The first assignment will be a mix of analysis and simulation. You will work through the simulation for Digital Marketing,  provide an explanation and critique of your performance, and provide a  comparison between the hypothetical restaurant of the simulation and the  proposed food service operation you identified in Week 1 [Industry Specialization]. Be sure to review instructions for all parts and use the Q & A Discussion if you have any questions.

(1) — The first part is to work through the simulation. 

You can access the simulation by following the instructions below:

Go to vb.knowledgematters.com and click “Register Now.”

To access the simulation, the course key is: VD4HS6 

Enter  the course key provided here, and click “Search.” If you have not  received the course key needed for this assignment yet, please contact  me as soon as possible.

• If the desired course appears, click “Continue Registration.” 
  • If the course is not listed, notify me and the website support.
• Fill in the required information and click “Register.”
• A  confirmation email will be sent to the email address you provided  during registration. Click on the link provided within the email to  confirm enrollment. Click the link to sign in to your account.

You will then be able to work through the simulation, "Digital Marketing".

(2) — Provide an explanation and critique of simulation performance.

After  completing the simulation on the website, you will analyze the  experience by explaining the variable conditions you were exposed to,  the decisions you made, your reasoning for the decisions, and their  outcomes. References  are expected to support, refute, or corroborate your perspective or  reasoning. As a part of your summary, you will need to describe the  results you anticipated and what the actual results were.

The analysis will need to address the following simulation goals:

• Assess a restaurant’s performance and profit.
• Create a social media advertisement.
• Learn how to create text and choose images that appeal to your potential customers.
• Focus the advertisement even further by targeting specific locations and interests.

Identify  relevant elements and variables, explain their significance or input,  and evaluate levels of performance and possible outcomes. The following  questions should also be addressed in your analysis:

• What are some other forms of advertising a food service operation might use? 
• What are the advantages/disadvantages of digital marketing over print, video, and audio advertising?
• What process would you use in figuring out how to target your niche customers?
• What are some ways to use social media to promote your restaurant in addition to paying for advertising?
• How would you respond to negative social media posts and comments about your food service operation?
• If a customer believes your  advertising to be inaccurate or misleading when they visit your food  service operation, what do you believe to be the best response to the  customer’s complaint? 

(3) — Compare and contrast the hypothetical simulation restaurant with your own proposed food service operation.

Consulting  the first three chapters of the reading, you will describe and evaluate  the style of operation as well as your specific product [AKA the meal  experience] and compare that to the restaurant in the simulation.  Compare elements such as location and target market as well as the  methods and content of advertising you feel would work best for your  operation.

NOTE: It  is feasible to weave the comparison [3] into your simulation analysis  [2], alternating paragraphs or segments to first provide an explanation  and critique and then compare and contrast. To make it easier, I suggest  making a checklist you can use to track what you have covered in the  writing.