Question about ofp 2 marketing strategy

[SpecOp9 0]

You know, OFP2 marketing can rely alot...

On us

Believe it or not...

We could run around and go to IGN.com and Gamespot and post threads... "SEE WHAT YOUR MISSING!!?!? You foooools!!!"

You can leave the bigger parts up to Codemasters.

But everybody here can spread OFP easy like a peanut butter and jelly sandwitch...

[DpS 0]

I just saw the trailler for Joint Operation by Novalogic, it seems that they have been working on that game for awhile. Looks promising, might buy that game.This is a threat to operation flashpoint2. I guess its a good idea for Operation flashpoint2 to be advertise more. I seen people playing BF1942, they used to be Ofp fans too. I do not think that they know ofp 2 will come out in next 1 n half year. Eventhough OFP had many diehard loyal ofp comunity, it wouldnt be much of a help. BIS and CM supose to advertise this game a lot more, it will be a cotender for the future.

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

Step one: Fire your former Marketing Manager. This person barely knows how to do a SWOT analysis but he sure had no clue of how to create awareness of the game when it came out. He is as lucky as a hell that the game was so good that it became popular. It surely wasnt his effort!

I know, it is kind of rude to accuse someone of incompetence if you have no clue of the circumstances. It could also be that the budget for PR and advertising was relatively low and lets not forget campaigns are realy realy expensive investments. But to spare them out is more than risk-taking, it is naive optimism!

[Tamme 0]

What's SWOT?

[TheManWithManyIdeas 0]

Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Time.

Am i right?

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

kind off... it is threats!

[havocsquad 0]

SWOT, or (Strenghts, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) is for Situational Analysis.  That is used to get a understanding of what can be done.  However, to put SWOT into action you need a Marketing Strategy.

A well developed marketing strategy must address the five basic elements of marketing:  People, Place, Price, Product, and Promotion.

People

Try to develop a more effective customer database by making product registration more easier and more secure for the consumer.

Word of mouth is still a very effective method of obtaining a higher market share of the target market for OFP.  Codemasters should motivate more fans of OFP to talk about the potential benifits and potential features of the upcomming game OFP 2 to their friends and people possibly interested in games like OFP.

Develop good relationship with most gaming organizations that use OFP.

Place

Hard to say since I can't infer much about phsyical location changes or suggestions without a interview with a CM or BIS representative.

Price

That's up to CM mainly, pricing for new games typically is the same when first released.  More information about the product/costs would help.

Product

The biggest suggestion is for Codemasters to work with intermediaries and software retailers well in setting up displays in and out of store advertising its arrival in the store.  You could also do a product rack where some copies of OFP 2 would be out of the isles and is more visible when it has a display showing what OFP 2 can do.  (Ingame pictures, list of features, flexibility, other extras, etc.)

Probably a small but reasonably sized increase of funding for product appeal and advertising that is in-store.

Promotion

Increase the amount of advertising but don't go overboard with it.

Getting some good PR from some organizations that involves the game's potential and describing more about how it has benifited all by the work of BIS on OFP 2.  Something along that line.

Working out some good but reasonably affordable incentive for relucant buyers to purchase the game.

Possibily advertise more PC gaming magazines or overall gaming magazines.

This is all ideas and speculation, but this is roughly how one might approach to developing a marketing strategy.

[Architeuthis 9]

I was under the impression that people where optional. You might want to replace them with personnel and (even more importent) presentation. The discription you gave at 'people', could best be placed in promotion (the both do the same thing and 'people' is actually a subcategorie of 'promotion').

presentation: Though narrowly connected to promotion, it differs enough to be a element of the marketing mix of its own (though still less important then the original 4 P's).

I found this to be quite adaquate, atleast in Holland. You see, presentation has to do with the store flashpoint is sold in and the way the product (flashpoint) is catagorized (as a militairy sim). The marketing team preformed quite well in this area (in holland, don't know about the US). It was quite clear that this game was meant for the the more 'serious gamer'/soldier having time of (or whatever you can that in the army). As said, presentation also includes the way the store present the game (your local games dealer). In Holland this was done with a quite modest way, though it forfilled its purpuse.

Personnel: This is not really an issue with marketing a game. But this would include anyone who has something to do with the 'selling' process of ofp. This is quite hard, if not impossible, critisize since we do not have the necessary information to do so.

In all other accounts I agree with Havocsquad!

Lets see if CM can do a better job! Because remember, a good product doesn't sell  itself!

Arch.

[stgn 39]

SWOT, or (Strenghts, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) is for Situational Analysis.  That is used to get a understanding of what can be done.  However, to put SWOT into action you need a Marketing Strategy.

A well developed marketing strategy must address the five basic elements of marketing:  People, Place, Price, Product, and Promotion.

People

Try to develop a more effective customer database by making product registration more easier and more secure for the consumer.

Word of mouth is still a very effective method of obtaining a higher market share of the target market for OFP.  Codemasters should motivate more fans of OFP to talk about the potential benifits and potential features of the upcomming game OFP 2 to their friends and people possibly interested in games like OFP.

Develop good relationship with most gaming organizations that use OFP.

Place

Hard to say since I can't infer much about phsyical location changes or suggestions without a interview with a CM or BIS representative.

Price

That's up to CM mainly, pricing for new games typically is the same when first released.  More information about the product/costs would help.

Product

The biggest suggestion is for Codemasters to work with intermediaries and software retailers well in setting up displays in and out of store advertising its arrival in the store.  You could also do a product rack where some copies of OFP 2 would be out of the isles and is more visible when it has a display showing what OFP 2 can do.  (Ingame pictures, list of features, flexibility, other extras, etc.)

Probably a small but reasonably sized increase of funding for product appeal and advertising that is in-store.

Promotion

Increase the amount of advertising but don't go overboard with it.

Getting some good PR from some organizations that involves the game's potential and describing more about how it has benifited all by the work of BIS on OFP 2.  Something along that line.

Working out some good but reasonably affordable incentive for relucant buyers to purchase the game.

Possibily advertise more PC gaming magazines or overall gaming magazines.

This is all ideas and speculation, but this is roughly how one might approach to developing a marketing strategy.

SWOT on OFP

very briff

Strenghts

The the best FPS war simulating game

There is only one that I know off

Weaknesses

OFP is mostly for realisem freaks no run and gun here well you can do it but you will most likely die while duing so.

Urban war is very dificult and not that realistic.

Opportunities

Don't know if there is enything to right here

Threats

A game better(this is most unlikely in the same genre) than OFP1 gets released long time before OFP2

OFP players suddenly don't want realisem and go play CS

STGN