Selling speed to the fastest team in the world
The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team trains with world-class technology — VR, wearables, and telemetry inspired by Formula 1 — all to shave fractions of seconds off already extraordinary times. But training facilities and tech bring heavy costs, and its biggest fundraiser was stuck in the past.
The Team USA Gold Pass is a $15,000 elite membership: unlimited access to top North American resorts, behind-the-scenes experiences with athletes and coaches, and the chance to directly support the team’s pursuit of podium finishes. Only 450 passes exist. For the right donor, it’s a rare and meaningful way to be part of something exceptional.
But finding the right buyers quickly was a problem. Historically, sell-through stretched to nine months.
We sold them out in 30 days.
Passion over proximity
We started with two questions: Who spends $15,000 on a ski pass? And where are they right now?
The answer wasn’t just wealth. It was wealth plus obsession.
Previous campaigns targeted affluent audiences near ski resorts. Logical, but flawed. Proximity doesn’t create Gold Pass buyers. Passion does.
Many of the most qualified prospects live nowhere near a mountain. They travel to one.
Travel patterns, lifestyle data, and affinity signals revealed a far clearer picture of the ideal buyer than geography ever could. A high-net-worth enthusiast in Chicago or Atlanta who takes four ski trips a year is exactly who this pass was built for—but under the old model, they were invisible.
By combining these behavioral signals with historical donor data, we mapped the highest-probability buyers and reached them where they actually spend attention.
Modern media performance
Our digital-first campaign moved prospects through the funnel with speed and precision.
An emotional connection was necessary. CTV/OTT and YouTube launched the effort with cinematic storytelling that reinforced the prestige and impact of supporting Team USA.
From there, programmatic display and paid social sustained engagement—retargeting high-intent audiences and concentrating media spend where conversion was most likely.
The philosophy was simple: Don’t waste a dollar on someone who won’t buy. Find the people who will.
Sold out before the snow melted
Every U.S. Ski Gold Pass sold in one month.
What once took up to nine months was completed in a fraction of the time through sharper targeting, smarter media, and a clearer understanding of the audience. This wasn’t luck. It was savvy insight and performance marketing applied to fundraising.
The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team competes at the edge of what’s possible. For their most important giving event, we made sure its marketing did, too.
450
Passes
30
Days
$6.75M
Raised
“It takes a village to help an athlete climb to the top of the podium”
— Mikaela Shiffrin, 2014 & 2018 Olympic Gold Medalist and Gold Pass Member
