Blizzard's rush of starcraft promotions
How does a highly regarded video game developer advertise and promote one of their highly anticipated games? They almost do not have to. Name recognition has promotional power that is unmatched by any another genre. Yet Blizzard had to do something. First, they developed a very effective website, http://www.starcraft2.com/ . This website gives a wealth of information that keeps people up to date on the basics of the game. An interesting option they give is a fansite kit, allowing others to make fansites and further promote the game. Blizzard is also using "Blizzcasts" which are downloadable interviews with the game developers. An interesting tie-in is that these interviews contain information for both Starcraft2 and Blizzard's hugely successful game, World of Warcraft. This allows Blizzard to essentially put detailed information about Sc2 in the hands of those who already play Blizzard's games, and are thus likely to buy another. Lastly, Blizzard has given information about their game to multiple popular video game magazines, such as game informer http://www.gameinformer.com/default.htm . This extends their influence to those who are interested in the latest news in gaming.
Though Blizzard is a very successful company, their strategies can work for anyone. For example, it would not make sense to advertise our CD in a construction magazine. Advertising in a music-based magazine would reach our target audience over a wide area. Thus, Blizzard is going after its market with many different tactics, and I believe it is quite successful.
Yeah I agree that they do not have to do much. They basically needed to tell one person that Starcraft 2 was coming out, and that would be it. I don't know how many people are keeping me up to date on the game. I do want to add that they have another advertising tie-in with their older games. I still play Warcraft III online for the custom maps. The main lobby area has a large banner at the top where they display game advertisements. I heard that you can buy some of that space for a large deal of money, but most of the ads I see there are for World of Warcraft and Starcraft 2 (either video game or merchandise). The banner is able to be clicked and takes you to their website. These banners rotate around every minute or so. It's a great way to keep more of their fans up to date.
Submitted by lcsnare on Mon, 03/03/2008 - 02:29.Blizzard's choice of medium and audience analysis is, as always, spot on. I've spent many hours this month alone drooling over their SC2 website, compulisively looking through the new units and rewatching the trailer, over and over again. Like we discussed in class last week, fan site kits are also a great source of cheap, effective advertisement. Fans who are good web developers are motivated to create great fan sites because they have a chance of getting noticed by Blizzard, Blizzard in turn gets hundreds, if not thousands of dollars of ads with every new website.
Also, you bring up a good point that there are cross-product line ads in Blizzard's sites, such as WoW with Starcraft with WC3. It's scary how appealing and addictive they can make their products.
Submitted by Pan2 on Mon, 03/03/2008 - 10:17.I agree that Blizzard can practically let a name sell their product itself. However I also believe that they realize if they were to leave it at that, they'd be ignoring some untapped markets, as well as some of their most hardcore and concerned demographics.
The Starcraft 2 and Wrath of the Lich King sites are immensely detailed, comprehensive web sites--such to the extent that I commonly attest to them as some of the most detail-oriented sites on the internet. I feel this is mostly due to their experience over the past few years. Before it was simply marketing a great product for an audience interested in that specific genre. Now they seem to realize that they're catering not just to fans who like real-time space strategy, but a vast diversity of gamer niches, such as pro gamers, and "lore enthusiasts." I do think that they have strategies that work for almost anyone as it is, but I definitely think those strategies are well thought out and considering a vast number of audiences. Hence, the many different art/background/technical information sections, and an overload of multimedia eye candy.
Submitted by bfawaz on Mon, 03/03/2008 - 10:22.Blizzard is one of the best sites that I know when it comes to advertisement. All of their products are so detailed, not just graphically but with information too. Blizzard wants to give lots of information to the customer to let them know what’s going on with the development of their games. This then keeps the customer interested in the game throughout its entire development and makes them anticipate it even more when it finally comes out.
Blizzard has made such a large name for itself and its games that it doesn’t even need to advertise that much. They did their initial announcement with StarCraft2 and then they just keep updating their website, yet there are thousands of people online and around the world that know about the game and are telling others.
Submitted by aculp on Mon, 03/03/2008 - 12:34.I guess the targeted audience are the people who already played some of their pervious games.
Submitted by aalbert on Mon, 03/03/2008 - 13:49.SInce this game is so popular among computer gamers, so they do not have to make the ad to have a huge promotional power. However, I think it is crucuial to make the as qualitative as poossible. I think if it does not, it might hurt the marketing of the game itself when the game is released.
My point is, like another big companys' ad that we have seen before, I think it is hard to make the ad 'good' enough so that it can further promote the product. There is a risk to take here.