Network now...NEWS
Xbox Advertising Gets The X Factor
Microsoft will take over an entire TV commercial break for the first time next month as part of its biggest Xbox 360 advertising blitz.
The platform holder will run a series of ads for Xbox 360 games and services during a single X Factor commercial break. It will use the slot to promote the recently launched – and pulled – Sky Player on Xbox 360, as well as music titles Lips Number Ones and DJ Hero,” reports Marketing Week.
“We believe that the X Factor provides us with the perfect opportunity to communicate directly with our target audience and is the ideal time to educate them about the new games and services on the Xbox console,” said Stephen McGill, UK Xbox marketing director.
“By taking up the entire ad break, we can really help to capture the imagination of both potential and existing Xbox users.”
Contact Us / About Us / Advertise With Us / BeltwayBlips / TechBlips / MassiveBlips / GamerBlips / FAQ
Subscribe To Edge Magazine / Corrections / Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy
Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court 30 Monmouth Street Bath, UK BA1 2BW
England and Wales company registration number 2008885
Subscribe To Edge Magazine / Corrections / Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy
Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court 30 Monmouth Street Bath, UK BA1 2BW
England and Wales company registration number 2008885
“We believe that the X Factor provides us with the perfect opportunity to communicate directly with our target audience...."
I hear that John & Edward got the highest public votes last week - makes me glad then I belong to the PS fraternity! ; )
Clearly now the price war is over between the PS3 and 360 (and both companies have suffered profitability wise); the attention will switch to who can better advertise and differentiate their systems. This of course should have been the theory at the start; but a aggressive Microsoft merely was making a me-too product and trying to take as much market share from an existing market (itself arguably in decline).
I also believe this is in response to the PS3 advertising blitz we have seen; Sony have really improved in this regard. Either way; it will be a fascinating battle to see who comes out on top in the next 6 months. My money is on the PS3 by a long margin - some 3 million world-wide. In the UK it will be very close between the 360 and PS3; because price is still an issue and the marketing of the 360 and user-base entrenchment is still strong (basically I am talking about the 'chavs'.)
I don't like the label 'chav', but I do understand the audience you are describing - I think I would have called it 'casual gamer' until the Wii + DS redefined that category (I think post-pub gamers has been another description).
Either way, I think it's worth remembering that it was this demographic that Sony originally wooed with the PS1 and PS2. However I don't think they are very brand loyal - and back at the end of 2006 I concluded that the Xbox 360 was going to be a major player in this generation based on the size of the pre-owned stands in Game (and the number of ignorant half-cut gits swaying around the shelves at 3 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon).
Hmm, after a good opening, I seem to have written a very elitist reply - but this is not a criticism of the 360, and I think fairplay to Microsoft for managing to take a significant portion of this market from Sony (and let's not forget that pre-Wii, the post pub audience was the grand-prize in successful market penetration).
Agreed 'chav' is a rather harsh word - let us just say the 360 is strong amongst that crowd. I sometimes wonder if it was Microsoft who took this market or merely that Sony just were out of the price range of this market. For Microsoft there is no doubt they wanted the market of the PS2 and too much extent they have now got that in the UK and US. However the PS3 is still doing well in the US and UK and taking out the year head-start things are pretty close overall. But Microsoft did get first to market, were cheaper and did offer for a period a better variety of games and their marketing was (and I think still is) better. It made the difference in the UK and US. Now the next 6 months will be interesting. The second place (in terms of market share) will be one heck of a close race come September 2010.
If they release a limited edition Xbox with the big red X-factor X on it, THEN I'll take notice!
Ha ha. You should get a job at MS PR.