Nintendo plans to launch their largest campaign ever for the Nintendo Wii over the next 12 months.
According to Bloomberg, the campaign will be 80 percent targeted toward adults, a market left behind by the Gamecube. “GameCube didn’t meet our expectations,” VP of marketing George Harrison said. “There were lessons in there for us that led us to the Wii. The first lesson was that just trying to be like the others in the marketplace wasn’t the answer.”
With TV ads launching this week, Nintendo is also focused on providing hands-on experience for as many consumers as possible. The “Wii Ambassador Program” will provide outreach all over North America to introduce the new system to as many different walks of life as possible. Mall kiosks, the Nintendo Fusion Tour, magazine content and “Urban Gaming Hours” will all combine to raise awareness for the Wii.
Some of these initiatives, such as the ambassador program, were also in place in place when the Gamecube launched in 2001. The marketing budget at the time was only 20 percent smaller than this new campaign.
Published: Nov 13, 2006 04:48 pm