Anshul Rathod, a Master in Management student at ESCP Business School Paris, won MEGA Learning's Customer Value Challenge marketing simulation. Playing as CMO of his team, Anshul and his teammates beat competing teams across Europe to become Customer Value Challenge Champions.
The Customer Value Challenge places teams in the role of a virtual car manufacturer. Each team designs, manufactures, and launches four car models (low-cost, family, eco-friendly, and image), competing against other teams to win customer segments and profitability. In this interview, Anshul Rathod shares what MEGA Learning's Customer Value Challenge taught him at ESCP Business School Paris and why he believes every business student should experience a business simulation.
Watch Anshul Rathod's full interview
Anshul Rathod, ESCP Business School Paris Master in Management student, shares his Customer Value Challenge experience on video:
Q: What was your general feeling about MEGA Learning's Customer Value Challenge?
Amazing, amazing, and amazing. When we were handed the problem statement, I felt excited. I also liked that the business simulation involved the automobile industry. I was equally excited about the randomly selected teams. Meeting people from different backgrounds was fun and interesting. The brief was great, and the platform made strategising easy.
About the Customer Value Challenge format
MEGA Learning's Customer Value Challenge is a marketing-focused business simulation designed for university students (advanced undergraduate to postgraduate) and corporate leaders. Teams of 4 to 6 work together in person, online, or in a blended format. Total playing time is 8 to 12 hours, spread over days or weeks depending on the programme.
Q: What were the main skills you developed during the Customer Value Challenge?
Three skills stood out for me from MEGA Learning's Customer Value Challenge.
Analytical thinking. After every round of play, we analysed the results to figure out what worked, what did not, and where we could improve. We also studied the competitors' strategies and asked ourselves: what went right and wrong for them?
Strategic thinking. We built our strategies for marketing, engineering, and everything else based on data, which helped us maximise profit, increase revenue, and decrease costs. Building effective strategies in this competitive environment was key.
Communication and team building. My team members were a random batch, some classmates and some I had never met. There were Italians, Indians, and other nationalities, so we discussed different cultures, which prompted team building and good communication.
How the Customer Value Challenge works
In MEGA Learning's Customer Value Challenge, teams design, manufacture, and launch four car types:
- Low-cost: budget-conscious vehicles for everyday driving
- Family: practical and spacious vehicles
- Eco-friendly: vehicles that environmentally conscious motorists will approve of
- Image: top vehicles boasting style and high performance
Teams must build a profitable business model for all four car types to win the Customer Value Challenge. The strategy covers customer value (build a value proposition for each segment), the internal value chain (turn labour and materials into the final product), and profitability analysis. The competitive structure means strategy is also reactive: rival teams' decisions affect your team's results.
Q: What were the main challenges in the Customer Value Challenge?
Two main challenges. First, team conflicts: people disagreed about strategy, and the time constraints made some friction unavoidable. The arguments and debating were also enjoyable in their own way.
Second, the competitive atmosphere. With multiple competing teams in the Customer Value Challenge, our final results depended not only on our strategy but also on what competitors were doing. In some rounds we forecasted positive profit, but our competitors' pricing decisions reflected on our profit and balance sheet. Whatever strategy you use may not reflect positively because of moves made by your competitors. Everything in the Customer Value Challenge is interconnected, like the real world.
Customer Value Challenge learning objectives
MEGA Learning's Customer Value Challenge develops three core marketing capabilities:
Customer segmentation. Identify target audiences, understand who they represent, and tailor product offerings to their interests and lifestyles.
Market positioning. Define the unique selling points of each product (light fuel consumption, safety, image, family appeal) so the offering stands out from competitors.
Strategy execution. Build a concrete strategy covering value proposition, customer expectations, manufacturing and marketing costs, and ongoing market performance evaluation across decision rounds.
Q: How was MEGA Learning's Customer Value Challenge platform? Was it easy to use?
The instruction manuals took only 20 minutes to read before we were ready to start. After one or two rounds, we became familiar with the platform. Everything you need is on the platform and one click away. The interface is intuitive, user-friendly, and easy to understand.
The Customer Value Challenge user interface
MEGA Learning's Customer Value Challenge platform features a comprehensive dashboard with cash flow, income breakdowns, and other financial fundamentals all accessible with a click. Clear instructions, videos, screencasts, and pre-reading materials are freely available throughout the simulation.
Q: Was the Customer Value Challenge well timed within your ESCP Business School programme?
Yes. After our team won the Customer Value Challenge, we reflected on why our performance was so strong. We had completed several semesters of theoretical work in the ESCP Business School Master in Management programme, so the timing for putting that theory into practice was right. The Customer Value Challenge gave us the opportunity to apply theoretical skills to practical, competitive scenarios.
The international scope of the simulation also mattered. The Customer Value Challenge was not limited to a particular region but focused on global participation, which suited the international cohort at ESCP Business School Paris.
Q: How was the atmosphere in the ESCP classroom? Was it competitive?
It was competitive both within and between the teams. After every round, individual players from all teams analysed the reports and figures to develop their next strategy. We ran into some disagreements within the team, and we resolved them by going back to the data. Data can always back up strategy decisions.
Between teams the atmosphere was competitive but friendly. On presentation day, other ESCP teams questioned us about our marketing strategy and our journey through the Customer Value Challenge.
Q: Did the Customer Value Challenge feel like running a real company?
Yes. We distributed roles within the team. I was CMO; other teammates took CEO and CFO roles. The Customer Value Challenge gave us a real sense of running a company. The metrics, the colour-coded dashboards, the data flow, all felt very similar to what you might see in a real business.
Q: What are your tips for future Customer Value Challenge participants?
Three tips for future participants:
- Read the manuals thoroughly. List the key points and refer back to them.
- Be a team player. All team members should contribute, not just one or two.
- Have a learning outcome. Analyse your results carefully and try to understand what each decision did. This requires real thinking, but it is what makes the Customer Value Challenge stick.
Q: Final thoughts on MEGA Learning's Customer Value Challenge?
Every business student should get a taste of business simulations. Schools provide theoretical knowledge, but in real life, practical situations need practical exposure. MEGA Learning's Customer Value Challenge provides that space to see how things actually work. I look forward to more business schools adopting these kinds of interactive learning experiences.
About MEGA Learning's Customer Value Challenge
MEGA Learning's Customer Value Challenge is a marketing-focused business simulation used by ESCP Business School, HEC Paris, Columbia University, and other leading academic institutions, as well as corporate training programmes worldwide. The simulation is distributed via Harvard Business Publishing and is available in English and French. Duration: 12 to 18 hours. Team size: 4 to 6 per team.
Learn more about the Customer Value Challenge or request a free demo.
