Homework answers / question archive / SPROTT SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, BUSI 2204A, FALL 2020, BASIC MARKETING CASE STUDY #1, OCTOBER, 2020 INDIVIDUAL Case Study: BC Ski Resort – Blue Sky Peaks – Market Survival Case Study Course: BUSI 2204A Date case study is distributed: Monday, October 5, 2020 Date case study is due: Monday, November 9, 2020 Project Details; • Project will be completed individually

SPROTT SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, BUSI 2204A, FALL 2020, BASIC MARKETING CASE STUDY #1, OCTOBER, 2020 INDIVIDUAL Case Study: BC Ski Resort – Blue Sky Peaks – Market Survival Case Study Course: BUSI 2204A Date case study is distributed: Monday, October 5, 2020 Date case study is due: Monday, November 9, 2020 Project Details; • Project will be completed individually

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SPROTT SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, BUSI 2204A, FALL 2020, BASIC MARKETING
CASE STUDY #1, OCTOBER, 2020
INDIVIDUAL Case Study: BC Ski Resort – Blue Sky Peaks – Market Survival Case
Study
Course: BUSI 2204A
Date case study is distributed: Monday, October 5, 2020
Date case study is due: Monday, November 9, 2020
Project Details;
• Project will be completed individually.
• Case study abstract and questions can be found below.
• Please apply your knowledge of the content learned in class from September 14,
2020 through to October 19, 2020.
• Research should also include information from any third-party content you might
research (all references must be detailed in an accompanying appendix)
• Paper submission details to come.
• Paper must be between 7 to 10 pages in length (not including appendices).

CASE STUDY #1, OCTOBER, 2020
Case Study Abstract: BC Ski Resort – Blue Sky Peaks – Market Survival
BC Ski Resort Background
Downhill skiing (and boarding) is a favourite pastime for many Canadians. As a sport
that targets both young and old, male and female, as well as beginners, intermediate
and experts alike, downhill skiing and snowboarding can be a great pastime for
weekend warriors, family holidays as well as for those that have the advantage to be
able to ski and snowboard through the week.
The downhill ski business requires a significant capital outlay to finance the
requirements to build a ski resort. In addition, there is a considerable amount of ongoing
capital costs (snow machines, gondolas, lifts etc.) as well as variable costs (ski patrols,
lift helpers, groomers, instructors etc.) required to keep this seasonal business afloat.
Running a ski resort can be a lucrative business when the weather cooperates. Lots of
snow, cold days (just not too cold) and snow making machines are a requirement to a
successful season, however, a not-so-cold winter, rainy days and lack of snow can put
a considerable amount of strain on the ability to keep the business running.
In this case, this particular BC Ski Resort called Blue Sky Peaks, located in the Interior
of British Columbia (BC), is surrounded by a number of competing mountains that are
pretty much equidistant for those travelling from Calgary, or arriving at the Calgary
Airport for a ski holiday. Having to attract skiers and differentiate the experience from
other ski resorts can be challenging. When consumers have only a certain amount of
disposable income, making sure that you are the chosen location is the ultimate
objective. Once you have them, making sure that they have a great experience and
making sure that they return are equally important to getting them there in the first
place.
The BC Ski Resort Challenge
In Spring of 2020 the management team at Blue Sky Peaks recognized they had a
problem. As a result of a recent downturn in the North American economy, the general
public had less disposable income to spend on luxuries such as trips to ski resorts.
According to economists, the downturn is expected to last for at least the next two to
three years which could end up crippling the business.
There are, however, still people who will continue to ski but they are looking to stretch
their dollar and get as much value out of their spending as possible. In addition, Blue
Sky has a hotel, restaurant, banquet and conference facility attached to the resort.
Some but not all of the equidistant competitors have similar facilities. In addition, Blue
Sky tends to attract beginner skiers because they have a carpet ride up a small
embankment which is perfect for those just learning to ski.
Blue Sky raised prices for the 2019/2020 season, but it resulted in fewer skiers coming
to ski and fewer people signing up for weekend ski lessons.

The management team recognized they had a problem. As a result, they increased their
marketing budget and decided to hire a marketing manager. Previously they had
someone in the front office doing marketing, but that individual had little experience.
Congratulations, you have been selected among the many candidates for the position of
Blue Sky Resorts Marketing Manager!
Objective:
It is May 1st, 2020 and it is your objective to increase the number of skiers at Blue Sky
Resorts by 1/3rd for the coming 2020/2021 season.
Key Considerations:
• Management wants you to think outside the box
• You have an unlimited budget to drive new skiers and to have existing skiers
return
• You have a team reporting to you that will implement the strategy you create
• You have a full database (email addresses etc.) of those customers who skied
before but did not return (dormant), those that skied last year, those that have
purchased season passes before and those that have expressed interest (calling
in, sending in questions via email etc.) but have never been to your resort before.
Things to consider:
• Perform a SWOT of the situation.
• What will be your competitive differentiation?
• Who is your target market?
• Who are the top three segments that you plan on targeting?
• What are the characteristics of these target segments (e.g. age (age group),
location etc.)?
• Who is the decision maker of each of these segments?
• Who is the influencer of each of these segments?
• How will your marketing message manage the triple bottom line (profit, planet
care, people care)?
• What will be your marketing strategy while incorporating the 4 P’s?
What will your strategy be to drive more consumers to Blue Sky Peaks for the
2020/2021 season and beyond? Detail both the digital and non-digital marketing
activities that you will use to driving revenue for the 2020/2021 season.

BUSI2204A: BC Ski Resort – Blue Sky Peaks – Market Survival Case Study Rubric with Explanatory Notes
Individual Case Study: Minimum 7 pages, maximum 10 pages (not including title page, TOC, appendices, etc.) double-spaced, 12-point font
Section Mark Allocation Required Elements Comments
Executive Summary
[Max length typewritten
1 page]
5
This section includes:
- Concise definition of the problem as outlined in the case study
- Brief statement of all alternative solutions considered
- Brief statement of recommended alternative solutions
- Discussion of benefits of the recommendation to the organization
1. Problem Statement
Issue(s) to be solved 5
Key statement of the report
- Alerts the reader about where the analysis is headed that reflects the statement in the case
study “What will your strategy be to drive more consumers to Blue Sky Peaks for the
2020/2021 season and beyond? Detail both the digital and non-digital marketing activities
that you will use to driving revenue for the 2020/2021 season
- What will you look at specifically to solve this problem?
- Do not simply ‘cut and paste’ from the Executive Summary (Executive Summary should be
created last)

2. Situation Analysis
2.1 Internal Analysis
2.2 External Analysis
* Please be sure to cite
your information sources
appropriately if/when
using external data.
20
1. Internal Analysis
• Clearly state the marketing and/or overall objectives of the organization
- Objectives should address the problem identified.
- Objectives should be clear and specific.
• Use subheadings to group the following functional areas as strengths or weaknesses:
(1) Marketing (if the resort is not doing well, how do you think the brand is being perceived?)
(2) Service portfolio (Rank the most important components of the service portfolio moving
forward to ensure the continued success of the business (rank: skiing, hotel, banquet
facility, conference facility)
(3) Finance (How could they finance the growth of the business?)
(4) Human Resources (What are some human resource strategies to control costs and improve
the overall likelihood of success?)
2. External Analysis /Environmental Scan
• Use subheadings to group the following factors as opportunities or threats:
(1) Regulatory force
(2) Economic force
(3) Social force
(4) Technological force
(5) Culture
(6) Demographics
(7) Competition
- Discuss how each factor affect the industry that will in turn affect the organization’s ability to
resolve the problem or achieve your objectives.
Notes for Situational Analysis:
- Be sure to create a SWOT Analysis (SWOT table in Appendix)
- Discussion of the SWOT analysis should be contained in the body of the report
- For every area discussed, explicitly identify whether it is a strength/weakness or
opportunity/threat.
3. Segmentation
Analysis 20
- Discuss the segmentation analysis within the body of your report.
- In describing segments (limit to three segments), be sure to discuss multiple relevant
segmentation characteristics
- Discuss how well or how poorly the brand/product is positioned in the market with respect to
the segments you identified.
- Please rank the segments in importance for the success of the business

4. Strategic Alternatives
20
- Present 3 alternative courses of actions to solve the challenge
- Each alternative should outline as well as differ on:
o choice of a leading target segment (one of the three will be the primary segment to
target)
o decision on how the segment is served. i.e., an overview of positioning and marketing
mix strategies to win the trust of this segment
- Forecasts of sales associated with each strategy under optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic
situations. (How much future revenue do you think you can earn from each of the three
segments? You can provide this as a percentage e.g., 30% of future revenue will come from
Segment 1, 40% from Segment 2 etc.)
5. Recommendation
10
- Discuss the key strengths and weaknesses of each of the alternatives.
o How does each option capitalize on the strengths of the organization and the
opportunities?
o How does each option effectively meet the objectives of the organization in
addressing the issue it is facing?
- Choose and state the best alternative
- Discuss why the recommended alternative is better than the other alternatives identified
- Discuss how the recommended alternative supports the organization's objectives and address
the issue identified.
- Describe the possible downside of the recommended alternative

6. Implementation
15
- Provide detailed information for implementation on each of
o the 4 P’s (for tangible goods) and how the target market will be served.
- Includes action steps and timing for each key activity.
Page limit, Appendices,
References, Formatting
and Presentation
5 - References page should include all sources cited in the report.
- The reference page should appear before the appendices.
- Tables and form to be included in Appendices:
(1) Situational analyses: SWOT table
Instructions:
• Overall organization and appearance:
- Includes title page, table of contents, main report, references, and appendices
• Clarity of expression:
- If the report contains more than 3 spelling, grammatical, and/or punctuation errors marks
will be deducted.
• Citations and referencing:
- Reference page is to include all work of other individuals, including course notes,
textbooks, journals, periodicals, etc.
Total 100

Explanatory Notes for Case Analysis Report and Final Marketing Plan Project
Executive Summary
- This section should ‘stand alone.’ That is, if someone who is unfamiliar with the facts of the case reads only the executive summary, s/he should have a good idea of
the case report content.
- Although you should write this section of the report last, it should appear at the beginning of your report.
- This section includes:
o Concise definition of the problem
o Brief statement of all alternatives considered
o Brief statement of recommended alternative
o Brief outline of how success can be achieved by implementing the recommended alternative
o Discussion of benefits of the recommendation to the organization
Problem Statement
- Identifying and defining the issues in a case is one of the most crucial steps because all further analysis and action hinges on the issue you choose and the way you
specify the issue.
- How do you identify and define issues? An issue occurs any time reality does not meet the organization’s objectives. For example, if an organization sets a goal of
obtaining a 20 percent share of the market but only achieves a 15 percent share, not achieving the 20 percent share target is an issue. Normally, you will identify
several issues in any case, and your next task is to place some priority on the issues. Deal first with the issue you think is most important to the organization and
then proceed to the second and third issues in a similar fashion.
- I have outlined the main issues of the business. Be sure to highlight the issues identified and provide your opinion as to which issues might be more important to
deal with.

Situation Analysis
Internal Analysis - Strengths and Weaknesses
Start the internal analysis with the organization’s overall or marketing objectives. Objectives should address the problem identified and should be clear, specific,
numeric, and limited to a particular time period.
In developing a strategy you must determine what you think some of the strengths and weaknesses of the organization are in terms of marketing. You should isolate
what you think the organization’s distinctive competence is; that is, what might this organization do significantly better than any competitor? The marketing
strategy should try to take advantage of this distinctive competence. All too often companies embark on a strategy for which they do not have the required
resources. In the late 1960s General Electric and RCA both set themselves certain market-share objectives in the computer business which required financial
resources that the two companies simply could not generate even with all their non-computer businesses. Both companies later dropped out of the computer
business.
- Do not simply regurgitate the facts of the case. Your job is to analyze the situation by applying critical reasoning skills. You have a great deal of freedom to come
up with what you think some of the challenges are and what some of the strengths and weaknesses of the business might be.
- Clearly distinguish between factors external to the focal firm or industry (Opportunities and Threats) and those factors over which the firm has at least some degree
of control because they are internal to the focal firm or industry (Strengths and Weaknesses)
- Now, clearly distinguish between Opportunities and Threats and between Strengths and Weaknesses. Do not assume that because you view something as an
opportunity that the reader will automatically see things the same way – you need to explicitly state whether you evaluate a factor as a strength or weakness,
opportunity or threat.
- Since there is not a large body of content to this case study, you may need to make some assumptions to conduct the internal analysis. Make sure you state what
your assumptions are, for example, “We are assuming that an adequate information technology infrastructure can be put in place in time for our company to open
for business by [date].” Or, “We will need to train our employees to provide superior customer service. We anticipate this will take 6 weeks.”
- Any assumptions you make must be reasonable.

External Analysis - Strengths and Weaknesses
Changes in the environment tend to produce opportunities such as unmet buyer needs, new technology or new forms of communication. You should be alert for
new possibilities and jot them down as you analyze a case.
Culture, Demographics, Political, Economic, Social, and Technological Forces
Here you are concerned about the major trends in each of the six areas (i.e., Culture, Demographics, Political, Economic, Social, and Technological) that may affect
the organization, competitors, and buyers.
Competition
There has been little information provided on the competition. As such you are free to make some assumptions.
Strategic Alternatives
- You need to identify 3 distinct and practical strategic alternatives to solve the problem facing the organization. Each alternative must represent a separate but
plausible path to success.
- Each alternative should outline as well as differ on:
o choice of a target segment
o decision on how the segment is served (i.e., an overview of the marketing mix strategies)
- These alternatives should be strategically different, i.e., they should differ by target market and/or how the needs of the market are to be met. Force yourself to
come up with three ways to achieve the particular marketing objective and then make your choice from the three good options.
- Each of the 4P’s should complement each other and satisfy what you know about the needs of the target segment. The strategy should also be consistent with our
analysis of the internal and external factors.
- You should make projections of revenues under optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic conditions.

Recommendation
- Present the key strengths and weaknesses of each of the alternatives (i.e., a mini-SWOT analysis). Include the mini-SWOT table in the appendix. Evaluate each
alternative strategy in terms of factors that are important to the focal firm (e.g., financial resources necessary to implement, time to implementation, corporate
objectives, etc.)
o How does each avoid the weaknesses of the organization, or not make demands on them, and how does it avoid or diminish risks in the external
environment?
o How does each option effectively meet the objectives of the organization in addressing the issue it is facing?
- Discuss why the alternative you have chosen is superior to the other alternatives you generated.
Implementation
- You must still provide a description of how your recommended alternative should be implemented
- Make sure you discuss each of the 4Ps
- Provide action steps, timing and responsibility for each key activity (no need to go into tremendous detail here)
Appendices, References, Formatting and Presentation of the Final Report
- Follow the directions in the assignment regarding page length and citation style
- Throughout your report, whenever you use information that you obtained from a source other than yourself, you need to indicate this through the use of inline
citations.
- Every source cited in the written report must appear in the Reference section
- Each appendix must serve a purpose. Do not simply attach primary source material to your report or cut and paste extra pages from the body of the report in order to meet the page limit.