Degree in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics

Lead the transformation of companies through the use and analysis of data.

Marketing simulations

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Description
Marketing is arguably the primary business function; it is at the heart of all organizational activity at strategical and operational levels, and is necessary in the achievement of organizational goals. As a result, an understanding of the concepts and role of marketing management is fundamental to any business program. Based on the principle of "learning by doing", Marketing Simulations will maximize this idea. The course will provide students a business simulation scenario to experiment on decision making, business and marketing strategy, and long term perspective. All of this, on real competition. To do so you need to consolidate solid theoretical foundations, if not, you will lose the course doing "trial and error". Students will battle in a competitive environment using advanced concepts of strategic and operational marketing. They will get experience in analyzing consequences and effects of decision making process. Last, a very important element in this course, we will learn in a fun and fair play ambience. Remember that you can learn a lot from defeat. "The defeat has something positive, it is never definitive. On the other hand, victory has something negative, it is never ever definitive" José Saramago. "The defeat has a dignity that victory does not know" Jorge Luis Borges.
Type Subject
Tercer - Obligatoria
Semester
First
Course
4
Credits
4.00
Previous Knowledge
Objectives

By the end of this course students should be able to:
- Develop and implement a strategic vision of short and long term business strategy.
- Develop key analysis criteria for decision making.
- Understand and use Strategic Marketing as a lever for Corporate Strategy.
- Understand decision making consequences on:
- Segmentation / positioning in a mature market
- Segmentation / positioning in a new market. (Green field)
- R&D and market interface
- Innovation
- New product launch
- Production and market interface
- Marketing MIX
- Market and sales interface
- Market study analysis
- Understand competitive strategy on mature and new markets
- Understand company management process in a competitive environment.
- Get experience on decision-making process.

Contents

1: Program outlines. Market environment presentation
2: MarkStrat set up and first decision
3: Auditing (investigate origin of results) and analysis procedures
4: Market analysis and decision 2
5: Market analysis and decision 3
6: Market analysis and decision 4
7: Auditing Company Status (MidTerm Week)
8: Market analysis and decision 5
9: Market analysis and decision 6
10: Market analysis and decision 7
11: Market analysis and decision 8
12: Market analysis and decision 9
13: Market analysis and decision 9
14: Debrief and final results
15 Final exam - Final presentations (Company AUDIT) (Week of Final Evaluations)

Methodology

The learning experience is based on 'Doing' that seek to foster your understanding of the marketing function taking real marketing decisions. The classes will be dynamic only if students come to class prepared and willing to contribute to their group discussion.
We will work on business concepts and their application on specific business environment with special emphasis on decision making consequences.
Class dynamics will cover following elements:
A. Market analysis of the situation (starting from results of previous decision).
B. Diagnostic and strategic alternatives to follow.
C. Business objectives.
D. Strategy.
E. Decision-making.

Evaluation

BE IN CLASS. To pass this course you should be in class minimum of 80% of the classes. No excuses on that point.
EVALUATION CRITERIA will be done on four aspects of the student and group behaviour that must be overcome independently:
- Company results and company efficiency (Group)(A).
- Business objectives' definition: Business strategy, tactics and objectives. It will be based on your group discussion class by class. (Group)(B)
- Assistance and class participation (Individual)(C). We ask a minimum of 80% of attendance. Participation means active discussion into your group.
- Audit and presentation (Individual and Group)(D)
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
Criteria used to evaluate the results obtained by the student:
30% Operating efficiency and results (group) (A)
20% Strategy and Business objectives (group) (B)
20% Assistance and class participation (individual) (C)
30% Audit and Presentation (group) (D)
PEER EVALUATION
I will individually ask you to evaluate your team-mates. This evaluation will help me to modify your individual group grade (+/- 20%).
AUDIT & FINAL PRESENTATION (D)
Final audit and presentation is a work group project.
Audit must include:
Initial situation of the company
Business objectives' description (SMART).
Business strategy description initial and evolution.
Business tactics' description.
Decisions and influence in business results.
General conclusion.
Recommendation plan.

Due date of the Audit: Submit the written project report and presentation on last week on May (exact date will be announced during the course).

RETAKE
Students who do not attend 80% of classes will not pass the course. Only students who have not passed the attendance course but have participated in more than half of the sessions can recover in the retake. The retake will consist of a case based on making a series of decisions following the methodology that is used in the simulator.

Evaluation Criteria
Basic Bibliography

Required Text: Markstrat Student Handbook, Jean Claude Larréché - Stratx (eStudy)
Recommended Text and other readings:
Market-Driven Management, J-J Lambin - Palgrave Macmillan
Marketing Management, P. Kotler - Prentice Hall

Additional Material

Markops On Line www.stratxsimulations.com
Harvard Business Review http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/