According to Eurostat, in the EU-28, there were 4.4 million students in 2017 studying business, administration or law. The job market for that profile of graduates is very dynamic in EU: employers’ expectations are voluminous. At the same time in the recent literature (Finch&McIntyre, 2019 for example) shows that there still is a significant gap between graduates’ profiles and employers’ expectations. Moreover, Finch, Nadeau&O’Reilly (2013) explored this challenge exclusively in the marketing field. In their study, the authors found an important gap between the individual skills and knowledge areas defined as important by professionals and the corresponding performance of new graduates. Consequently, experts tend to agree that there should be a shift in focus, from knowledge generation to skill development (Rundle-Thiele, Bennett &Dann, 2005). This leads to the question about effective teaching methods and techniques in the field of management, in particular marketing. In recent years, much attention has been paid to experiential methods in teaching and learning. As J. Clawson from University of Virginia emphasis, experiential teaching methods are those that rely on data generated during the exercise/learning experience rather than on data prepared in advance as with lectures and cases. Experiential methods engage students in experiences that simulate social phenomena. They include games such as Starpower or Global Markets, and the Organization Game as well as computer simulations like Markstrat. Having that in mind, together with strong experience in simulation games, but also in EU projects, the members of European university network Dukenet decided to start working on the education experiential module that can be used in marketing education. Apart of creating the module that uses the game based experiential concept it was important to combine it with the idea of intensive programs. IP it is an international, intensive, one week-long, structured graduate course, that can be recognized within each partner university programme (4-6 ECTS). It can be use distantly too. BrandY- it's an experiential teaching module to train marketing students in European brand management and give them the possibility of better employability. The concept is based on one-week international intensive programmes tough outside home university. The specific goals of the project are to: •introduce the concept of game based experiential teaching module as a way to increase the competences of the students and for a better employability •improve the academics’ teaching skills and competences in experiential marketing •increase the knowledge of the students in are of international brand management but also intercultural management •integrate the SMEs to be part of university programme development •increase mobility of the students from the partner universities, both during the project but also due to dissemination the project outputs. •enlarge the international cooperation among the partner universities. Eleven universities will be involved in the project. Ten of them are members of Dukenet. University from Geneva has been invited to the project due to its extensive experience in application of experiential learning and teaching and also previous cooperation. The university were selected to the project due to its profile and experience both in teaching and research. There are five subgroups of the universities identified regarding its tasks in the project: 1. Experiential teaching and learning experience: EE, USMB 2. IT and interactive game experience: Howest, IEM, BUW 3. International brand management and intercultural management experience: UEKat, UT, CEU, BBS, USMB, ULE 4. IP organisation experience: CEU, BBS, UEKat, USMB 5. Erasmus+ project management experience: UEKat, ULE 6. Dissemination and communication in the project: UoB, ULE Each of the partner universities has demonstrated extensive experience in assigned areas, at the same time due to joint, long-term cooperation and experience, it guaranties the successful implementation of the project goals. The main activities undertaken in the project are described according to 4 work packages WP 1 Developing the teaching materials and content. WP 2 Learning Instrument Guidelines and Procedures WP 3 IT platform and interactive game dashboard WP 4 Communication and Dissemination In the project the PM² methodology will be used based on UE recommendation. It also uses IP as a main tool in project implementation. The result of the project will be the experiential based, interactive IP study module from the are of international brand management. It will use the game based scenario to increasing the effectiveness of teaching and involvement of the students. It will be available on internet platform together with the support. The teaching module BrandY will strongly impact the teaching of brand management strategies giving the students and teachers possibility to improve the skills.
The primary objectives we aimed to achieve through the implementation of the project, BrandY, were as follows: 1. Enhancing Student Competencies and Employability: One of the core goals of BrandY is to create an experiential teaching module designed to train marketing students in European brand management. By doing so, the project aspired to equip students with valuable skills and experiences that would significantly enhance their employability. This objective sought to bridge the gap between academic learning and the real-world expectations of employers. 2. Promoting Experiential Teaching: BrandY aimed to introduce the concept of game-based experiential teaching as a cornerstone of the project. The goal was to demonstrate how this innovative teaching approach could effectively boost students' competencies and prepare them for the challenges of the job market. 3. Enhancing Academic Teaching Skills: Beyond student outcomes, the project also had a crucial objective of improving the teaching skills and competencies of academics in the field of marketing. By incorporating cutting-edge pedagogical techniques and content, the project sought to empower educators to deliver high-quality instruction. 4. Broadening Knowledge in European/International Brand and Intercultural Management: Another vital aim was to expand students' knowledge in the areas of international brand management and intercultural management. This broader perspective was intended to prepare students for the globalized business environment by fostering an understanding of both international marketing dynamics and the intricacies of managing brands across diverse cultural contexts. 5. Engaging SMEs in University Programme Development: Additionally, BrandY aimed to foster collaboration between Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and universities in the development of university programs. This objective sought to integrate practical insights and real-world industry perspectives into the academic curriculum, enhancing the relevance of education. 6. Increasing Student Mobility: The project also aimed to increase student mobility among partner universities, both during the project's duration and through the dissemination of its outputs. By facilitating student exchanges and international experiences, BrandY aimed to broaden students' horizons and enhance their intercultural competencies. 7. Strengthening International Cooperation: Lastly, the project aimed to strengthen international cooperation among the partner universities. By working together on the development of the BrandY module and its subsequent dissemination, the project sought to establish enduring partnerships that would benefit not only the students but also the participating institutions. In essence, the objectives of the BrandY project were multifaceted, including equipping students with essential competencies, improving teaching methodologies in marketing education, broadening knowledge in international brand and intercultural management, engaging SMEs in program development, increasing student mobility, and strengthening international cooperation among partner universities, all contributing to better employability and more well-rounded marketing professionals.
We applied for this project because there is a pressing need within the European education landscape that we aimed to address. In 2017, Eurostat reported that there were approximately 4.4 million students in the EU-28 studying business, administration, or law. This statistic highlights a substantial pool of potential graduates entering the job market with a focus on these fields. However, the reality is that the job market for these graduates is highly dynamic, and employers have substantial expectations. Research, such as that conducted by Finch and McIntyre in 2019, has underscored a significant gap between the profiles of graduates and the expectations of employers. This gap isn't limited to one area; for instance, Finch, Nadeau, and O'Reilly's 2013 study specifically focused on the marketing field and revealed a notable disparity between the skills and knowledge areas considered essential by professionals and the actual performance of recent graduates. Consequently, experts in the field concur that there needs to be a shift in focus from knowledge generation to skill development, as emphasized by Rundle-Thiele, Bennett, and Dann in 2005. Considering these challenges, the question arises: What are the effective teaching methods and techniques in management and marketing education? In recent years, significant attention has been given to experiential methods in teaching and learning. As Professor J. Clawson from the University of Virginia emphasizes, experiential teaching methods rely on data generated during the learning experience itself, as opposed to pre-prepared data used in traditional lectures and cases. These methods engage students in experiences that simulate real-world social phenomena, incorporating elements like simulation games (e.g., Starpower, Global Markets, the Organization Game) and computer simulations like Markstrat. With a background in simulation games, the members of the European university network Dukenet recognized the opportunity to develop an educational tool or module that could be employed in marketing education. This tool would incorporate the game-based experiential learning concept, a critical component in bridging the gap between academic knowledge and employer expectations. Moreover, it was crucial to combine this concept with the idea of intensive programs, which are international, one-week-long structured graduate courses recognized within partner universities (4 to 6 ECTS). Our motivation for applying to this project also stems from the evident lack of teaching tools designed to teach European brand management effectively. There is a need for gamified and experiential tools that not only equip students with valuable skills but also promote European brands and the economy. These tools should be versatile, suitable for both long and short teaching courses, and adaptable to the international environment to integrate young European students effectively.