scurvypirates

I applaud Park City-based The Canyons Resort, (or maybe just Canyons), for committing some serious bucks towards creating content. Check out How Do You Mountain. Is this a social media campaign? Or is it a PR campaign? Yes, it’s all of those things. If you are going to shell out a $40k stipend for 4 months of work, put the winner up in a luxury suite at the Waldorf Astoria, spiff them out with content creating tools like a camera, video cam, laptop, then give them an all-access pass to one of the largest ski resorts in North America, people are going to notice. Here’s what I really like about their strategy:

1. the selection process to find their pro blogger for a season in itself is creating user-generated content. A 2 minute video is required with every application. Tons of people are going to submit. Heck, I’ll bet some marketing staffers at neighboring resorts are going to apply, just for the fun of it. Aye mateys, why not? I’m sure there will be some funny ones that will end up on their YouTube channel later this fall, regardless of who wins the coveted position.

2. Forget about turning screws in the rental shop, bumping chairs, slinging nachos in the bar. This would be the highest paying ski bum job you are going to find in Park City this winter. Most other resorts and DMOs pawn off blogging and content creation to an intern or someone who is currently on-staff and chronically overworked. Kudos for bucking up the cash.

3. Who cares if the person who wins ends up being a tool? The contest is going to generate more PR buzz in the long run just for the high stakes nature.

What do you think? Smart move?

There is a new community site that just launched for the blossoming creative industry in Salt Lake City, Utah. It’s called Salt Lake City Egotist, modeled after Denver, Colorado’s Denver Egotist. Straight out of their manifesto, yo:

The Salt Lake City Egotist exists  ”to work together to elevate the range, genre, and creative quality of what is being produced in our city, to hold each other accountable for our work, and to hire, promote, and educate local talent. We are here to build a community.”

The SLC Egotist is not just pushing news out there, one way street style, they are also willing to be on the receiving end of, well, news. If you are a member of the creative, advertising, digital, what-have-you industry, there are several ways you can submit news and work. Nice. Also good for freelancers looking to cast some nets out there, as the SLC Egotist has a job board, and users are encouraged to join as members and maintain profiles. Aye, Mateys, we are indeed excited to see what new undiscovered ports this frigate sails to.