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My Passions

Who Needs Publishers? How Developers Can Launch Their Own Interactive Marketing Campaigns Business & Marketing Track (DRAFT – V.75) John Lee. My Passions. GAMES! GAMES! GAMES! Game developer 1st, then a business man 15 yrs in gaming, but created 1st game in 5 th grade

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My Passions

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  1. Who Needs Publishers?How Developers Can Launch Their Own Interactive Marketing CampaignsBusiness & Marketing Track(DRAFT – V.75)John Lee

  2. My Passions • GAMES! GAMES! GAMES! • Game developer 1st, then a business man • 15 yrs in gaming, but created 1st game in 5th grade • Finished 1000 games to date • Nationally ranked VG champion (Thx Sega!) • COMMUNITY BUILDING • Founded a social networking company in 1999 • Conducted research work at Columbia on social media and gaming in 2003 • G + C = B • Founded Bardo Entertainment in 2007 • Focused on combining both of my passions

  3. Topic of Discussion • Interactive Marketing – What it is / What it isn’t • Developing A Marketing Plan • Finding Your Key Influencers • Creating Specific Programs • Blogger Outreach • Media Outreach • Events • Creating Your Own Blog • The Power of a Kartel • Q&A – Saving the Best for Last

  4. What is Interactive Marketing? • Let’s clarify what it’s NOT • Interactive Marketing is NOTabout building a presence on every social network • Yes the HYPE for social networks is huge • Social networks grown 93% since 2006 • People connect with 18 friends 1-to-1, and ping +110 people each week • Are social networks a good forum for pitching your game? < 5% visit SNs for “purchase decision guidance” < 9% of tweets have “value” • Not saying you shouldn’t embrace SNs – Just don’t make it your main focus

  5. Interactive Marketing Definition • Marketing has moved from a transaction-based effort to a CONVERSATION • “Interactive marketing is the ability to address the customer, REMEMBER what the customer says and address the customer AGAIN in a way that illustrates that we remember what the customer has told us” - John Deighton at Harvard - 1996 • Interactive marketing is not = ONLINE MARKETING • Though the internet does facility interactive marketing • Easier to collect customer information, communicate at lightning speed, and adjust our message as we go along, etc.

  6. Traditional vs Interactive Marketing Interactive • LOYALTY building • Full feedback LOOP • FLUID positioning • Powerful for brand building • Emotion driven • Mostly PR Driven - $ Traditional • Awareness generation • One way messaging • Firm positioning • Powerful for 1 time launch • Hype driven • Mostly Ad Driven - $$$ Why It’s Time To Shift: Competition giving gamers more choices Recession making gamers more choosy Internet making gamers more fickle

  7. Step 1: Create Your Marketing Plan Early • Cover the 3 Pillars: Advertising, Promotion, PR, (+Business Development) • Map out • Key selling points, and your core demographics • Roadmap for asset release • Tentpole events, and specific programs • Budget • Initial programs should be designed to test the waters to fine tune campaign • Don’t wait til the last minute! • PROMOTE • ENGAGE • MEASURE • OPTIMIZE • THE DETAILS • Managing Marketing Budgets • Finding the Right Media Vehicles • Identifying High-Potential Prospects • Delivering Customized Communications • Creating Customer Relationships • Gaining Consumer Insight • Managing Communications Frequency • Measuring Sales Impact • Measuring Impact Across Multiple Media • Optimizing Communications

  8. Understanding How to Build Buzz • Establish your TENTPOLE announcements – What’s the hook? • Designed to drive interest in 1 big POP • Examples: • 1st announcement • 1st playthrough • 1st showcase on multiplayer • 1st TV ad • A crazy YouTube video stunt, etc. Buzz level GameLaunch TV Commercial COVERStory

  9. Interaction Converts Awareness Into Loyalty Buzz level • Use interactive marketing to go deeper – Build the buzz through conversation • Blogs, forums, podcasts, events • ANSWER questions • Join in the community and chat with people • Be like a celebrity doing the talk show circuit

  10. Step 2: Find Your Key Influencers • The key isn’t to just talk to everyone, to pitch to everyone, to win everyone over • It’s to FIND the KEY INFLUENCERS • They may not actually be the “high-potential prospects” • How do you find people? Case Study: 1 and 10 gamers LOVE Hudson

  11. Key Influencers = Entourage • Don’t treat your key influencers like ROCK STARS • YOU are the ROCK STAR • Treat them like a privileged ENTOURAGE • They get to get into the EXCLUSIVE CLUB because they hang with you • Go out of your way to take care of your ENTOURAGE, and they will go out of their way to take care of you • Case Study: The formation of the more hardcore fans for The Elder Scrolls

  12. Your Game Is Their Fortune

  13. Step 3: Focus on High Impact Programs

  14. Blogs Impact On Purchasing Decision Blog’s Have Major Impact on Purchasing Decision • Decide on a product: 21% • Refine choices: 19% • Support & answers: 19% • Discover products: 17% • Assure: 14% • Inspire a purchase: 13% • Execute a purchase: 7% CONTENT will always generate a greater response than an ad

  15. Blogger Outreach Strategy • Reach out to 1 new site each week • Connect with them, and get to know people on a personal level • Get to know the blog’s culture and demographics • Make it EASY for them – Create a FAQ, choice sound bites, a walk through • Most bloggers write on the side • Limited time, money, and attention! • FOLLOW and ENGAGEreaders in the comments section and the forums • Don’t do 1 big story, do lots of smaller stories • Blogs generate 1.5 page views per session • But viewer come back frequently

  16. Don’t Just Focus On the Big Blogs • Small fansites can become a powerful ally - Support the up and comers

  17. You Gotta WOW Them • Make your interaction SHINE • If you were going on a date with a supermodel, wouldn’t you at least take a shower, comb your hair, and wear nice clothes? • Shine checklist • Yourself and your pitch • Your Environment • Your Product

  18. This Is NOT WOWing Them

  19. This Is NOT WOWing Them

  20. Create the Right Environment BAKE COOKIES – 50% improvement!

  21. Interaction “SHINE” Also Applies to Online • Keep a positive attitude - don’t get caught up in flame wars • When commentary gets ugly, don’t jump in right away to defend yourself – Give your fans a chance to defend you first - POWERFUL • Don’t “sell” your product, pitch from the heart • But don’t get too casual - The focus is not your life story and issues • Develop a list of instant answers, so that you don’t share incorrect information, or reveal anything that’s still under wraps – Share this list with everyone who is communicating online. Don’t just cut and paste – shape into your own voice

  22. More Tips Working With Online Media • Meet them IN PERSON • Live demos - Make the demo fun –The enthusiasm of the person demoing the game and the entourage is what sells the game • Big sites only cover you a few times, and want the exclusive • Use smaller sites to share info constantly • Make sure they get the story right • Fact checking, fixing errors - Hit or Miss • Create a PRESS ASSET section online - Easy access to screenshots, FAQs, videos, logo • Get a MEDIA KIT. They are FREE. Tons of good industry data.

  23. Go Beyond the Virtual World • Engage people in real life! Plan events! • Have gear ready 2 go • Podcast and video equipment • Digital camera • Laptop and software • Broadcast event worldwide • Conduct after 6pm meetings

  24. The After 6pm Meeting

  25. Take Advantage of Smaller EventsDToids NARP • Get great coverage at gaming events for less than a few $K • Always looking for great games to showcase • Sponsorship opportunity: MrDestructoid@Gmail.com

  26. Event Planning Takeaways • Don’t just give away swag – Make people work for it by interacting with you • Booth Babes? Ho Hum… Bring on Board Escorts who know out to woo your customers • Work with others developers to share costs • Take advantage of smaller events- Cost effective and personal

  27. Why Go It Alone? • How many have a website/blog? • How many have traffic of + 10K a month? +100K a month? +1 mil a month? • Don’t build your online presence in a vacuum • Empower your fan base to create their own fan clubs for you • Exclusives, Club 10K, Press asset access • Write for existing gaming blogs and convert their fans to your fans • Form or join a net ring for a subject matter related to your company/game • Case Study: The formation of The Kartel

  28. The Godfada Says What’s The Kartel? Join Or form your own!

  29. A combination of different groups for common action

  30. The Kartel ConceptWork With Others To Build A Fanbase • TheKartel.com is a new gaming community portal • Designed to connect • Game Developers • Game Publishers • Impact Players • Gamers • Key Influencers • BLOG • FORUM • SOCIAL NETWORK • WEB RING • CONTEST MANAGEMENT • EVENT PROMOTION

  31. No Need to Reach Out to100’s of Social Media Sites

  32. The KartelBrings Together Gamers Into One Spot • Content is not consumed in isolation • Experienced as part of a CONNECTED CONVERSATION: 75% of web surfers read more than one blog per session • Gamers have one convenient spots to find all the info they want about different game developers • Quickly start a fan club • Instantly connect with lots of people • Then have them spread the word with their own blogs and fan clubs • Have you ever wondered why automobile companies set up shop right next door to all their competitors?

  33. The KartelThe Benefits of Joining Together • The Kartel manages all the ADMIN STUFF • Fosters a lively place where gamers contribute in a POSITIVE away • Built in rewards and loyalty program • Earn karma points for contributing to community and keeping things lively • Fans can then get exclusive goodies with those points in the SWAG VAULT for FREE

  34. Case Study:How to Tap into a Centralized Community • SEGA NERDS example • Sega fans for nearly 8 years • Nearly 3000 blog postings • Most game companies would kill for this type of loyalty! • Overall effort was “home grown” • Overall community is more active than internal efforts at Sega • But this is as big as it can get • Limitations with hobby mentality • How do you take it to the next level?

  35. Sega Nerds Takes It 2 The Next Level • SegaNerds.TheKartel.com • Single Sign In Registration • Photo Gallery • Reward and Loyalty Points to earn Sega Swag • Community Blogs • Cross Linking With Other Sites • Promotion on Main Site • Polls • Mood Status • Module based gadgets which can be easily added • Friend system • Live chat system • 24/7 hosting, security, and moderation • Prizing fulfillment • RESULTS: • +50% traffic in 3 months • +50% more time to focus on content and community building

  36. Final Notes • Reach KEY INFLUENCERS • Build your entourage • You take care of them, they will take care of you • Focus on HIGH IMPACT programs • Engage in CONVERSATION • Don’t go it alone – Form your own KARTEL or join one • COSTLY? No. Does require HEART & SOUL • Let the rich guys woo a girl with diamond rings and fancy yachts • Your strategy • Write her a hit song • Paint her a portrait • Cook her a meal

  37. THX 4 UR TIME! Q&A TIME John Master Lee JLee@BardoEntertainment.com

  38. Go Out And Build Your Army! Want to dig deeper? Feel free 2 contact me! • John Master Lee • JLEE@BardoEntertainment.com • How to quantify and measure online buzz for your game • Where to get great interactive market research data • Specific case studies for game companies and games • Additional interactive marketing strategies – Email, sweepstakes, forum management, demos If you need more help • We build communities, fan clubs, and loyal followers • We launch interactive promotional campaigns • We create interactive apps online • We build interactive apps for mobile (iPhone, Palm, Blackberry) • We manage events and promotions

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