| OVERVIEW:
The Sacred Mirror of Kofun was a Class A marketing campaign, which essentially
means that the product had excellent sales potential and a full launch of the product was
approved to drive as much demand into retail stores as possible. Over $1M was
committed to launch this product which was a collaboration of talents from Jean-Michel
Cousteau, Future Concepts/IDP or France, and Enteractive. This was the first ever
gaming product that included live-footage from Cousteau dives as a part of the plot and
adventure. A truly remarkable product in many ways, but the game play was weak by
gamers standards and that was an issue that needed to be overcome via the marketing
campaign to drive sales as quickly as possible. OBJECTIVES:
Fully integrated pre-holiday sales marketing campaign targeting initially retail
channel buyers then shifting to end-user/target customers. As in all my campaigns
the goal was to be visible in at least 3 mediums (magazines/papers, advertising, radio,
TV, etc.) simultaneously so that the product messages penetrated the mind space of our
target audience and they sensed that something different and exciting was happening that
they should be aware of and be a part of. This type of campaign invokes
word-of-mouth which ultimately is the most powerful weapon in sales of consumer products.
The following is the marketing campaign summary:
End User Advertising: Create pull-through of product
sales to consumers by placing advertisements in targeted game and Computer Magazines
Programs/Timeline:
Full Page—“Coming
Soon” teaser ad—September/October
Spreads—“Now at
your local retailer” announcement—November/December/January
1/2 Page—“at your
local retailer” follow-up—February/Spring
Publications: Computer Life, HomePC, Computer Currents, Computer
Gaming World, PC Gamer and Intelligent Gamer.
Channel
Advertising: Target software retail and gaming channel publications to
promote sell-in.
Programs/Timeline:
Full Page—“Coming
Soon” teaser ad—September
Full Page—“Now
available” announcement—October/November/December
Publications: Multimedia Merchandising, Computer Retail Week
End User and
Channel Press Relations:
1. Leverage the name of Jean-Michel Cousteau in “The Making
of...” for feature articles and exclusive cover stories.
2. Generate positive
reviews in game and computer publications through a gaming press tour scheduled June 21
through June 28 and July 8 through July 12.
Target Publications:
Computer Gaming World, PC Gamer, Intelligent Gamer, Computer Game Review, Electronic
Gaming Monthly, Fusion, Game Players, Game Pro, PC Games, Game Pen, Computer Life, HomePC,
Family PC, PC World, Windows Magazine, PC Magazine, Windows Sources, New Media Magazine,
PC Computing, and Windows Sources.
3. Promote stories to
key technology sections of business publications, newspapers and special interest
publications for inclusion in feature articles.
Target
Publications: New York Times, Associated
Press, Business Week, New York Post, Newsweek, Reuters, US News & World Report, Family
Life, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, LA Times, Boot Magazine, C/NET
On-line, Wired Magazine.
4. Utilize
Enteractive’s Website by posting:
a) all press releases
b) key quotes from articles
c) contests and events
d) links to other related
Websites including Happy Puppy and Gamespot
Channel
Promotions/*MDF Programs: (*MDF-marketing development funds)
1. Participate
in heavy and early MDF advertising to consumers through retailers. Use arresting in-store merchandising tactics to
introduce and launch THE SACRED MIRROR OF KOFUN. Budget Commitment:$425,000.
Timeline
Target Stores: Gaming and
software retailers including Babbages, Best Buy, CompUSA, Computer City, Electronics
Boutique, Egghead, Elek-Tek, Software City, and Software Etc.
2. Target
computer and game retail buyers with 3-part direct mail release announcements to support
sell-in of product.
3. Provide product demos and sampler CD-ROMs for
in-store use.
End-User and Internet Promotions:
1. CD-ROM
catalog for inclusion in:
–product boxes
–consumer giveaways
–other CD Sampler discs
2. Consumer
website “Riddle” competition
–weekly prizes
–Grand Prize winner in 1997
–links and on-line advertisement
3. Registration card return, impulse purchase
incentive.
Results:
An
extremely successful marketing launch in which 90% of the target publications carried
stories about the product all major magazines reviewed the product and all target
retailers carried the product on their shelves. Unfortunately due to product release
delays due to development problems encountered in late testing the product was not
released until late November and sales targets were not met for the year. This was
truly a text book case of an effective product launch in which all elements worked
together to create demand, unfortunately the product was not delivered on time and the
market window passed. Timing is everything when selling entertainment products.
I would like to recognize the excellent efforts of Karla Knickerbocker, who was a
key driving force in the development and execution of this program and without whom I
would never have pulled of such a great campaign.
RH
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