The Agony and the Ecstasy: Teaching Marketing Metrics to Undergraduate Business Students

Abstract

The marketing department of a large business school introduced a new undergraduate course, marketing metrics and analysis. The main materials for this course consisted of a series of online spreadsheets with embedded text and practice problems, a 32-page online metrics primer that included assurance of learning questions and a sample examination (http://mametrics.ca). In response to challenges, the instructor modified the course in three separate iterations in order to create a more active and experiential class setting to optimize student retention and learning. Empirical results tend to support the use of the materials and the modifications employed. The paper proposes additional changes to enhance the course and discusses the implications for teaching marketing metrics in undergraduate courses.