NEWRY — Hoping to build on the nostalgia of embroidered patches often seen sewn or ironed onto jackets and backpacks, Sunday River Ski Resort has launched its new mobile game of exploration on Facebook.
The “Sunday River Patches” application can be added to anyone’s Facebook profile following a visit to the Patches tab on Sunday River’s Facebook page, spokeswoman Darcy Morse said Wednesday.
When Patches is activated, guests can use their mobile phones at various locations around the resort to earn virtual patches, including an “Explorer” patch, “Buddy” patch or “Powder Day” patch, Morse said.
The resort partnered with Boston-based social media agency Brand Networks, which designed the application. You can earn up to 25 patches by checking in to key places located throughout the resort’s eight interconnected peaks.
The program serves multiple purposes, said Nick Lambert, vice president of sales and marketing at the resort.
“It encourages our Facebook fans to interact with one another while exploring the resort, and it’s a great vehicle for word-of-mouth marketing,” he said. “Secondly, as Facebook continues to evolve, our ability to use this social medium to provide relevance to our guests only continues to improve.”
“It’s just at Sunday River right now, and we’re really excited to see how our fans react,” Morse said.
Patches is designed to connect guests with their “Happy Places” through the resort’s new marketing campaign, titled “Find Your Happy Place.”
Morse said the Patches application was tested at this past weekend’s Boston Ski and Snowboard Expo when the Newry resort created an official check-in at Sunday River’s sales booth.
Guests can expect resort deals to be worked into the location-based adventure game, Lambert said.
“Our plan down the road is to combine Patches with Facebook deals and provide incentives for skiers and riders interested in exploring our resort further,” he said.
Sunday River’s Patches application is available to download at the official Sunday River Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/sundayriver.
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- These are some of the virtual patches that Sunday River Ski Resort guests can earn for their Facebook profiles by participating in the Newry resort’s new geo-location game using mobile phones on the resort’s eight interconnected peaks.
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