4. Take A Nod From Hollywood
Build excitement well before the game or
feature goes live.
5. Generate Hype!
Itis imperative that you
start generating hype as
soon as there is
something—anything—
worth showing to the
public.
6. But Not Too Soon!
The last thing you want
to do is to start posting
early, unpolished
screenshots of your
game all over the web,
especially if you're still in
the programmer art
phase of development.
12. Channels
How will you find customers?
How will you promote the product’s value to the
customer?
How will you deliver the product’s value to the
customer?
13. Customer Relations
What is the cost to
attract customers?
What is the cost to
convert customers?
What is the cost to
retain customers?
14. Revenue Stream (Monetizing)
What is the price of the
product?
Why is the customer
paying for the product?
How is the customer
paying for the product?
How many paying
customers are there?
21. Marketing Calendar
A tool showing what
marketing events,
media campaigns and
merchandising efforts
are happening when,
where and how.
22. Sample Marketing Calendar
Timing What Tactics/Vehicles
L-9 months Announcement Press Release (and PR through your
website/blog/social media if you’ve
previously built a sizeable audience).
Including assets like
screenshots/videos/key are can
make an even stronger
announcement.
L-6 months New assets reveal:
concept art,
screenshots, video
PR article placements and/or
through your website/blog/social
media
L-5 months Playable code at
industry/consumer event
Event
Possibly supplement with PR
23. Sample Marketing Calendar
Timing What Tactics/Vehicles
L-4 months First look teaser video
and announce release
timing
PR article placements and/or
through your website/blog/social
media
L-3 months New assets reveal:
concept art,
screenshots, video
PR article placements and/or
through your website/blog/social
media
L-2 months Project update Blog post on your website and/or
prompt for reviews to post at launch
time
L-1 month Playable code to press
outlets
PR prompt for preview coverage,
interviews
24. Sample Marketing Calendar
Timing What Tactics/Vehicles
L-3 weeks Post new gameplay
video
PR article placements and/or
through your website/blog/social
media
L-2 weeks Distribute final review
versions of game to
press
PR prompt for reviews to post at
launch time
Launch week Release launch trailer PR article placements and/or
through your website/blog/social
media
25. Sample Marketing Calendar
Launch plan specifics should
vary from game to game!
This sample plan is just an
illustration of:
Building out a content plan
and timeline leading up to
your launch
Using different kinds of
vehicles at each stage
leading up to release
26. Marketing Calendar Tips
Stay flexible
It is better to
recalibrate your
schedule than stick
to an announced
date
28. Marketing Sins
1. Missing Unique Selling Proposition
2. A Vague Definition of the Target Group
3. No Category Research
4. Missing the F2P and Premium Difference
5. Launching on Many Platforms
6. Not Having a Marketing Budget
7. Forgetting the Cash Flow
8. Rejecting Mobile Ads
9. Over-Estimating the Power of the Press
10. Skilling the Soft Launch
11. Not Building on Foundations
32. Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
A development technique in which a new
product or website is developed with sufficient
features to satisfy early adopters. The final,
complete set of features is only designed and
developed after considering feedback from
the product's initial users.
38. Awards Promotion
Submit your game for
awards programs and
competitions.
Consider a price promotion
when the finalists are
announced.
39. Merchandise Extension
Tie-in Merchandise can work
well for some games and
series:
Those that attract a following
Those that have characters
that lend themselves to
merchandise
Those that generate catchy
phrases
41. Library / Catalog
Your marketing plans can include
initiatives for your first game
promoting your second.
Reduce the price of your first
game at the second’s
announcement
As your studio grows, create
pricing tiers across your entire
catalog
Create bundles, with discounts
for players who buy multiple
games in your library
43. Away Mission
Pick a video game product from today’s
Game Fair.
Propose three different kinds of post-release
promotions or extensions for the game to
boost sales.
Notes de l'éditeur
They time their advertising, PR, app store featuring, and social media to hit on the same day so they’re more likely to convert these to downloads.
Begin marketing at least 3-6 months before launch
After your first demo, about 25-30% of your time should be spent on marketing
Marketing continues throughout product life
Begin your marketing campaign the moment you have something that illustrates the fundamental mechanics and look of your game.
Whether it's one finished level, a mocked up (quality) screenshot or a small demo that displays a nuance of your game, it is imperative that you start generating hype as soon as there is something—anything—worth showing to the public.
From that point forward you should be promoting the progress of your game on a semi-regular basis.
Google isn't too keen on removing such images, and they will haunt you for the life-cycle of your development.
Business models and Marketing should not be an afterthought; they should be planned in from the very beginning of a project. You are making a game, but it needs to be commercially viable, so a solid business plan is as important as the games’ quality.
While a significant amount of your game sales will cluster around launch time, you can plot out programs for generating revenues afterwards as well.
Submit your game for awards programs and competitions. You can get additional visibility and a sales bump if you are listed as a nominee or finalist.
Consider a price promotion when the finalists are announced to build on the awareness boost and drive incremental sales for those who want to check out an acclaimed game.
When merchandising programs fit your game, you can both build the strength of your franchise and gain incremental revenues.
You can begin development, communications, and ongoing audience growth for a multi-game series shortly after releasing the first game, when awareness is relatively high.