Mktg 448-301 - Butternut Mountain Case

Hadley Stinson

September 10, 2015

MKTG 448-301

Butternut Mountain Case

Question 1:

When making the decision on where to spend their winter recreation time and dollars a consumer has many influences, one being heavily focused around social details of their live(s.)

Within the social influences there could be three different factors that turn into a multitude of sub factors; the first factor being the culture and subcultures of the consumer or their family. For example, if a person was raised around an winter sports like Butternut has to offer, then they are more likely to visit there to begin with, as opposed to a person who was raised around families that typically did indoor activities during the winter months might choose to go (or take their families) to an indoor sports complex. Also, there are some cultures that may not be as likely to go skiing as some others, such as ethnic cultures that do not typically have skiing in their families original country of origin. Another factor is social class. In America there are four qualifications of the people: upper Americans, middle class, working class, and lower Americans. Consumers in the Upper American and middle class are more likely to spend their money recreationally. I would assume with the experience that Butternut has to offer that middle class Americans would probably visit the most. Upper Americans would be more likely to travel to Colorado or to a high-class ski resort before they would frequent Butternut. While members of the working and lower American classes may want to go to Butternut, it would be harder for them to be frequent customers there due to their lack of money for recreational use, especially through the winter time when most lower-class American families struggle the most annually. Finally, the last social factor is reference groups and families. I believe that this last factor typically goes hand-in-hand with the first two. Usually your reference groups are determined by your culture, as well as your social class. Also, your family’s opinions are usually formed by culture and their social class. These reference groups and family member’s opinions or actions are also going to be a underlying factor on a consumers final decision on whether or not to visit Butternut mountain, as well as if they will become frequent customers there.