Marketing

[Fuzzmosis]

As a business student, we're beaten into our heads the importance of marketing. I am actually quite curious, what other people think of the marketing stratagies that we have seen from the three big consoles?

 First though, an important note: We are not the target market. We actually seek out our own information and base our values on what we experience and value. Adds for most of us are idle amusement. However, for the other consumers, that vast 95% that don't spend an hour each day reading IGN, Kotaku, Joystiq, VGCharts, 1Up, Penny-Arcade or whoever else you use as a review/preview/news site for games, marketing is essential.

 But here is the marketing strategy of the Big 3, at least originally, also, my perceptions of them:

Microsoft started with an impressive fun campaign, the Jump In campaign, the 2 I best recall (and quickly can youtube) being the banned one with the fake gun fight and the more literal jump rope campaign. However, both ads showed multiple ethnicities, ages, types having fun in a group activity, with an actual implication that the X-Box360 when you "Jump In" will be just as fun.

 Nintendo had the "Wii Would like to play" adds, showing once again, a variety of ages, and even house settings, including families and blatant stereotypes, but showed them all having fun in a group environment, and also showed game footage. Recent adds have shown games that are soon to be released, but the overall idea comes in: Wii comes, everyone has fun, no matter who they are.

Then the PS3's Play B3yond campaign.  This included such surreal sights as a freakish baby who may be Chucky's Son babbling and staring at a floating Ps3, ravens and crows, rooms splitting and some other surreal sights. The ads often highlited some technological aspect of the PS3, such as the SIXAXIS, Blue Ray Capacity, ability to play DVD's and RIP CDs. Then there was the European  "This is living" Campaign in Europe. Which involved a variety of charecters doing... well, things. A suitcase of money explodes, and that is it. Game footage is shown in some ads, and not shown in others, and no one is even seen playing the PS3, it's often just floating in a white room, and only in the "This is Living" campaign are people ever having fun... or doing anything for that matter.

 

Now, remembering that console advertising is used to sell things to consumers who are less informed that average, who do you think was the most effective in marketing their product? Marketing can always be improved, so how much do you think a new ad campaign would affect 360/Wii/Ps3 sales? 

 

Of course, this is limited to TV spots,  and I without question missed some ads that some people may presume to be important, ignoring some regions as well. I'm not perfect, just curious to see some perspectives in this.