Experiential Learning in Marketing: Synthesis and Action for a Capstone Course

Abstract

Marketing management is concerned with decisions related to prod ucts and services--directly or indirectly. Yet, few opportunities exist for the student to study or experience such. The experiential marketing course described in this paper offers an alternative to other accepted pedagogical techniques such as de scriptive texts, cases, or simulations. It also provides educators with an approach which students find highly motivating. The capstone course is a place where the concepts and theories learned in other marketing courses should be synthesized. In the course described, a model for analyzing marketing opportunities and making the management decisions which draw on knowledge of concepts and theories discussed is formated. An integrated projects is used as a vehicle for focusing the students' activities and decisions. These activities vary from de scriptive market analysis to creative generation of new product ideas. The assignments attempt to replicate the process the prac titioner would pursue in analyzing marketing opportunities and ap plying the marketing concept to business.