Massive Multiplayer Online Game - Assignment Example

Massive Multiplayer Online Game Massive Multiplayer Online Game The Massive multiplayer online game is an internet game that allowsa number of players to play simultaneously. This kind of games normally has persistent world, despite the fact that they differ. The games are found on the platforms that are capable to the internet like smartphones, tablets, personal computers among others. They can allow a number of players to compete amongst themselves and therefore promotes meaningful interaction among people in the world. It has of games to play that can be divided into different genres of video games (Bauxman, Diefenbach & Hess, 2013). One of the subgenres is massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) Massive Multiplayer Online Game Typical Customer The customers are anyone who has a gadget that can access the internet and has the capacity to run the specific given form of massive multiplayer online game with much emphasis laid on the youths (those below 35 years of age). This is because the youths in America and other developed countries live digital life ready to respond to anything that came on the market digitally (Bauxman, Diefenbach & Hess, 2013). These youths won’t buy laptops or PCs, but will go for tablets or smart phones since they are cheaper and portable. Youths are more likely to own a tablet, smart phone or internet enabled device. Youths are more likely to go with a percentage of 30% to 50%. Youths are also the ones that are curious to know what is new in the market and have a tendency to follow fashion which more that often favors what is new in the market. The fact that the internet is almost everywhere this means that more than 80% of youths can access the MMOG depending with the capability of the device. Due to the technological developments almost all of these youths are able to access the gadgets that can play such a game since there have been a fall in the prices of smart- phones, tablets and other gadgets like laptops which of late come in all varieties and in varied costs thus accommodating the youths from all classes (Bauxman, Diefenbach & Hess, 2013). Most of these youths are in the bracket of not- working- class and therefore need support for the family to buy these gadgets. This makes the games common with middle and high income earning families. The customers will come from the families that are more exposed in nature, thus will allow them to have the understanding of new thing in the industry. Social youths are the most likely to adopt the technology since they interact with friends (extroverts) and therefore can get the information easily. After the adoption, the youths that are introvert kind of may end up being the most users given the fact that they spend more time indoors and therefore has the time to venture into the game. In terms of education, the customers can be in most cases, youths, teens of the age 13 to 17 years of age (primary education), the ones in college level (18 to 21 years of age) and young adults of the age 22 to 34 years with the teens making the larger market since the other youths of college age and younger adults are normally occupied with other life issues (Bauxman, Diefenbach & Hess, 2013). Massive Multiplayer Online Game Marketing In order to see that different promotion mix elements are communicated to the target market, there are a number of methods to be used and they include: 1) Advertising This is a form of communication about a massive multiplayer online game that is not personal through the mass media that is paid for. It is normally done through media or channels that are not personal. It can be through print or electronic means. Examples include use of catalogues and brochures, billboard, television, radio, use of direct mails, motion pictures, banner ads, emails, posters, displays in the stores, web pages among others (Pride & Ferrell, 2011). Once the advertisement is paid, the goods and services that are aimed to be offered come to display. 2) Personal Selling This is a process that is done through face - face/ telephone on which an individual convince a consumer to buy the massive multimedia online game. The individuals conducting this are normally known as marketers and they can be employed. The act of persuasion normally takes place through oral or verbal presentation of the massive multimedia online game (Pride & Ferrell, 2011). The marketer in the process of communication is in the place to learn the wants of the potential buyer and aims to ensure that these wants are met by selling the product or service to the buyer. Examples include sales presentation, sales, marketing, telemarketing and samples among others. 3)   Publicity This is a kind of promotion of the demand of the product through another party that is not the sponsor through issuance of commercially important news in relation to the massive multimedia online game in the published media like the newspapers or gaining favorable presentation through the television, the radio or stage (Pride & Ferrell, 2011). What makes it different from advertising is the fact that it is not paid for by the sponsor. Examples include and not limited to Newspaper and magazine articles, speeches, television and radio presentations, issue advertising, charitable contributions and seminars. Publicity can be unfavorable (image deforming) or favorable (promoting the image) since the information to be passed is in the power of the media with no amount of control on the part of the organization or firm. 4) Sales promotion This is the act of offering an incentive on the massive multimedia online game products and services over a limited time, so as to ensure that there is a positive response to part of the consumers and the intermediaries like the retailers and the wholesalers. This act improves the market demand, consumer demand and improves the availability and accessibility of the product. Examples of these acts include coupons, rebates, sweepstakes, contests, product samples, tie- ins, trade shows, self- liquidating premiums, exhibitions, trade- ins (Pride & Ferell, 2011). Social Media Strategy The social media strategy will involve development of the twitter, facebook and whatsapp accounts. The twitter account will follow the most often used massive multimedia online game products account like the FIFA accounts. Through these connections the advertisements shared will get to not only a large group of people, but the consumers to which the product or service is tailored to. The facebook page will also like the common pages that are used by the youths that like the massive multimedia online games. This can be pages of other similar products on the market. The facebook page will be linked to the twitter account so that anything that is twitted appears in the facebook account to ensure that there is no duplication of work. The whatsapp will be used, among the consumers that have either followed or like the twitter account and facebook page respectively and have given their details. This will act as a follow up method (Duening, Hisrich & Lechter, 2010). Effectiveness of Traditional and Electronic Media a) Traditional Media It is a broad category of advertisement that incorporates many forms of marketing and advertisement. The marketing strategies that it entails including print, direct mail, broadcast and telephone. Print marketing refers to the use of newspapers, newsletters, magazines and other printed materials for advertisement (Duening, Hisrich & Lechter, 2010). It is the most common thus more efficient and effective means due to its reliability. The fact that it covers the most used avenues it can be used to reach customers that don’t use the internet often or that have never known the existence of such kind of games. b) Electronic Media Marketing using the electronic media (internet in specific) is known as the e-Marketing. It is synonymous with the online marketing, internet marketing and e-Marketing. It is the process of making the massive multimedia online game popular among the consumers through the use of the internet. It encompasses all the activities that the company conducts through the worldwide web (Duening, Hisrich & Lechter, 2010). It is effective and efficient in the sense that most of the massive multimedia online game customers are youths who frequently uses the internet. It is also cheaper compared to the traditional method when implemented correctly. It is the future of marketing and given the fact that the product is an online product, it’s easier to integrate the technique as opposed to traditional media. Three Metrics of Effective Measurement According to McDonald & Mouncey (2011), the three metrics that can be used to determine the effectiveness of different media used in the integrated marketing program include and not limited to; a. Unique Visitors This is the best method of indicating the effectiveness of the marketing strategy. The criterion used here is whereby each and every visitor is counted only once during a specific period of time; the more the new visitors of the site the effective the strategic method of marketing. The number of the unique visitors will vary in relation to the company’s size and the number of massive multimedia online games products that are in the market (Duening & Lechter, 2010). b. Page Views This is done through cumulative counting of the number of specific massive multimedia online games that the visitors click over a specific time. If the page views tend to be higher than the number of the unique visitors then there is possibility that the customers are finding the game engaging and that’s why they click through multiple pages to get more of the services or information if there is (Baek & Marsh, 2014). c. Conversion Rate This is the determined through the calculation of the percentage of the site visitors who follow the instructions that are given in the advert for example “click here” or signing up for a massive multimedia online games newsletter. The average of conversion rate normally is between 2 % and 3% on average. The higher the rate the more effective the marketing strategy used thus the more customers reached to. Most companies have tried to strive to hit the 5 % average which is good enough (Duening & Lechter, 2010) The massive multimedia online games customers are majorly youths of the age below 35 years with factors like level of education, family economic status and employment playing a role in the number of youths that are prospect customers. That doesn’t mean that there are no older or younger people that can be customers. The methods of marketing for the game include advertising, personal selling, publicity and sales promotion. The social media strategy involves the use of facebook page, whatsapp and twitter accounts. The effectiveness of the marketing strategies can be determined through the use of unique visitors, page views and conversion rate techniques. References Baek, Y., Ko, R., & Marsh, T. (2014). Trends and applications of serious gaming and social media. New York, NY : Springer. Buxmann, P., Diefenbach, H., & Hess, T. (2013). The software industry: Economic principles, strategies, perspectives. Heidelberg: Springer. Youcanwin (2013). Elements of promotion mix or promotional mix. Retrieved from http://youcanwin.hubpages.com/hub/Promotion-Mix Duening, T. N., Hisrich, R. D., & Lechter, M. A. (2010). Technology entrepreneurship: Creating, capturing, and protecting value. Burlington, MA: Academic Press. Pride, W. M., & Ferrell, O. C. (2011). Marketing express. Mason, Oh: South-Western Cengage Learning. McDonald, M., & Mouncey, P. (2011). Marketing accountability: A new metrics model to measure marketing effectiveness. London: Kogan Page. Read More