Mountain Man Brewing Company Case

Mountain Man Brewing Company Case

The purpose of this case study is to explore the implications for expanding the products offered by Mountain Man Brewing Company (MMBC) from one product, Mountain Man Lager, to adding a Light version of the beer. This paper will evaluate the following:

1. The positioning statement of MMBC; including what has made MMBC successful and how MMBC distinguishes itself from competitors. I will argue that quality and authentic West Virginia family recipe created a brand that differentiates the lager from competitors.

2. How these factors enabled MMBC to create such a strong brand; and why, despite its strong brand, MMBC was experiencing a decline in 2005. I will show that the decline is due to changes in beer drinking patterns, markets, and demographics in the region as well as the U.S. in general.

3. An evaluation of whether or not to launch Mountain Man Light. I will explore the pros and cons of creating a light version of the brew and other strategic options for growth if this brand extension is not launched or if the launch is unsuccessful. I will demonstrate that launching a light beer product shows promise for improved profit through 2010, but that another strategy should be under development during that time frame if MMBC wants to remain competitive for the long term.

Mountain Man Brewing Company's Positioning in the East Central Market

According to Alvin J. Silk, a positioning statement is designed to define who are a company's customers, what set of needs does the product fulfill, and why is the product the best one to fill those needs (2006, p. 90). I found this question challenging because a positioning statement should define "the place the firm wishes to occupy in its' target customers' minds" (Silk, 2006, p. 90). In the case of MMBC, the definition of the target customer was under discussion.