring cat skiing over heli skiing, even though they could afford to do the latter. WG had not changed with the times.
The new owners immediately set about improving the guest experience, with significant investments in the core product, including guiding, lodge staff, meals and accommodation. And they doubled prices. They essentially said, ‘We’re no longer a 2-star operation; now we’re a 5-star operation and charging 5-star prices.’ This turned off many of their long-term guests, and new bookings and repeat rate plummeted.
Our job was to improve the brand perception and to align it with the operational side of the business, in order to increase bookings at the new, far higher rate.
WG’s old core messaging did not differentiate or even show what the brand was all about.
Building the Foundation
We began by doing ideal client interviews with the past guests who continued to come. We learned that guests loved the advanced, steep tree skiing terrain and the freedom to explore expert lines under the supervision of professional guides. They also loved the authentic, laid-back vibe and the fact that WG was a one-cat operation. Most other cat ski operations have larger lodges with multiple cats running, and a less personal feel. We learned that guests love the Kootenays region, and most also visit nearby Whitewater Ski Resort and Nelson for a few days before or after their WG trip. This was a place for serious skiers who wanted an authentic experience in the Kootenays of BC, a destination that had a cachet among the affluent, core US skier audience we wanted to attract.
When we looked at their current marketing, none of this was reflected. The small town of Meadow Creek, BC was unknown as a ski destination, and further, the words ‘meadow’ and ‘creek’ did not elicit images of mountains and powder. Yet Nelson, BC, down the road, did. We decided to strongly tie the WG brand to ‘The Kootenays’ and ‘Nelson,’ places renowned amongst serious skiers.
New core messaging and immersive video replace static image.
This new core messaging was worked throughout the website and in offline channels and ad campaigns. The boring static image on the home page was replaced with pro video footage and we used testimonials from pro skiers as well.
We played up on a local slang for powder, only serious skiers would know, Kootenay Coldsmoke, and improved the brand voice to connect better with our key personas.
This new core messaging was worked throughout the website and in offline channels and ad campaigns. The boring static image on the home page was replaced with pro video footage and we used testimonials from pro skiers as well.
We played up on a local slang for powder, only serious skiers would know, Kootenay Coldsmoke, and improved the brand voice to connect better with our key personas.
We added information on the Getting Here page explaining how to combine a Nelson/Whitewater trip with WG and the sales staff negotiated partner rates for the resort and town, further deepening WG’s ties to these other stronger and more-recognizable brands.
Growth Tactics
The new brand strategy was reflected in all channels: paid search, Meta Ads, PR, SEO and email marketing. Our audience targeting was narrowed to focus on high-value US guests that were advanced-expert skiers. We hosted ski writers who were an excellent fit for the WG brand and ensured our key points of differentiation were present in all our off-page channels, which led to better, more qualified traffic. We created a special plugin to show US guests the pricing in USD based on IP address and this was used effectively in US ad campaigns, along with messaging highlighting the strong exchange rate and Kootenays/Nelson tie-ins.
The Results
Winter 24/25 was WG’s best season ever by far, with skier days nearly 100% booked out. Further, the rebooking rate at the end of the season had increased from 32% to 67%.
Tom Weager
Co-Owner, White Grizzly Adventures
“The number one thing I’ve noticed from before and after working with Aventur is that the sales process has become much smoother. We used to have to work a lot for each sale, but now when the phone rings, they are more than ready to book, and we really just need to take their money”