Ikon Pass Boosts Brand Visibility By Supporting Athletes, Promoting Current Events & Organizing Giveaways

Brand ambassadors and influencers have become an integral part of the marketing strategy for many companies. In fact, in 2022 the influencer marketing industry was valued at $16.4 billion. The shift in spending from traditional advertising to brand ambassadors and influencers is simple – people want to buy products and services from someone they believe they can trust. Brand ambassadors foster loyalty and grow trust between the company they represent and its target audience. 

Professional athletes are some of the most highly sought-after brand ambassadors. Their influence can help brands reach larger audiences. Additionally, an athlete’s endorsement can attract potential customers who are fans of the athlete and their sport. By partnering with athletes, brands can leverage their star power to increase sales and spread their message.

Ikon Pass is a multi-resort multi-day pass that gives pass holders access to some of the world’s most iconic ski resorts. They sponsor revered skiers and snowboarders like Noah Elliott, Trevor Kennison, and the GOAT herself –  Mikaela Shiffrin. Learn how Ikon Pass leverages its brand ambassadors, big events and giveaways to generate brand awareness. 

Ikon Pass + ShortStack

Ikon Pass provides access to ski, ride and vacation at 50+ mountain destinations worldwide. Pass holders can access the world's most iconic mountains, including Mammoth Mountain in California, Steamboat Ski Resort in Colorado, Sun Peaks Resort in British Columbia, Zermatt Matterhorn in Switzerland, and more. Plus, partner discounts and benefits make purchasing an Ikon Pass the perfect way for snow lovers to enjoy their time on the slopes and make the most out of being a member of this community.

The Ikon Pass team has successfully used ShortStack since becoming a customer in 2018. According to Katie Steinharter, the Director of Social Media for Ikon Pass, her team uses ShortStack interactive marketing campaigns to increase brand awareness and support, generate new leads, and reward customers. While working with the ShortStack platform, Steinharter has been most impressed with the “customization options and responsive templates for many different kinds of sweepstakes, giveaways, and quizzes.”

Ikon Pass uses ShortStack for an annual holiday promotion and to pick random winners from social media post comments. The team also creates fun content and contests throughout the year that focus on current events and athletes they support. One of those campaigns focused on Mikaela Shiffrin and her quest to be the world record holder for the most World Cup wins of any alpine skier in history.

Ikon Pass’s “Celebrating an Icon: Mikaela Shiffrin” Campaign

The 2022/2023 FIS World Cup season was set to be a record-breaking year for Mikaela Shiffrin. As the reigning World Cup overall globe winner and with the World Cup wins record of 87 wins in her sights, Shiffrin was the talk of the ski world. 

Ikon Pass sponsors Shiffrin. To support their brand ambassador, they developed the “Celebrating an Icon Giveaway”. The contest ran from January 10, 2023, until March 15, 2023, a few days after Shiffrin clinched her 87th World Cup win.

“The goal of the campaign was to support Mikaela Shiffrin, to get skiers excited and feel rewarded for being a part of Mikaela’s community and to integrate with other sponsors of Mikaela that we don’t always have a chance to work with,” explained Steinharter. Secondary marketing goals included brand awareness for Ikon Pass and featured resorts and customer engagement. 

To enter, folks visited the Ikon Pass website and went to the page dedicated to Shiffrin. They were then asked to take a Mikaela Shiffrin knowledge quiz. After completing the quiz, visitors entered their names and email addresses. Those that scored at least an 83% on the quiz were eligible to win. 

Originally, the plan was to only give away three prize packages. However, as Shiffrins wins increased, four additional prize packages were introduced. Seven lucky winners were treated to:

• Two 2023/24 Ikon Passes
• Three nights of lodging and rentals at their choice of one of ten Ikon Pass destinations;
• A full Adidas Terrex ski kit, including jacket & bibs; 
• Mikaela Shiffrin’s signature Oakley Skiing goggles;
• Ikon Pass jacket & bag;
• A signed item from Mikaela; and
• A message from Mikaela.

According to Steinharter, the Celebrating an Icon Giveaway was promoted through “social media posts by Ikon Pass, Mikaela Shiffrin, Ikon Pass resorts and brand partners.” They also included the promotion in emails to current Ikon Pass holders.

The Results

Brand awareness was one of the Ikon Pass team’s goals. The quiz garnered 20,798 views (75% unique). The prizes awarded by Ikon Pass were any ski lover's dream, so you can bet those 15K+ visitors were part of Ikon Pass’s target market. 

Additionally, the quiz collected 9,466 entries. Although these are likely rich leads for the Ikon Pass team, Steinharter indicated they wanted to concentrate their efforts on brand awareness, so the information collected in the entries would only be used to contact contest winners.

Support Your Brand Ambassadors for Brand Awareness 

Brand ambassadors are the face of your brand, and they have the power to influence customers. When your brand ambassadors celebrate major events or accomplish something phenomenal, celebrate these moments and help share your brand ambassador's story with the world.

Ikon Pass celebrated Mikaela Shiffrin, one of their brand ambassadors and an iconic figure in the skiing world, on her way to making history in the sport. By showing their support for Shiffrin and her historic run, Ikon Pass was able to increase brand awareness among her fans, many of whom are likely avid skiers and part of the company's target audience.

Interested in using a quiz for your next brand awareness campaign? Get in touch with our sales team to learn more about what ShortStack can do for you.