Last Updated on June 2, 2017

My family enjoys skiing in the winter. Unfortunately, it’s a pricey sport when you consider all the gear (which the kids outgrow) and lift tickets for a family of four. However, ski areas across the country offer generous programs for kids in grades four through six. To me, it’s marketing genius.

Take Pennsylvania’s Fourth and Fifth Grade Snowpass. It offers free skiing or snow boarding at 22 Pennsylvania ski resorts with a paying adult. Savvy resort marketers know that introducing active, school-age kids to the sport will inspire new generations of skiers to fill their slopes. And for parents who already enjoy skiing, having one kid get in free may translate to more trips per season – another win for resort owners.

And talk about word-of-mouth advertising … no need to place a single ad. All those grateful parents do that for you.

Sometimes the best marketing ideas are the simplest – and the most enduring. Long after my kids outgrow the Snowpass, they’ll be hooked on the sport and the next reprieve to our winter wallets won’t come until we qualify for Senior rates!