This has been a weird summer.
Depending on where you are and what kind of business you're in, you may have had two completely different experiences. Some areas have been packed. Some businesses have had a powerful summer. Others are looking at their numbers and wondering where everybody went.
Overall, the crowds feel lighter and the wallets tighter.
But summer has also given us some pretty good clues about what's happening.
Look at the places and events that were free.
West End Beach at Donner Lake. Kings Beach. Commons Beach in Tahoe City. Free events and activities throughout the region.
People showed up.
Sometimes they showed up in droves.
That's important, because it tells us people haven't stopped wanting to be here. They haven't stopped wanting to get out, have experiences, spend time with their families and enjoy Tahoe.
They're just thinking harder about what they're willing to spend.
For a long time, we've been able to assume that people coming to Tahoe were prepared to spend money.
And many still are.
But I think this summer showed us that the threshold has changed.
When the price of participating becomes a decision instead of an impulse, customers start looking for alternatives.
They still want the experience. They're simply asking themselves whether it's worth the price.
That's an important distinction as we start thinking about fall and building our marketing for winter.
If your answer to tighter wallets is simply to lower your prices, that's probably not sustainable.
But there may be another answer.
What's Your Entry Point?
Instead of asking how much you can discount your product or service, ask:
Can you offer a smaller package?
A weekday(off peak) option?
A shorter experience?
A family bundle?
A locals' special?
An introductory service?
Can you take something people already want and remove some of the extras to make it more accessible?
That isn't necessarily discounting.
It's giving customers another way in.
If your business caters to the luxury market, that's your customer, and your strategy should reflect that.
But most businesses in the Tahoe-Truckee region need a broader customer base. And if the general public is watching every dollar a little more carefully, we need to pay attention.
This goes back to what we talked about last week with The August Advantage.
Don't just sell to your customers.
Pay attention to them.
What did they choose this summer?
What did they pass on?
Where did they show up?
What did they complain about?
What did they consider worth the money?
And where did price become the reason they walked away?
Those answers are marketing information.
They're telling you something about what your customers value right now.
We're still in summer, but this is exactly when I'd start looking at winter offers.
Not necessarily advertising them yet.
Building them.
If customers are becoming more price-conscious, what can you put together now that gives them an affordable way to say yes this winter?
Maybe your premium product stays exactly where it is.
But what sits underneath it?
What's the simpler option that still delivers a great experience?
Because value isn't the same thing as cheap.
People will spend money when they believe the experience is worth it. But they're going to look more carefully at that equation.
This summer gave us a chance to see that happening in real time.
Don't ignore it.
Before you build your winter marketing plan, look at what summer just taught you.
Don't assume your customers disappeared.
They may simply be asking a different question:
Is this worth it?
Your job this winter may not be to convince them to spend more.
It may be to give them a way to say yes.
If there is a topic you’d like to hear more about, by all means comment below or direct message, and I’ll do my best.
Nothing better than a good question to jump into.
Reach out for a talk over coffee or a hike. tgold@bigwaterci.com
Comment below or share.
Trina Gold
Master Creator
