Marketplace Simulations: Strategic Marketing – Bikes (Play Against Classmates)

This simulation is a fun, realistic, relevant, and spirited learning experience. It is perfect for integrating the marketing curriculum and transitioning undergraduates to become professional marketers. Strategic Marketing Bikes has an intermediate level of customer segments, markets, customer needs, brand and ad design options, internet marketing, and budgeting tools. Learning occurs, not so much because of purposeful study, but from the drive to outsmart the competition. Everything the students have learned can help them reach higher levels of performance and win the game. The students lead a new marketing division of an international bicycle company to design and sell 3D-printed, carbon fiber bikes. Will buyers pay a premium for a lightweight carbon fiber bike tailored to their needs? That is the question for the students to resolve. A balanced scorecard is used for student feedback, management by the numbers, and automated grading. Instructor/student interaction is encouraged. Students are highly receptive to coaching, targeted lectures, and exercises that enhance their marketing management skills. 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.

Eight decision rounds, each lasting 60 to 120 minutes. Typical pace: one round per week. Team-play is generally required and can enhance the students' critical thinking as they debate their tactical options and potential outcomes. Strategic Marketing Bikes is suitable for smaller classes, though multiple games can be played simultaneously for larger classes.

Target course: Intermediate to advanced undergraduate marketing strategy.

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