I am currently doing my co-op placement, but first I just say at how my mind is absolutely blown at the level of applicability of everything I have learnt in our [Marketing Strategy] class to the real world. The [MikesBikes] simulation combined with the journals has really enhanced the way I see the bigger picture and back it up with the analytical side.
I was so surprised to find that the company I am doing [work] for had no structures in place whatsoever when it comes to measuring company performance; especially when the company looked so successful on the outside. On the second day of my [work] placement I managed to sell Kaplan’s Balanced Score Card to the CFO and the CEO of the company; through the use of [heuristics] but also, because the simulation has put me in the seat of the CEO, I was able to talk in their language by using jargon that was music to their ears. And only after hours of going through data and speaking with front line managers, I found, that this company is going through some of the devastating decisions we made on the [MikesBikes] simulation; for example, no vision, promotional abuse and mismanagement of customer loyalty.
I have also recommended this paper to all my friends doing Marketing as a MUST DO PAPER.
– Anonymous student
Source: Spanier, N., Franklin, D. (2013), Practitioner heuristics: adapting student to co-op placement, New Zealand Association for Cooperative Education: Strategic Directions in Cooperative Education, 31-33.