Marketplace Simulations: E-Commerce Business Strategy – Bikes (Play Against Classmates)

Challenge your students to profit in e-commerce. This simulation immerses students in e-commerce, business strategy, marketing, sales channels, and management. Students design and implement a B2C e-commerce strategy while possibly exploring a traditional retail store strategy. They experiment with tactics to strengthen sales channels and build a successful company. As they learn business concepts, they'll discover challenges in aligning their online strategy with organizational functions--marketing, sales, manufacturing, HR, finance, and accounting. E-Commerce Business Strategy Bikes is designed to engage, challenge, and inspire while preparing students for higher-level management and leadership roles. Student teams start new businesses and compete against each other. They develop a new market for 3D-printed carbon fiber bikes. Students devise distribution plans using web sales and/or traditional retail stores. They create advertising, plan organic and paid search engine marketing efforts, and leverage social media. They optimize each channel while coordinating these activities with other functions. The student work is self-guided with an intuitive interface, built-in instructions, help files, warnings, and supplementary Marketplace Microsimulations™. Students have access to an AI Coach in the simulation to assist them with queries about their decisions as well as game mechanics, learning concepts, and how to interpret their results. Students also have access to an AI-powered tool that reviews their tactical plans and identifies opportunities for improvement. Instead of providing answers, it challenges students' thinking by highlighting inconsistencies, drawing attention to overlooked considerations, and prompting them to evaluate and refine their plans.

Six decision rounds, each lasting 90 to 120 minutes. Students compete against their classmates playing in teams of three or four. Work is typically completed asynchronously outside of class, usually with one decision round per week. The simulation is suitable for small to medium classes.

Target course: Upper undergraduate and MBA courses focusing on digital marketing and digital sales.

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