Strategic Business War Games for Companies and Institutions in the Canary Islands

Think before you act. Rehearse before you decide. Leave the room with a plan, clear responsibilities, resources and objectives.

What is a Strategic Business War Game?

A Strategic Business War Game is not a board game, a recreational activity or a conventional team-building session. It is a business simulation designed to analyse a specific situation in depth, anticipate different scenarios and prepare decisions before they have to be implemented in the real world. It is also one of the most powerful marketing services a company can use when facing uncertainty, and a methodology already applied successfully in advanced business environments: Playing war games to win.

The situation we work on may be hypothetical or completely real. We can simulate what would happen if a new competitor entered the market, if market conditions changed, if the company launched a new product or if a brand reputation crisis occurred. We can also work on a problem that is already happening: the development of a new business line, an organisational difficulty, a service that is not performing as expected, or a situation for which the team does not yet have a clear response.

The Business War Game brings together people from different departments, areas of responsibility and professional backgrounds so that the problem can be analysed from multiple perspectives. During the experience, we introduce data, scenarios, challenges, viewpoints and new information that encourage participants to question their initial responses and explore the issue in greater depth.

Our role as facilitators is not to tell the team what to think or to lead them towards a predetermined solution. We create the conditions for the group to think more effectively, listen to different perspectives, challenge its own assumptions and go further than it probably would in a conventional business meeting.

Getting a group to talk is relatively easy. Getting people to think deeply and commit to what has been planned is something very different.

A simulation built around a real problem

Every Business War Game begins before the participants enter the room. At Eureka! Marketing, we first study the situation, the company or institution, the market, its background and the available documentation. We analyse the problem from different perspectives and design a specific experience around the objectives to be achieved.

We do not use a standard format. Each Business War Game is built around a specific situation, whether real or hypothetical:

• The arrival of a new competitor or an aggressive price reduction.
• The launch of a new product or service.
• A brand image or reputation crisis.
• The development of a new business line or entry into the Canary Islands market.
• A significant change in consumer behaviour or the emergence of a new technology.
• Coordination problems between departments or decisions requiring the involvement of different managers and areas of the organisation.
• Changes or incidents affecting the delivery of a public service.
• Crises, contingencies or complex problems for which there is still no clear response.

The simulation allows the organisation to test decisions, anticipate reactions and assess their possible consequences before assuming their actual costs or risks in the real world.

Outside the routine. Inside the problem.

Thinking differently is easier when you also step outside the usual dynamics of a business meeting.

The Business War Game takes place in an environment specifically prepared to encourage concentration, conversation and the exchange of ideas. We adapt the room, lighting, seating arrangements, screens, whiteboards, computers and working tools to each experience. When appropriate, we also incorporate music, environmental elements and other resources that help create a comfortable and different working atmosphere.

We aim for an environment that is professional and demanding, but also relaxed. Participants need to feel comfortable asking questions, disagreeing, proposing ideas, changing their minds and exploring solutions that would probably never emerge in a conventional meeting.

For half-day or full-day experiences, we include food, drinks, breaks and catering. We do not see these simply as logistical arrangements. They form part of the experience itself, help change the pace of the session and encourage different kinds of conversation throughout the day.

The real world can also become part of the Business War Game

Not everything has to happen inside the meeting room.

When useful, we can incorporate immersion and on-site observation activities: visiting a business location, experiencing a service first-hand, following the same journey as a customer, observing a point of sale, carrying out a simulated Mystery Shopper visit or analysing a specific part of the problem in its real setting.

We can also conduct a Mystery Shopper / Mystery Guest study in advance, or carry out any other form of market research fieldwork, and use the findings during the Business War Game. The researcher can even join the session at a specific point to explain what they observed and how they experienced the service first-hand.

External specialists, technical experts, professionals, real customers or managers from other areas of the organisation can also participate at selected moments, either in person or remotely. The principle is simple: if we can observe, listen to or directly experience part of the problem, there is no reason to limit ourselves to imagining it from inside a meeting room.

An AI-powered Knowledge Assistant

Each Business War Game can optionally incorporate an AI-powered Knowledge Assistant, specifically configured for that experience to provide data and additional information, summarise situations and support the group’s work.

Before the session, we select and organise the information it will need: company documentation, market research studies, reports, procedures, background information, data, regulations, technical documentation or relevant external sources.

During the Business War Game, participants can consult the assistant by voice and ask for specific data, background information or documentation precisely when they need it. It works as a document-based expert available throughout the experience, capable of quickly retrieving and connecting the information with which it has previously been configured.

It can also be used to test hypotheses, identify counterarguments or explore alternative perspectives. AI provides information and knowledge, but it does not replace the judgement of the participants or make decisions for them. When internal or confidential documentation is involved, the tools used are adapted to the privacy and confidentiality requirements of each project.

Think further. And from different perspectives: lateral thinking.

During the Business War Game, we use facilitation techniques, role-play, qualitative research and group dynamics to help participants explore the problem in greater depth and avoid overly quick or obvious answers.

Depending on the objectives, we can use role-playing, lateral thinking, guided brainstorming, role switching, adverse scenarios, communication dynamics, individual and group work, challenges, relational exercises or decision simulations. These techniques are never used simply for their own sake: we select only those that can genuinely help the group move forward and that we have successfully applied in our focus groups and other qualitative group research.

We may also ask participants to temporarily step outside their usual role and think like a competitor, customer, citizen, supplier or someone who strongly disagrees with the decision they are defending.

During the simulation, we can also introduce new information, unexpected events or changes in the scenario that force the group to reconsider its decisions.

A Business War Game is therefore not designed to find the quickest possible answer. Its purpose is to help the team think better, move beyond the obvious and prepare decisions that remain robust when the real situation changes.

The role of the facilitator

A Business War Game requires active facilitation. Before the session, the facilitator studies the company, the situation and the problem in depth in order to understand its different dimensions and guide the group with a solid grasp of the context. During the experience, the facilitator listens, probes further, asks questions, challenges ideas and introduces information when it is useful, always from a neutral position. The role is not to tell the group what to think or steer it towards a predetermined solution, but to help participants explore the issue more deeply, listen to other perspectives, question their own assumptions and reach more complete conclusions.

From reflection to an Action Plan

The session does not end with a good conversation or a collection of ideas. The final part of the Business War Game is designed to turn everything discussed into concrete decisions, defining what needs to be done, who will be responsible, what resources will be required, who else needs to be involved and the timeframe for implementation. Risks, unresolved issues and indicators are also identified so that the organisation can assess whether the decisions taken are producing the expected results. The objective is for every participant to leave the experience knowing what has been decided, what their role is and what they need to do next.

The Business War Game continues after the session

After the experience, we prepare an After Action Report summarising the main conclusions, decisions taken, responsibilities, tasks and deadlines. Where appropriate, recording and transcription of the session allows us to reconstruct the work accurately and ensure that important ideas or commitments are not lost. The report may also include useful documentation, sources and supporting materials so that each person responsible can explore their assigned tasks in greater depth.

The service also includes a follow-up review to confirm that the Action Plan has been properly understood, responsibilities are clear and implementation has begun. Where the project requires it, this follow-up can be extended over the following weeks to review progress, identify obstacles and adjust decisions.

What types of companies and institutions is it designed for?

Strategic Business War Games are designed for companies, institutions and teams that need to analyse an important decision, an uncertain scenario or a complex problem in depth before taking action. Participants may include senior management teams and managers responsible for marketing, communications, operations, sales, human resources, customer service, innovation, strategy or any other area involved in the situation.

They can also be applied to public administrations, Island Councils, Regional Government departments, public bodies, public companies, educational institutions and public services that need to prepare for a new situation, improve coordination between different teams or analyse a problem from several perspectives.

Strategic Business War Games in the Canary Islands

Strategic Business War Games is a simulation, reflection and planning service designed for companies and institutions that need to make an important decision, anticipate a scenario, solve a problem or prepare for a complex situation before acting in the real world.

At Eureka! Marketing, we design a specific experience for each organisation. We bring together senior managers, department heads, technical staff and professionals with different perspectives on the issue being addressed and guide them, through scenario simulation, strategic facilitation, group dynamics, role-playing, real-world information, consultation with external specialists and an AI-powered Knowledge Assistant, towards an in-depth analysis of the problem and its possible solutions.

The experience takes place in a professional, comfortable and relaxed environment, specifically prepared to encourage reflection and teamwork, and may include visits, on-site observation, mystery shopping, catering and activities outside the meeting room. The objective is not simply to generate ideas: every Business War Game ends with decisions, responsibilities, deadlines and a real action plan.