Prior to World War I, skiing had already established itself as a leisure activity and as
an integral part of winter sports tourism (www.kokotele.com). In Scandinavia and the
central European alpine states, skiing evolved as an industry around 1890. The first
exhibition of winter sports equipment was held in Muerzzuschlag in Austria in 1894,
two German and 14 Austrian manufacturers put their products on display
(www.land.heim.at). Also around this time the first international skiing, crosscountry
and ski jumping championships took place. The winter sport industry in
particular the skiing industry obtained a tremendous boost through the first winter
Olympics, held in Chamonix in 1924 (www.olympic.org/uk).
With growing prosperity of European countries in the late fifties, the skiing industry
developed into an important part of the leisure and tourism sector. These days whole
regions are dependent on ski tourism and it provides many jobs for people in
mountainous areas (www.skimuseum.net). These days Europeans go for vacation
rather than recreation, and skiing is as much a social as a sporting activity (Lennon,
1997). The recent emergence of snowboarding has contributed to the ski tourism industry,
attracting many youngsters to ski resorts (Marzella, 2001). Snowboarding as a sport
was invented through surfers in the 1960`s who fixed bindings on to modified
surfboards. As the yuppie age ended and the “Generation X’ers” began to get into
skateboarding, BMX bikes, bungee jumping, and roller blading., snowboarding took
off (Reichenfeld & Bruechert, 1995). By the late 1980`s, rapid growth in the sport had
been tipped into motion by a number of important catalysts. Effective technical
innovations and the formation of a world professional tour (backed by enthusiastic
media) were the main factors in widening the sports commercial market and creating
what is now an established and vibrant industry. However, many ski resorts still treat
snowboarding as a secondary market, although it must be added, that by 1996 97% of
all ski resorts “welcomed” snowboarders (Marzella, 2001). Through the increased
popularity of snowboarding over the last 10 years, it is inevitable that some resorts
would develop a strong attraction for boarders (Lennon, 1997). [...]
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
3. Method
3.1 Rationale for Triangulation & Research Design
3.2 Sample & Procedure
3.3 Data Analysis
4. Results
Descriptive Statistics:
5. Discussion
6. Conclusion
7. Limitations of Study
Research Objectives and Topics
This study aims to investigate the differences in the perception of Chatel's advertisement campaigns among various groups, specifically comparing skiers and snowboarders as well as individuals of different nationalities. The research explores whether there are significant variations in the awareness, understanding, and evaluation of the resort's promotional activities and web presence.
- Analysis of promotional communication strategies in winter sports tourism.
- Evaluation of advertisement awareness among distinct user groups.
- Assessment of website design and information quality in relation to user nationality.
- Comparison of quantitative survey data and qualitative secondary advertising analysis.
Excerpt from the Book
3. Method
In particular, triangulation will be used. It implies that the results of an investigation employing a method associated with one research strategy are cross-checked against the results of using a method associated with the other research strategy. It is an adaptation of the argument by authors like Webb et al. (1966) that confidence in the findings deriving from a study using a quantitative research strategy can be enhanced by using more than one way of measuring a concept (Bryman, 2001).
The questionnaire consisted of 9 numbered questions to make the statistical analysis easier (Fowler, 1993). Further, most questions were answered on a 5 point Likert Scale as according to Oppenheim (1992) this guarantees good reliability.
The data was collected by a means of a researcher-administered questionnaire. Which is beneficial in that any misunderstood questions may be further explained, thus increasing the accuracy of the results gained (Borg & Gall, 1989).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of the history of the skiing industry and its development into an important sector of the tourism and leisure market.
2. Literature Review: The chapter examines the emergence of snowboarding as a significant sport and discusses how ski resorts must adapt their marketing strategies to target both skiers and snowboarders.
3. Method: This section details the research design, emphasizing the use of triangulation through both questionnaires and secondary analysis of promotional material.
4. Results: This chapter presents the quantitative findings, including descriptive and inferential statistics related to the participants' awareness and perceptions of the resort's campaigns.
5. Discussion: The results are interpreted and linked back to existing academic literature, exploring factors such as age and nationality in the context of advertisement awareness.
6. Conclusion: The study concludes that while Chatel’s campaigns are generally successful, improvements could be made to multilingual content on their website.
7. Limitations of Study: This chapter acknowledges constraints such as the small sample size and the specific location of data collection that may impact the generalizability of the findings.
Keywords
Chatel, winter sports, skiing, snowboarding, advertising campaigns, tourist perception, market segmentation, quantitative research, triangulation, resort marketing, website evaluation, customer awareness, tourism management, Alps, questionnaire
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on investigating how different groups—specifically skiers and snowboarders, as well as people of various nationalities—perceive the advertising campaigns used by the French ski resort Chatel.
What are the primary themes discussed in the work?
Key themes include the evolution of winter sports tourism, the challenges resorts face in balancing marketing for skiers and snowboarders, and the effectiveness of multi-channel promotional strategies.
What is the primary objective or research question?
The goal is to determine if there are significant differences in awareness and quality perception regarding the resort's advertising among different user demographics.
Which scientific methods were employed?
The study uses a triangulation approach, combining quantitative data from 60 researcher-administered questionnaires with a qualitative secondary analysis of promotional materials.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The body covers a literature review on industry trends, the methodology of the data collection, a results section with statistical analysis of hypotheses, and a critical discussion of the findings.
Which keywords characterize this study?
Key terms include winter sports marketing, tourist perception, snowboarder awareness, Chatel, market segmentation, and advertising effectiveness.
Why did the study focus on Chatel as a "smaller" resort?
Chatel was chosen as a case study for a "smaller" resort to analyze how such entities compete against major resorts while trying to attract both traditional skiers and newer snowboarding markets.
What were the findings regarding website usage?
The study found a significant relationship between nationality and website usage, with German and other non-French/British nationals using the site more frequently, possibly due to promotional reach differences.
- Quote paper
- Robert Schiele (Author), 2002, An Investigation into customers' perception on a French Ski Resorts advertisement campaign, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/27572
