Marketing Strategy Game

Code:

LGE521

Acronym:

MSG

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Business Sciences

Instance: 2007/2008 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Management
Course/CS Responsible:	Business Administration

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
ECO	72	Official Curricular Structure since 2004	4	2	4	-
GES	22	Official Curricular Structure since 2004	4	2	4	-

Objectives

In the Marketing Strategy Game course the students are asked to integrate their management thinking, stressing the systemic nature of their decisions.

The students will face almost real situations in a dynamic and complex context, where they must identify situations, apply technical tools, anticipate trends, take decisions, analyze results and finally improve their management skills. Basically they must, in an interactive environment, plan, organize, promote and control strategic decisions.

The course uses a software to implement a company management simulation in a highly competitive environment, where everybody interacts with everybody, demanding a careful management of the group, another goal of the course.

Besides Marketing variables, the ones that are full explored during the simulation, the students are also asked to take some production and financial decisions.

Program

The course has 8 main steps:
1. Presentation and Course Organization
2. Simulation – Phase 1 – the equivalent to one year activity (initial situation + 3 decisions)
3. Test 1 – Simulation Rules (1 hour test)
4. Simulation – Phase 2 – the equivalent to half year activity (2 decisions)
5. Homework (to be delivered in two weeks time). A detailed one year Marketing Plan (20 pages maximum, without appendices). It is supposed to use and apply the main learned techniques in order to analyse the main production and marketing activities of the company.
6. Simulation – Phase 3 – the equivalent to one year activity (4 decisions)
7. Final analysis – In the previous phases the competition is normally fierce, so the final class is used to take the main conclusions and lessons. This is done with all the groups together.
8. Final test (duration: 2h00) / Final Exam (duration: 3h00) – normally in the Evaluation Period.

During the phase 1 of the Simulation, the decisions are taken weekly (maximum), but during phases 2 or 3 more decisions (2) can be taken in the same week. Considering this approach, please see the following class schedule:

CLASSES TENTATIVE PROGRAM
1 - Course Presentation
2 - Firm organization and 1st Quarter delivered (initial situation)
3 - Quarter 2
4 - Quarter 3
5 - Quarter 4 & Test 1
6 - Quarter 5
7 - Quarter 6 + Activity Plan
8 - Quarter 7
9 - Quarter 8
10 - Quarter 9
11 - Quarter 10
12 - Quarter 11
13 … - Quarters 12….18
….
Conclusion and Debate
Final Examination (Exam/Test)

Notes:
• Quarter corresponds to one decision
• Tentative number of decisions

Concerning the groups, please note:
• Each group can be composed by up to 5 students.
• The group components must be delivered in the second class session. During this session the initial situation (Quarter 1) will be given to each group.
• Each group must send an e-mail to the following addresses paulo.sena@omip.pt with its composition based in a MS-Excel file, with the following format: student number / name / e-mail / phone
• The first decision (Quarter 2) will be delivered in the third session.
• In appendix are included some topics for the Marketing Plan homework.

Main Bibliography

“BRANDMAPS - The Competitive Marketing Strategy Game” - Randall. G. Chapman, (3rd Edition)

Complementary Bibliography

• Business Strategy books, like “Exploring Corporate Strategy”, Gerry Johnson e Kevan Scholes
• Marketing Strategy books available in FEP

Teaching methods and learning activities

It is stressed a careful follow-up of the teams performance. The decisions are developed and taken outside classes and sent by e_mail. The formal classes are used to monitor the team behaviour and sometimes to run the software.

Software

Each team will receive a disk that contains all firm information and the files to input its decisions and marketing research study requests. The decisions taken by each group are send in a file support by e_mail to the teacher according the procedures explained during the first class session.

Evaluation Type

Eligibility for exams

Please see "Evaluation Components"

Calculation formula of final grade

Please see "Evaluation Components"

Examinations or Special Assignments

Please see "Evaluation Components"

ACTIVITY PLAN TOPICS

GOAL: MARKETING PLAN FOR ONE YEAR MARKET ACTIVITY (FOUR QUARTERS/DECISIONS)

Maximum length: 20 pages A4 (without appendices)

Topics:
1- Strategic Analysis
External
Demand and Markets
Competition
Internal
SWOT Analysis
2 – Prospective Analysis
The Market
Competitors
3 – Strategic Choice
Options selection
Justification and firm support capacity
4 – Budget and Activity Plan

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Some variables to consider:
• Quality, market share, financial resources, production capacity, etc.
• Products
• Global strategies and directions

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The Simulation Manual provides some support to develop this Marketing Plan. This material must be considered together with other sources.

Classification improvement

If the students want to improve their classification in their Final Test, the Group period classification (Test 1, homework and team performance) will be considered.

Observations

TEST & EXAM MATERIAL

Topics:
• The Environment (External Analysis)
• Strategic Capability (Internal Analysis)
• Strategic Alternatives
• Strategies Evaluation and Strategy Choice

There are several Business Strategy or Marketing books that cover the above mentioned topics.

As an example please consider the Chapters 3, 4, 6, 7 e 8 of the book “Exploring Corporate Strategy (4th to 6th Editions)”, Gerry Johnson e Kevan Scholes