Introduction to Marketing simulation-NewShoes

Question 1

What is NewShoes?

Accepted Answer

NewShoes is an online, team-based introduction to marketing simulation in which students manage a brand of athletic shoes. Teams make decisions across the marketing mix, including product, price, promotion, and place, while competing against other teams in their class for market share and profitability. The simulation gives students a practical way to apply core marketing concepts as they analyze results, respond to competitors, and refine their strategy over time.

Question 2

What courses is NewShoes best suited for?

Accepted Answer

NewShoes is designed specifically for Principles of Marketing and Introduction to Marketing courses. It is also a strong fit for survey-level business courses and non-majors classes where instructors want students to experience how core marketing concepts work in practice. Because the simulation is accessible to students who are still learning marketing fundamentals, it works well as an applied learning experience early in a business curriculum.

Question 3

What do students actually do in NewShoes?

Accepted Answer

Students take on the role of a marketing management team for an athletic shoe company. They choose a brand name, develop a strategy, enter decisions each period, review results, purchase market research, and adjust their marketing mix based on performance and competition. Their goal is to grow sales and profits by making thoughtful marketing decisions and learning from the results of those decisions.

Question 4

What do students typically learn from NewShoes?

Accepted Answer

Students often come away with a stronger understanding of the 4 P’s of marketing, competitive dynamics, market segmentation, the tradeoff between growth and profitability, and how marketing decisions interact over time. They also learn that marketing success usually depends on alignment across product, price, promotion, place, and strategy, rather than one isolated “right” decision.

Question 5

What marketing decisions do students make?

Accepted Answer

Students make decisions related to the 4 P’s of marketing: product, price, promotion, and place. These include product development spending, selling price, consumer advertising, consumer sales promotion, personal selling, dealer promotion, and market entry decisions. Depending on the setup, students may also have opportunities to bid on contracts or sell directly to consumers.

Question 6

What makes NewShoes different from a traditional marketing case?

Accepted Answer

A traditional case asks students to analyze a situation and recommend a course of action. NewShoes asks students to act, see results, and adapt. Because the marketplace changes over time and teams compete directly with one another, students experience how marketing decisions interact across price, promotion, product development, distribution, customer response, and competitor behavior. That repeated cycle of decision-making and feedback helps students move beyond definitions and into applied marketing judgment.

Question 7

Does NewShoes teach market segmentation?

Accepted Answer

Yes. NewShoes gives students a practical way to understand market segmentation because each region responds differently to marketing decisions. Students must compare markets, consider customer expectations, review market research, and adjust their strategy rather than applying the same approach everywhere.

Question 8

How does pricing work in NewShoes?

Accepted Answer

Students set selling prices for each region in which they operate. Pricing affects both sales and profitability, so students must consider company goals, costs, competitor prices, and how customers respond to price. This helps students understand that pricing is not simply about charging more or less. A good pricing decision depends on market conditions, costs, positioning, and strategy.

Question 9

How is performance measured in NewShoes?

Accepted Answer

Students evaluate performance using measures such as revenue, net profit, return on sales, market share, unit costs, customer satisfaction, and regional performance. The simulation encourages students to look beyond a single number and understand how their decisions affect the overall business.

Question 10

Does NewShoes include financial analysis?

Accepted Answer

Yes. While NewShoes is a marketing simulation, students work with important financial measures such as revenue, cost of goods sold, gross margin, expenses, net profit, return on sales, and market share. This helps students connect marketing decisions to business outcomes and see how pricing, promotion, product development, and market entry affect profitability.

Question 11

What support does Interpretive provide?

Accepted Answer

Interpretive provides fully administered simulation support. The Interpretive team helps with course setup, simulation scheduling, student access, and technical support. Each instructor is also paired with a customer relationship manager who can answer questions and help plan the simulation experience.

Question 12

How do I get started with NewShoes?

Accepted Answer

To get started, request a demo or contact Interpretive to discuss your course. The Interpretive team can help you choose the right setup, determine the number of decision periods, plan team structure, select assignments, and integrate NewShoes into your syllabus.

Introduction to Marketing Simulation

NewShoes

Interactive Dashboard of the introduction to marketing simulation

Introduction to Marketing Simulation Dashboard settings

Introduction to Marketing Simulation Case

Decision screen- Introduction to Marketing Simulation

introduction to marketing simulation creative decisions

Join our growing community! NewShoes has been trusted for over a decade by 300+ schools of all types to bring real-world experience into the classroom.

INTRODUCTION TO MARKETING SIMULATION

What is NewShoes?

WHY IS NewShoes THE RIGHT introduction to marketing simulation FOR MY STUDENTS?

NewShoes is designed with the following learning goals:

Planning & Analysis

Product

Pricing

Place

Promotion

Teamwork

Experiential Learning

Creative Thinking

CLASSES

DIFFICULTY LEVEL

AUTHORS

FIRST-TIME INSTRUCTORS

A dedicated Customer Relationship Manager who will be your go-to person for any support-related questions or concerns.

A team of customer support staff who are always ready to help you and your students.

We promise to respond to any support request or question within 24 hours during the business week, so you can be assured that your needs will be met promptly.

NewShoes is now thoughtfully aligned with FlatWorld’s Principles of Marketing eReader, creating a cohesive learning experience that connects core marketing concepts to hands-on decision-making.

Students learn foundational topics like the 4 Ps, segmentation, and positioning in the text—and then apply those ideas directly by managing an athletic shoe company in the NewShoes simulation. An Instructor Integration Guide is included to support easy course planning and alignment.

See NewShoes in Action

Watch a walkthrough of how NewShoes supports Introduction to Marketing and Principles of Marketing courses, including key decisions, performance analysis, and course integration.

Combining our simulation NewShoes with our quizzes and assignments gives you the tools to assess your students’ understanding of the concepts of marketing. The following grading rubric works best to provide a thorough assessment of your students’ knowledge and understanding.

Assignments0%

Simulation Results0%

Quizzes0%

Got questions? Find answers!

Which classes is this simulation suitable for?

What is the ideal team size for the simulation?

We suggest teams of 3-4 students for an optimal learning experience. Larger teams can often struggle with decision-making collaboration, a crucial aspect of the simulation. While teams of 2 are common, they may lack the diverse perspectives and valuable discourse typically seen in 3-4 member teams.

What does “direct competitive” mean?

In the context of this simulation, “direct competitive” refers to all teams within each industry competing against each other. Moreover, the decisions made by these teams will impact others in the same industry, influencing factors like price, marketing, and wages.

How do I find out more?

Sign up for Demo Access. This gives you access to Sample Course Sites, Resources, and even a look at completed games. For a comprehensive understanding, schedule a call with our staff to guide you through the simulation.

Schedule a call with us to ask any other questions you might have!

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