How will Nintendo get the message across?

[Fierce_LiNk]

I've been looking at this board over the last few months and it's been interesting to see how people have been reacting to the NX news. Talks of it being a hybrid, of it being a portable, how it may leave behind the Wii name, etc. Considering we're a board full of people who follow this stuff closely, we're still in the dark about a lot of things.

 

My question is how will Nintendo get its point or its message across to people who aren't in the know? They failed spectacularly trying to do this with the WiiU and it left a lot of consumers confused about why they needed this in the first place. So, how will they seek to do a better job here?

[killthenet]

I think Nintendo's main problem with marketing the Wii U is that they didn't know who there target audience were. They were trying to appeal more to hardcore and classic Nintendo gamers than they had with the Wii, but they also wanted to retain the expanded casual market they had captured so successfully with the Wii. In the end their marketing message didn't really click with either party and they would have been better off focusing more on one market than on trying go appeal to everybody.

 

They also failed in the amount of marketing that they did. Hardly any of the mainstream population even knew that the Wii U existed, so when you combine a confused message with a lack of market saturation then you're only going to have poor sales figures.

 

I also think Nintendo were relying too much on the success of the tablet market piquing people's interest in a tablet controller. But the tablet market peaked in the time between the Wii U's unveiling at E3 2011 and the consoles release in 2012. I think that was Nintendo's plan to capture the casual market, by appealing to the same demographics but consumer interest in tablets had taken a nosedive and because of the Wii name and poor marketing message people weren't even sure if it was a new console or an add on for the Wii.

 

With the NX, Nintendo need to have a very focused and direct marketing campaign and really know what demographics they are going to be aiming at. It's so weird to me that they had such success with the marketing for the Wii and then seemed to lose everything they learned when it came time to market the Wii U.

 

As much as software shortages were a problem, it was all symptomatic of their terrible marketing decisions so if the NX is to be a success they can't afford to repeat any of those mistakes. We can't really say any more about what they need to do to get the message out for the NX until we hear some concrete details from Nintendo themselves but there's one thing I know everyone here will agree on and that's that the Wii name has to be retired.

Edited September 4, 2016 by killthenet

[Ronnie]

They succeeded spectacularly to explain the Wii, arguably a tougher concept to get across than the Wii so I'm sure they can get their messaging back on form. It'll all depend what they see the NX as, from reports it sounds like they're going with a simple "console gaming on the go" message.

[S.C.G]

Nintendo NX...

 

Console experience on the big screen...

 

...with all the benefits of a portable system.

 

Play it your own way. : peace:

 

Nintendo... we'll supply the games, you decide how you want to play them.

 

Or something like that.

[Nolan]

I doubt they will honestly. I reckon that it'll be a similar campaign to the Wii U. They need to spend the money and just bombard the public with ads. Television, and Billboards. Hell the sides of buses even.

 

If it's radically different in some way they need to do demo stations. Travel countries and set up in venues for short times, let people see what it offers that's new and different. Let people get a whack a new Mario or the new Zelda. (Could backfire and attract more hardcore gamers, still helps word of mouth spread) if it truly is a hybrid though this could showcase the differences between on the go and chilling at home playing.

 

And get some fucking 3rd parties with new games of established franchises, not older ports. Pay for an exclusive even the way MS used to do, or timed exclusivity. Imagine if they ponied up for the next Bioware game for a year, or battlefield or a from software title. It would help. Obviously we know from the Capcom 5 on the GameCube it won't solve everything but it certainly helps. These are things they need to do and advertise early on though. With hard release dates showing minor droughts.

[nekunando]

I actually think Nintendo will get their message across this time but it may not be the message that everyone wants to hear..

[Kav]

I mentioned this in another thread, they need the celebrity adverts back like they had for Wii and DS. Something like the below maybe:

 

If they want the NX to sell they're going to have to get celebs to advertise it again. For arguments sake: Ant & Dec.

 

Dec is sat at home gaming on the TV, on NX. Ant pops in and mentions some TV show they need to go do, so Dec gets his NX together and takes it with him, carrying on gaming on the way.

 

Then vice-versa. One of them is out, playing on the NX as a handheld, they arrive home, hook it up to the TV and carry on gaming.

 

 

All it needs is something as simple as that.

[Clownferret]

After the success of pokemon I'm sure the word GO will feature heavily in their marketing. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the console was called Nintendo Go

[Ashley]

My main concern is that this fiscal year their protected advertising costs are around 15 million yen less than last year. Now they could just increase that, but seeing as at the time they announced that they'd already said the NX was coming this fiscal year. Unless it's moved into next fiscal year (and significantly enough that advertising won't start in earnest until April).

 

Now obviously i don't know how much they've spent already. They could be having a low spend on everything else but even then the 40-odd million for the year is comparatively low for a console launch.

 

By the sounds of it, the NX is a new kind of product and those can be tricky to get across. As Ronnie said, they did a good job of getting the Wii into people's hands and the relatively low RRP helped impulse buys (and the good press helped). But this isn't a new way to play, it's a new device type that's similar to a few other existing ones and that could confuse people.

 

It could be feasible for people to think 'is this a mobile? A tablet? Both?' based on the likely form factor. There could also be a chance people think it's a redesigned GamePad and as I've mentioned elsewhere if the PS4 slim comes out before it could sew mind seeds of "oh consoles are being redesigned, this must be the same".

 

Plus if they do get the message about what it is, they will then have the struggle of explaining why compared to what it is. "It's portable but I use my phone for games. It's playable at home but we have a PS4" That kind of thing. Obviously there are good answers, but whether Nintendo will be able to get these across on any budget, yet alone a limited one, is my most pressing concern.

 

Plus my aforementioned worry about when they start advertising. The start of the year is quieter, which could mean their voice is either amplified or ignored.

[Blade]

If the system is a hybrid then Nintendo will need to market it very carefully. I can see consumers being confused about the product.

 

"Is it a handheld or a home console"? Although, to us it will see simple. I can foresee the general public not quite getting it of Nintendo does not perfect its marketing.

[Glen-i]

@kav82 has it right on the money.

Those celebrity adverts, while incredibly cringe worthy to us lot, got Johnny public aware of it.

 

Get whatever random people won the latest X Factor, get them playing NX at home and on the go, show some Mario, Pokemon (Especially Pokemon, might as well milk GO for what it's worth, much as I want to shoot myself for saying that), and some celebrity Miis in games and make sure you get those adverts playing on whatever lame show ITV has showing on Saturday night.

[Serebii]

Magnets. :p

 

Seriously though, they need to just be on point. They need to have a catchy slogan that fully represents the device and get ads out there

Edited September 5, 2016 by Serebii

[Dcubed]

It's hard to say how they're gonna get the message across when we don't know what the message is yet. The challenge of getting the 3DS and Wii U across was VERY different from DS and Wii; with the latter being something you could very easily show, while the former required a more in-depth explanation and a hands-on approach.

 

If we assume that the leaks are real though, then I don't think that they're gonna focus so much on selling the hardware itself, but rather they're gonna focus on selling the ecosystem as a whole; with the focus being placed squarely on their exclusive software (playable at home or on the go). While the motion controls are seemingly a step up from the Wii Remote, it's not something you can really show easily on TV, so why bother trying if people will just think it's the same as the Wii they already own? Unless there's something else that is immediately obviously new about the controls, there's no point in trying to explain them in advertisement; they'll only be able to demonstrate them by doing worldwide public demo events.

 

So focus on selling the ecosystem/exclusive games library in their above-the-line marketing and focus on the hardware and the nitty gritty in their below-the-line efforts.

 

@kav82 has it right on the money.

Those celebrity adverts, while incredibly cringe worthy to us lot, got Johnny public aware of it.

 

Get whatever random people won the latest X Factor, get them playing NX at home and on the go, show some Mario, Pokemon (Especially Pokemon, might as well milk GO for what it's worth, much as I want to shoot myself for saying that), and some celebrity Miis in games and make sure you get those adverts playing on whatever lame show ITV has showing on Saturday night.

 

Those celeb adverts would be VERY expensive though... (Getting rid of them is half the reason why Nintendo started making profit again during this generation). Nintendo didn't start advertising the DS and Wii with them, they only started using them after the DS and Wii were already a success (they did do some 3DS ones early on, especially during Zelda's 25th anniversary, but that didn't seem to do much for them at the time). Far from being a silver bullet, it only really works once you've already got a hit on your hands.

Edited September 5, 2016 by Dcubed

[RedShell]

How will Nintendo get the message across?

 

Hopefully not like this:

 

 

[Clownferret]

They need to advertise it to the mainstream, whilst I did see lots of Wii U adverts they were mostly on kids channels.

[dazzybee]

Obviously increase the level of marketing would help. But I think a mix of Home Console gaming anywhere! Visually it's easy to do; and on top of this it needs to be - New Zelda, new Mario, new Pokemon, new animal Crossing etc etc So awesome new console, awesome new games!!

[Jimbob]

They need more marketing. Only reason i knew about the WiiU was because gaming is a hobby/interest, so knew it was about. The Wii succeeded, due to marketing. So people knew about the console.

 

The NX needs marketing to succeed. Take it back down the Wii route, especially if the rumours of it being a hybrid are going to be true.

[Rummy]

How will Nintendo get the message across?

 

Hopefully not like this:

 

 

 

I mostly came in wanting to see/post one of those There's your celebrity adverts, @kav82! I think the bread and butter ones were probably the worst.

[Kav]

Haha, yeah, there is always that danger!

 

I reckon my Ant & Dec idea above could work though.

 

You could also have Ant gaming on his NX on the go outside somewhere whilst playing against Dec who's sat at home playing on the TV on his.

 

I'd say it's rather simple of thought about for a few seconds... unlike the WiiU ads, I'm sure no thought went in to them! :p

[Ashley]

Magnets. :p

 

Seriously though, they need to just be on point. They need to have a catchy slogan that fully represents the device and get ads out there

 

"We're still not going to reveal it"

Released March 31st 2017

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

I'm generally weary and I think the delay in its reveal is also due to Nintendo being weary.

 

I don't think the hybrid message is all that attractive IMHO - The home console portion will not attract the somewhat petty, but still traditional home console gamer who values buffed specs after each generation, especially if the home console part is just about the same as a Wii U in terms of output. The word on the street/schools and so on will be "Its not even as powerful as the Xbox One, dude!" - in an era when people are talking about the Neos and Scorpios.

 

If Nintendo are truly after the mobile market, a traditional handheld, that is also likely quiet bulky compared to phone standards and without the internet freedoms of 3/4G - won't really appeal to them.

 

I think it will certainly appeal to traditional handheld gamers and the die hard Nintendo home console fans who have pretty much finished with the Wii U and just want the next Nintendo stuff regardless if its a home console or handheld experience.

 

So I think the message should be "The most powerful handheld on the planet - that connects to your TV!" (@dazzybee mentioned this) ala the N64's 'powerful' and domineering advertisement. Move away from the white, clinical and somewhat basic look of the Wii brand - and make it dark and somewhat mature - maybe even the N64 machine gun grey. Nintendo NX suits the colour scheme, the punch being in the 'X' (X-rated, XXX, BMX, DMX... X has cool and mature connotations in my opinion).

 

Basically don't blur the message with the term hybrid. Call it a super handheld off the bat, show its power and show the TV connection as a secondary feature.

[Serebii]

My main concern is that this fiscal year their protected advertising costs are around 15 million yen less than last year. Now they could just increase that, but seeing as at the time they announced that they'd already said the NX was coming this fiscal year. Unless it's moved into next fiscal year (and significantly enough that advertising won't start in earnest until April).

 

Now obviously i don't know how much they've spent already. They could be having a low spend on everything else but even then the 40-odd million for the year is comparatively low for a console launch.

 

By the sounds of it, the NX is a new kind of product and those can be tricky to get across. As Ronnie said, they did a good job of getting the Wii into people's hands and the relatively low RRP helped impulse buys (and the good press helped). But this isn't a new way to play, it's a new device type that's similar to a few other existing ones and that could confuse people.

 

It could be feasible for people to think 'is this a mobile? A tablet? Both?' based on the likely form factor. There could also be a chance people think it's a redesigned GamePad and as I've mentioned elsewhere if the PS4 slim comes out before it could sew mind seeds of "oh consoles are being redesigned, this must be the same".

 

Plus if they do get the message about what it is, they will then have the struggle of explaining why compared to what it is. "It's portable but I use my phone for games. It's playable at home but we have a PS4" That kind of thing. Obviously there are good answers, but whether Nintendo will be able to get these across on any budget, yet alone a limited one, is my most pressing concern.

 

Plus my aforementioned worry about when they start advertising. The start of the year is quieter, which could mean their voice is either amplified or ignored.

Thinking about it, the difference is that 2015 had a lot of big titles to advertise: Super Mario Maker, Splatoon, Smash DLC etc., whereas this fiscal year has nothing (not even Metroid got promotion) so it's all going to NX :p

[Ashley]

Even if it is (although it's clearly not as they have some games out this year and unsure if E3 counts as marketing) that is still significantly smaller budget for a new console than what others have spent. Not that they need to match it exactly, it is 1/4th of what was spent on the PS4 launch (if I'm doing the conversions correctly as it's morning, plus the obvious disclaimer about different conversion rates now v then).

 

All in all, it's not going to be all 40million yen is spent on the NX launch advertising, but even if it was that is quite small for a worldwide launch.

 

But I do believe that number will change anyway.

 

And did they actually advertise Smash DLC? And I'm pretty sure several sites had a FF takeover so they have spent on that. There's also been Nintendo-backed competitions with sites for FF so money would have been spent on that.

Edited September 6, 2016 by Ashley