Marketing Analysis Overview

Even though project Natal is still, Xbox is taking some steps in creating buzz around their
future landmark gaming product. Here are a few things I took away from Microsoft’s
marketing for Xbox Project Natal:

1. They created buzz with a video on YouTube, soon to reach 1 million viewers.
2. It is longer than a traditional advertisement, but still within the time limits to keep
viewers attracted
3. They encompass how this new Xbox feature will attract fun for the whole family
4. Microsoft’s Xbox Project Natal expands their reach on its YouTube channel, which
contains many more Project Natal videos
5. Microsoft takes the reach from Xbox Project Natal’s viral video and expands it
through the description of the video, where they point viewers to “Join the
conversation on Twitter – tell us what you think! #xboxe3.”

Many companies know the power of creating buzz of a product before it is released, resulting
in urges across the world to accumulate things people do not need. Seth Godin is a buzz
master, at one point taking over the world.

The pre-launch buzz bug has even bitten me quite a few times…Thinking ““who would want
or need that?” only to find myself on Amazon or someplace purchasing that product after so
much buzz about it. Especially buzz that has been created through social media channels such
as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and even the new Google Buzz.

Semantic analysis
The main message I take from this specific video about Xbox Project Natal is that it will be a
device that the whole family can gather around and have fun with.
Natal usually refers to a Portuguese word meaning Christmas, signifying the expected release
of Project Natal. Seeing as online jargon of internet company names today does not really
mean anything (since most of the .com domain names in the world are taken up) or until they
become verbs, Natal seems to fit in with that crowd.

Advertisement analysis
The video mainly represents a white “all-American” family in what seems to be a middle-to-
upper-class setup. Representing those slim, fit, and attractive nuclear families can have fun
playing video games.

The video is shot in a rather open and spacious family room with a home theatre system, flat-
screen TV, some artwork and other assorts stuff white people might like.

Long gone are the days of sitting around a boring Scrabble board that your children and teens
do not care about. Generation Y and those that come after are deeply engaged in technology.
The Xbox Project Natal brings technology and family to the forefront in an attempt to bring
back the traditional family “game night.”

Microsoft, being the suit wearing company that it is portrayed is, tries to be racially diverse; a
black family is shown playing some sort of game around the 3 minute mark.

Microsoft even throws in Chuck Norris reference around the 3:05 mark (“How many pushups
can Chuck Norris do?”).

Signifying practice
The YouTube Xbox Project Natal video shows a wide range of uses for its new gaming
device. From the whole family sitting around a daughter who is simulating driving a race car
to the father getting up and simulating a pit stop, from the whole family to mother-daughter
to single boy. Fun for the whole family!

It shows just about every scenario this device can bring the family closer.

Themes
 Introducing a new way to play video games: No Controllers.
 “The only experience you need is life experience” is the motto shown at the end of the
video telling us how this device is bringing the Xbox experience to your life
experiences.

 Finally, the advertisement leaves us with a glimpse of what Xbox Project Natal might
look like, leaving the viewer a desire to look for more information:
What Project Natal could mean for Gen Y Marketers
There was essentially one main section that caught my eye using an in-game social
technology around the 2:15 mark.

It features two friends (of course one is white and one is black), connecting using video
technology.

The friend on the screen asked “so did you get a dress for the party yet?” and the other says
“no.” This leads into an interesting opportunity for retailers looking to market to Generation
Y using Project Natal.

The Opportunity for Gen Y Marketers

Around the 2:30 mark, the friend on the screen goes on to show a few dresses she “found” for
her…It even allows you to show the dress might look like on you, providing an excellent
interactive and in-house shopping experience.

Surely retail brands should be salivating at the opportunities to stake a claim in this piece of
interactive retail and in-house shopping experience. The problem is, companies do not want
to go down the same path as many did in Second Life, spending countless money on online-
virtual stores with minimal returns.

However, Project Natal seems to be much more interactive and fun than Second Life ever
was and is. It could be similar to what Lenovo is doing with their Lenovo virtual showroom.

The question I ask is: What about interactive and in-house shopping experience brand stores
through Project Natal? For example, will you be able to enter an interactive mall and enter
into a virtual Lacoste store, where you could shop and try on outfits similar to what is
shown in the video?

Microsoft could sell “interactive virtual retail space,” and retail brands could buy the
“interactive virtual retail space.”

To make it “social” and more interactive, you could connect with your friends and go
shopping together.

Getting into the hearts of Generation Y.

Inside Xbox video newsletter detailing Xbox 360 news, events, products, interviews and games.
Content is streamed directly from the Xbox 360 Dashboard.

Netflix video service allowing for unlimited streaming of television shows and movies (Available in US
only, Netflix membership required).

Zune application allowing for streaming of video content instantly in 1080p HD with 5.1 surround
sound.
Sky Player offering live and on-demand television content from Sky Movies, Sky News and Sky Sports
(Available in UK and Ireland only, Sky subscription required).

Last.fm allows users to stream their favourite music and search for related artists.

Halo Waypoint multimedia hub for all Halo-related content.

Game Room offers a virtual space for a library of arcade and home console classics.