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.

A3.4 - Mind Mapping Ideas

A3.3 - Case Study

To be able to further understand how to market the Nintendo Wii U, I have looked into other cases of video game/console marketing.

Recently, the Japanese company Sony spent 50 million dollars on the marketing campaign for their latest handheld console - the PSVita.
The "Never Stop Playing" campaign aimed to have adverts spreading across TV and the Internet - with the results reaching Facebook, YouTube and other social networking sites and billboards starting in North America before spreading to the various parts of the world the console was being released in.

Posters, such as the one above, were spread across North America in the run-up to the release of Sony's most anticipated console to date - using simple techniques to get passersby to look at the poster. The four symbols (the square, X, triangle and circle) are key features of all of the Play Station models so anyone familiar with those consoles will be immediately aware that they are looking at an advertisement for a Play Station product (even if they don't read the name on the console shown or the product name in the top right hand corner).

Also, showing characters from popular Play Station products (like Little Big Planet) creates more interest for those who loved the original version of the games.

And the placement of the posters was key. Putting them just anywhere wouldn't really work as effectively, so placing them in areas like a bus stop works well because you are guaranteed views - either from people walking by, people waiting for a bus and even those on the bus as it pauses to allow people to board.

The trailer above was released at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) in 2011 as a teaser for things to come - a first look at the console even when it was still in production. It started to build the hype amongst fans of the PSP and other Sony games by showing off the quality of the graphics, probable gaming titles and general features that make the PS Vita a unique console.

And that was the point of it - to show off the unique selling points of the PS Vita (such as it's pressure/touch sensitive back which helps manipulate environments in certain games).

During the initial release of the PS Vita, Sony created a specific YouTube channel dedicated to videos of trailers, teaser clips and general advertisement for the console. One of the most viewed videos on the channel was also released as a television advert - one of the above the line marketing techniques that helped to give the PS Vita further promotion.

It is an effective video too as it takes into consideration the growing trend of playing games online with other people - showing that this console yet again has a unique selling point as other handheld consoles can go online but this one takes it to the next level of having connectivity like Xbox Live through Sony's Playstation Network.

And though it is primarily for males, they try to incorporate the growing number of female gamers by giving a woman a powerful gaming role rather than the cutesy games that females are normally shown to be playing. They could have had her playing something simpler but they put her in a boxing ring against a man twice her size - increasing it's attempts to be gender equal.

Sources:

• cnet News, used 5/2/13 - http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57377041-1/sony-spending-$50-million-on-ps-vita-marketing/
• Never Stop Playing, used 5/2/13 - http://www.behance.net/gallery/PlayStation-Vita-Poster/3006323
• Bus Stop Poster, used 5/2/13 - http://www.psvitahub.com/2012/04/ps-vita-ad-ridicules-iphone-gaming.html

A3.1 - Brief Ideas

A3.2 - Creative Brief

Client:

Instagram

Context:

Instagram, which was initially released October 6^th 2010, is a worldwide, online photo-sharing social networking service that enables its users to take a picture and apply a digital filter to it before sharing it across a variety of other social networking sites – such as Facebook who bought it for $1 billion. On average, they have been submitted 300 million photos since it’s release.

On the 17^th of December 2012, Instagram updated its Terms of Service which stated that the website had the right to sell its users personal photos to third party advertisers with no compensation.

“To help us deliver interesting paid or sponsored content or promotions, you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.”

At the beginning of December 2012, Instagram averaged over 30 million users worldwide. After the news of the Terms and Condition changes, user numbers began to drop rapidly – by mid-December 2012 there were 16.5 million users and by the beginning of January 2013 they are down to 7.5 million users.

The new terms and conditions went into effect on the 19^th of January 2013, which has had a negative affect on the user confidence. Less people trust the service though Instagram have stated they will not be selling user images.

Product Profile:

A marketing campaign to rebuild the reputation of the website/application and regain the trust of its users.

Target Market:

-       Teenagers; mostly females between 14 and 19 (female users tend to upload more images, males tend to look through images)

-       Celebrity users

-       Businesses

-       Small independent businesses

Creative Requirements:

To create a clear, through-the-line campaign making use of media directly relevant to the target audience.

It must be modern, stylish and open to help rebuild the trust lost by users that still remain, but also encourage those who are not yet signed up and those who have left to use the service.

You should try to use methods that Instagram has not yet ventured into – such as television as well as web 2.0.

It must also make people aware that the sales of their personal images will not happen with the revised Terms and Conditions, and that they value the privacy of the users.

Budget:

N/A