I’ve reached the point in my MBA classes where the class is taking part in a MarkStrat simulation. MarkStrat is a Marketing Strategy game wherein up to 5 teams each take control of companies in a fictional world and attempt to manage their firms by applying marketing principles. The companies start out making products called Sonites, and later are able to market Vodites. It’s fun and I’m actually learning stuff about marketing.
What I want to crow about is my team’s performance. We’re crushing out competition in almost every measure of performance. Our stock price is through the roof, our ROI, our return on advertising and sales dollars, and our contribution margins are all excellent. Our products are right on target for the various segments and we have our channel distirbution strategy nailed down. We’re going to be first to market with the Vodites, and be able to improve them and target the segments the same round as our competitors are making their first one. Our budget this period is twice that our our nearest competitor, and that’s with their taking out a loan and our not doing so.
Yes, we started out in one of the two companies in the best beginning position, but we’ve leveraged our strengths to improve our position from both our own previous position and relative to our competitors. We had one mis-step the first round, but recovered from it nicely.
I wish Stratx, the company that makes the sim, would come out with a commercial version. It’s a great strategy sim and I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time working with it, analyzing the reams of data produced, and cackling in glee at the way we have our competition over the barrel.