A3 - Link to the Prezi

http://prezi.com/khjudvdyjh-a/wii-u-marketing/

A3.10 - U Try

U Try is a simple idea in which the public get to try out the console in supermarkets and game stores whilst moving around doing their shopping. As with other supermarket events, there can often be found around the larger stores small stalls with samples of products near where you can find the real thing - usually stuff like juice or fruits, but in this case the console would be set up.

An instructor would be present to help show the public - mainly younger children - how to play games like Nintendo Land, Super Mario Brothers U and Just Dance 4 whilst parents get to watch and see how the console works and can be a good present for their child.

On the sidelines though, there would also be a stand with a QR code for those with smart phones to be able to scan and find out further information about the product and prices depending on what store they are currently in.

A3.9 - Posters

Posters are a good way of reaching a wider audience outside on travels - when done successfully, they can be highly eye catching and memorable for the audience. The must include details that the audience can connect to another poster or even an advert on TV or online - this synergy is what will keep the audience aware of the product.

Simple poster:

The image above is a simple poster that would be put up in supermarkets, near schools and various other shopping facilities. It focuses on the hook for the Wii U - the U - so instead of a large dramatic image, I made the main focus this phrase "what will U play next"; using a play on words to make the hook work, but also make people aware that this is a games console.

It's definitely the weakest of the posters I've created but it would work in the situations I had described.

Bus stop poster:

This poster is my second strongest design - I tried to emphasise the extra interaction within the games of the Wii U, like ZombiU has the real time safecracking on the Wii U Pad whilst the rest of the game is continuing on the TV. I wanted to make people more aware that they are the key to the game, hence the tagline "U are the game". 

The poster takes on a Matrix-style design with the coding lines in the background and the circular neon platform for the girl to stand on making the player centre stage. The silhouette keeps the identity of this player hidden but gives the female customers the chance to imagine themselves in that position whilst the male players get the attraction of this woman's figure. 

This poster, because of the dimensions and style, would be placed in the display holders of bus stops - specifically those around busy streets and those on the routes most used by schools and colleges (that way, the children and teenagers will see this advert and what to know what it's about but also parents will see it and try to find out more.

Billboard poster:

This final design is definitely the strongest of the three - it would be placed up on billboards in cities across the UK where there would be a lot of traffic going by to see it.

I kept the synergy with the second poster by continuing with the Matrix-style design and the original poster by using the 'U', but changed it slightly to give it a different edge. The font on the second poster went with the cyber stylings that I was aiming for in that image, but this one has a bolder, stronger font - one that connects with this stronger silhouetted woman. 

Once more this character's features are hidden from the public to give the woman a chance to put themselves into this powerful role - and of course, it gives the men to try and image some eye-candy from the basic image. 

A3.8 - The Hook - U

The obvious hook to create for the Wii U is it's unique design of the gamepad - it is shaped somewhat like a U, so the logo for the console can parallel it's design and it's name.

The blue, though typically a male colour, is lighter to try and incorporate the female audience of the product.

A hook is a good thing to have for a product as it can be put just about anywhere in the world - like the Batman symbol being graffitied over the world to promote The Dark Knight Rises. People will see the U and wonder what it is then make the connection to the Wii U once the larger adverts had been released with the full logo.

The hook would be placed in a mixture of areas across the globe - varying from small villages to busy high-rises in big cities. This would be effective as it would share the logo with a variety of people - sometimes in very niche communities - before revealing it to the entire country.

A3.7 - U Create - Competition One

With gaming growing in quality and technology opening the creative pathways for a large number of people, more and more independent producers and companies are creating really innovated games for the PC.

U Create will give those creative minds the chance to showcase their talents and have the chance to have their game(s) released onto the Nintendo Wii U - Nintendo's first HD console.

For example, independent gaming company Parsec Productions, the creator of the game Slender have recently been given a grant to create a second, higher quality version of the game. But, many people since have created their own versions of the game.
They could enter this competition with a version of the game for the Wii U - using the screen on the controller to collect the notes, see an actual map of the forest, and be one of the indicators that Slender Man is nearby.

There would be prizes for first, second and third place:

1. Their game would be professionally produced and released as an official Wii U title, plus a tour around a Nintendo Studio.
2. The tour around the studio, plus gift vouchers (likely points for the Nintendo E-Shop)
3. Gift vouchers (Nintendo Points)

But, even if they don't win the contest, there will still be a lot of people who will see their talents which opens a whole world of opportunities to them which would have been difficult to obtain in regular circumstances.

A3.6 - Social Networking - Facebook and Twitter

Social networking is one of the most powerful tools that can be used to market a product such as the Wii U - most of the people that would be looking out for news on this console will be using the Internet. 12 year olds (and even younger kids) have access to sites like Facebook and Twitter - most having accounts even though the terms of service say you must be over 13 to join.

Parents too will be looking out for something as the new generation are being given what the media has now called "The Electronic Babysitter". Video games are becoming more popular than regular TV so using sites like this will push that idea further onto parents by sharing the more appropriate games they would want their children to be playing - like New Super Mario Brothers U.

Facebook:

Facebook is the most popular social networking site with well over 5 billion users logging in daily - so it would stand to reason that a page on this website will hit a lot of views. 

Recently, a promotion tool was added to posts and pages in general in which you pay a certain amount of money to reach a certain amount of people. Regulated properly, Nintendo can purchase promotion slots from this service at peak times of the day to reach the right amount of the target audience.

Twitter:

Twitter is the main source of information for a lot of people these days - especially with the younger generations. The demo that I have created above doesn't incorporate these items, but the feed would hold information about the console, game release dates and downloadable content information.

It would also respond in short terms to questions presented by users of the products or those who are interested in finding out more about what the console can do - and unlike some Twitter feeds, this one will be specifically for the Wii U.

A3.5 - The Power of Word of Mouth

The cheapest and most effective tool that any marketer can use to promote a product is word of mouth - but some of the time, it's not the company themselves making the buzz about their own product.

The Wii U is a brand new console - one that plenty of avid video gamers (mainly the ones that will keep track of anything new in the gaming industry) will be excited to learn about. And now with the Internet becoming so much larger and giving so many people new opportunities, there has been a new door opened for advertisers that costs them no money at all -  in fact, they earn more money than what they spend.

Let's Play is not a new phenomenon but in the last year it has grown to the extents that there are now YouTube channels in the top 100 most subscribed that are just people playing a video game for people's entertainment. They can average 2 million views on each of their videos each day and they are effectively promoting the product for free.

The example that I have given above is the most subscribed Let's Player on Youtube, Felix Kjellberg - a Swedish YouTuber better known by his username PewDiePie. At last count, he has over 5.5 million subscribers meaning that every single video that he posts is reaching that amount of people every single day. 

For the Wii U, this is a very good way of showing off what the console can do to a more mature audience - mainly those aged 18 to 25. The game that Felix is playing in this Walkthough is the first game to be released with the Wii U called ZombiU.

Not only does he show off the improved graphics whilst commenting on the quality of previous Nintendo products, he shows live game-play and gives his opinions through out - pretty much giving the audience a video review of the game.

It's an endorsement of sorts as so many more people are likely to watch this and hear of the Wii U and it's games through people like PewDiePie than they are watching TV. It's free niche marketing.