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SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., March 15, 2020—SAM asked Gregg Blanchard of SlopeFillers, a resort marketing website, what resorts should be considering as announcements of closures and social distancing are everywhere.

SAM: How do you think resorts need to adjust their daily marketing efforts in light of the current COVID-19 situation? 

Gregg Blanchard: The most important thing to remember is that there is no perfect, one-size-fits-all response right now. Some resorts are in states with zero reported cases of COVID-19, others are in states with hundreds. Some have their governments setting clear rules and regulations, others are still on their own. And our audiences are very much the same. We have folks with family members in quarantine, we have others who are hundreds of miles from the nearest positive case.

But we are all aware of what's going on and that there's a range of possibilities in terms of where this could go. And in that sort of situation I think the best blanket marketing statement is simply to be much more thoughtful about each message. I was talking with Adam Buchanan, a digital marketing consultant who many in the ski industry know, and he said it really well. His suggestion was that each resort start from scratch and really ask what needs to be said. Not what could be said or might be said, but what really should be said. I agree with that completely.

One of the most important places to start is not just with new messages, but current automated campaigns like emails, digital ads, and anything that's prescheduled. Double check things and err on the side of clicking "pause." This is uncharted territory, and there are no right or wrong answers. We're all learning together, which means we'll all make mistakes in hindsight. So do your best, be as thoughtful as you can, and be good to each other.