A number of factors influence consumers’ decision to try Butternut, ranging from interpersonal to personal determinants. The mountain’s marketers, including Matt Sawyer and advertising consultant Ed Brooks, use various methods to tease out these factors in an effort to attract and keep customers. Cultural influences, such as the desire for quality recreation and leisure time, is one factor that drives people to a mountain resort; but there are plenty of such mountains scattered around New England and upstate New York. How does Ski Butternut compete? First, it focuses on families and the core value of spending time together. Matt Sawyer observes that Butternut’s typical customers are families with young children, and “by capturing them early, we get to have them for a long time.” Second, it reaches out to other subgroups, including senior citizens and those in the teento-25 age range. Senior citizens may want to perpetuate the image of themselves as physically active while enjoying membership in a group, while high school and college students want the thrills of challenging terrain. Other target groups for Ski Butternut include beginning skiers and those who race. Beginners aspire to be part of the skiing population, while racers aspire to reach achievement goals. Third, via social media, Ski Butternut engages customers and develops programs designed to keep them coming back for more. 

Through more than 1,000 surveys across ski areas in the region as well as out west (and on its own mountain), Ski Butternut has amassed a comprehensive database that helps pinpoint who its customers are and what they want. “Ski Butternut believes in knowing as much as we can about our guests,” explains Matt Sawyer. For example, Ski Butternut collects data during the equipment rental process. When a guest rents a pair of skis or a snowboard, that person provides standard information, such as name, address, and phone number. But the guest is also asked questions about age and ability to ski or snowboard, as well as the names of other winter resorts he or she has visited. The mountain compiles both individual and family profiles. In fact, says Sawyer, the average family skiing at Butternut has two children and one parent on the mountain. (Ski Butternut offers day care for the youngest ski bunnies.) All of this information helps Matt Sawyer, Ed Brooks, and others devise strategies designed to compete with other mountains in the region, such as beginner ski programs and three distinct racing programs—each targeted for a different level of interest in competition. 

While the data show that first-time skiers generally keep their allegiance to the mountain on which they learn for about seven visits, Sawyer notes that the toughest group to capture is the teento-25 age range. A decade ago, this group (along with younger kids) was drifting off to other mountains that had more challenging terrain. So Ski Butternut built a terrain park—with a half pipe, jumps, and other obstacles—to lure them back. Sawyer points out with pride that Butternut is now the preeminent terrain park in the region covering southern New England and New York. 

Another strategy for reaching this group is price discounts. Deciding where to spend recreation dollars falls in the highinvolvement category for most of this group, with limited problem solving. Ski Butternut decided to offer them an incentive—$20 off ticket prices on weekends and holidays (virtually unheard of in the industry). They marketed the offer mostly through social media— and the students “came in car loads,” recalls Sawyer. With this group in mind, the company also recently updated its Web and mobile sites. 

Looking for ways to draw consumers to the mountains for different reasons and at different times of the year, Ski Butternut also hosts weddings and banquets during the spring, summer, and fall. Thus, the ideal Butternut customers will get married on the mountain in the fall, honeymoon on the slopes during the winter, and return with their children for years after. 

Questions

1. Describe the social influences that might affect the decisions that consumers make about where to spend their winter recreation time and dollars. 

2. The evaluatiton of alternatives is an important step in the buying decision for consumers who are considering whether to visit Butternut or some other mountain. What would be some of the evaluative criteria in this decision, and why?