This article discusses a buyout undertaken in order to acquire a brand and also illustrates how the pandemic can impact an industry.

Introduction to the article (perhaps by having everyone read it)

Survey students to see how many own a Rubik’s Cube and how many are able to solve it.

Subject Area(s) covered

Marketing, retail, mergers and acquisitions, gaming entrepreneurship

Key things students can learn from this lesson

Students will learn about marketing strategies that support the life cycle of a product.

Action (here’s how we’ll do it)

• Review the life cycle of a product with the class.
• In pairs, online or in class, ask students to plot 10 products on the life cycle and write down two reasons why they have plotted that product in that place.
• Combine pairs and have them share.
• As a class, plot Rubik’s Cube, Etch-A-Sketch and jigsaw puzzles on the life cycle.
• Discuss why each is plotted where it is.
• Distribute the article for reading.

Consolidation of learning

• The article suggests that 50 years from now, Rubik’s Cube will still be going strong. What marketing strategies will support this in the short term? Medium term? Long term?

Success Criteria

• Students are able to identify how marketing can sustain a brand.

Confirming Activities

• Spin Master mentions that Rubik’s Cube has only dabbed its toe into the gaming world. In small groups have students brainstorm ways the Cube can be transformed to be on a gaming console.  What elements would excite gamers?

Activities to do together

• Try to solve the Rubik’s Cube. Erno Rubik developed the Cube to teach his students about three-dimensional movement. Look for other examples of three-dimensional movements to learn how to solve the Cube. There are physical activities, puzzles and art works that have three-dimensional movement.