Peer Review

Free Marketing Simulation Game

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Reviewed:: Oct 13, 2020 by Business

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: Due to numerous requests, I have decided to develop and provide a free marketing simulation game for lecturers and instructors. One of the challenges of any simulation game is explaining, sometimes a complex set of rules, to students. Therefore, I have designed this simulation game to be simple and easy to understand, yet being complex enough to enable discussion of numerous marketing concepts. Sometimes marketing simulation games are quite restrictive, requiring certain numbers of teams and using set starting positions. However, with this free marketing and positioning simulation game, up to 10 teams can participate at the one time – but the game will operate effectively with a small number of teams. The game has been built to accommodate up to eight rounds. However, a smaller number of rounds can be played, as it is no requirement to finish all eight rounds.
Type of Material:: Simulation
Recommended Uses:: This will probably be most effective with small teams assigned to complete tasks, as it requires some strategic decision-making. It could be used as an in-class activity--and then be continued as a team homework assignment.
Technical Requirements:: Excel for students to view/enter data, or for instructor to enter date.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: Goals of using the simulation are to learn and reinforce marketing concepts such as market segmentation, positioning and repositioning, competitive strategy, return on marketing investment and payback, customer lifetime value, the role of new products, game theory, marketing metrics and financial metrics, and marketing dashboards.
Target Student Population:: College Lower Division, College Upper Division
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: Basic understanding of marketing concepts such as budgeting, positioning, and repositioning. Basic knowledge of Excel.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: The Excel spreadsheet has multiple tabs that are easy to understand with descriptions on each sheet for what is needed for the simulation to run properly. On the first sheet there are instructions to follow the simulation in tab order and that the following sheet will update based on information added in the previous sheet. ll information is available at the site. Instructional videos for both the instructor and the student explain how to complete the simulation. There are multiple components, which may all be used, or the instructor may select individual components to complete.
Concerns:: Some context would be needed to help students visualize what is required of their team when uploading information into the simulation. However, the simulation sheet itself is self-contained and has links to video tutorials and the author’s contact information.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

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Strengths:: The simulation approach offers an alternate teaching tool for an instructor to use in the classroom. This simulation will help students connect concepts within marketing by seeing how their decisions play out compared to other forces (other classmate teams) in a real world context. This is a free simulation/application, as opposed to may simulations that require students to purchase the software tool. The simulation will provide students and student teams th opportunity to apply textbook concepts to problem-solving. Furthermore, multiple teams could compete with each other, as is the situation in the business environment.
Concerns:: The simulation may take time to learn and could be difficult to understand if the instructor is not fully prepared to integrate it in the classroom. It will require the instructor and/or students understand how to work efficiently and effectively in Excel.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

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Strengths:: This is a straightforward Excel sheet simulation which is very user friendly. A beginner Excel user could follow the instructions and participate in the simulation exercise. Both the instructor and the student training videos are very helpful.
Concerns:: Students might be tempted to "skip" the introduction video--so it is suggested the instructor take class time to show the video, and be sure students are cognizant of the requirements.

Other Issues and Comments:: This is quite challenging, and a good opportunity for students to complete a simluation at no cost.
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