Peer Review

Free Interactive Marketing Game

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: May 3, 2021 by Business

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

This is a free marketing game that requires students working in teams to determine their 4P’s and trade with other teams in order to maximize profits over several decision rounds. This is a very effective learning exercise for getting students engaged as it is highly competitive as well as a fun, social activity. This is designed for an undergraduate marketing class.

Type of Material:

Simulation

Recommended Uses:

The game requires at least nine students, plus a facilitator to play. Therefore, it is better suited for an in-class activity.

Technical Requirements:

Safari, Google Chrome, Microsoft Excel, HTML

Identify Major Learning Goals:

Learn about the product mix including: market deman, retailer relationships, supply costs, negotiation, and the 4Ps.
Develop negotiating skills and trading.
Understand consumer behaviour where quality and price are concerned.

Target Student Population:

Undergraduate marketing students

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

Marketing knowledge
Basic use of Excel.

Content Quality

Rating:

Strengths:

Current and relevant
Good tool to stimulate students and improve their knowledge
Instructions are clear and provide the user with enough information to play the game.
Great visuals to explain how to use the simulation software.

Concerns:

Though the information is clear, it may take some practice for first-time players to fully understand how to play.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:

Strengths:

The teaching-learning goals and consequent uses are easy to identify.
It is easy to integrate into a class activity.
The simulation makes students work together as a team.
By using real life scenarios, the application of the information learned can be made almost immediately.

Concerns:

It does not include all the required resources, such as pretend money.
Based on the instructions, enough time would have to be available to meet the objective.
The website the simulation is hosted on has many popups making it hard to follow what the instructions versus the advertisements. This may be a deterrent to potential users.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:

Strengths:

The instructions for playing the game are clear, and it is visually appealing. Though it requires the use of a computer with Microsoft Excel, no internet is required to play. Hence, the usability of the material is high.

The website has clear instructions with great visuals to explain what the spreadsheet simulation is asking the students to do.
The fields are easily identifiable and the needs beyond the spreadsheet (coins and legos to simulate money and products) are clearly communicated to the user.
I is visually appealing.
Though it requires the use of a computer with Microsoft Excel, no internet is required to play. Hence, the usability of the material is high.

Concerns:

It may be limited to students with access to a computer during class time.

Other Issues and Comments:: The author could consider creating a mobile app that students can access, especially those who only have access to online classes.
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