Marketing Plan

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Riptide

Marketing Plan

Reedy High School ISM

Reedy High School


3003 Stonebrook Parkway
Frisco, Texas 75034

Created by: Ansh Jain

January, 2017

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Table of Contents:
I. Executive Summary

II. Target Markets

III. Unique Selling Proposition

IV. Pricing and Positioning Strategy

V. Distribution Plan

VI. Special Offers

VII. Marketing Materials

VIII. Promotions Strategy

a. 2017 Promotional Calendar

IX. Online Marketing Strategy

X. Conversion Strategy

XI. Joint Ventures and Partnerships

XII. Referral Strategy

XIII. Strategy for Increasing Transaction Prices

XIV. Retention Strategy

XV. Financial Projections

XVI. References

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I. Executive Summary
Description of Company: Nintendo is a Japanese-based company that sells
hardware in the form of video game consoles and software in the form of games
for said consoles. Nintendo aims to provide gamers with the best possible home
gaming experience in both solo and group varieties, and the company currently
competes with technology giants Sony and Microsoft to sell quality gaming
experiences. The life cycle of the Nintendo Wii has reached its end, and it is now
time to introduce Nintendos latest console, the Nintendo RiptideTM, with the intent
of merging handheld and TV-style play like the tides of two rivers.

Description of the Console: The Nintendo RiptideTM is a two-part system that is


meant to be played while connected to a TV. The first part is the actual home
console, which will feature a wave-themed design to fit the Riptide theme. This
console will connect to the TV through the new HDMI input and will include a
sensor for compatibility with Wii Remotes. In addition, the console will feature 64
GB of additional storage data for access to downloadable games available through
the Nintendo E-Shop, which will feature a redesigned model for this console
specifically. The second part of the console will be the Gamepad, which will
essentially feature a tablet-like design and fit comfortably into the players hands.
The Gamepad will have its own screen, which will be utilized by assorted games in
different ways to provide a comprehensive two-screen experience. The Gamepad
will also include a reader for Amiibo, a new line of collectable figurines that can
be implemented into gameplay depending on the game. Finally, the Nintendo
RiptideTM will be launched alongside the game Nintendoland in order to fully
display all the features of the Gamepad and the console.

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Console Launch Objectives: The console will be announced in June of 2017 at
the E3 gaming convention, and it will officially launch in November of that year. It
is expected to sell very well, especially around the Christmas season, and sales
revenue should exceed production costs by the end of the second quarter of 2018.
The company should make money from the launch of this console rather than lose
money, and new games will be announced to generate a steady stream of revenue
over the consoles life cycle before the eventual release of the Nintendo Switch in
the year 2022.

Advertising and Promotion: The console will be announced at E3, and playable
demos will be available over the summer of 2017 at select retailers. As the console
approaches its launch date, additional tactics such as advertising through TV and
YouTube as well as publicly viewable tournaments will be employed. Social media
advertising will be utilized throughout the campaign until launch.

Financing: The Nintendo RiptideTM is expected to cost around $250, though this
may vary depending on market analysis following the consoles announcement.
The total cost of advertising will be approximately $20 million dollars for a global
audience, and the expected revenue from console sales by the year 2020 is
approximately $2 billion.

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II. Target Markets
Primary Market: The primary market for sales of the Nintendo RiptideTM will be
males from approximately 12-18 years of age, also known as Generation Z. The
console will ultimately be advertised as a casual and family-friendly entertainment
system rather than one for hardcore solo gamers, and an emphasis will be placed
on having fun rather than competing. Geographically, the console is expected to
sell the most in North America and Japan, so most efforts towards selling will be
targeted towards these two areas.

Secondary Market: The secondary market for the Nintendo RiptideTM will be
families with children between the ages of 6 and 15. The RiptideTM will be
marketed as a console for true family play, and many games will feature
multiplayer with an emphasis on cooperation and light competition. Nintendoland
will be a primarily multiplayer-focused game, and the geographic focus for this
market will be towards North American and European families, as these are the
areas with the highest concentration of complete families that have enjoyed
multiplayer Nintendo games in the past.

Tertiary Submarket: While the primary focus of the marketing plan for the
Riptide will be towards gamers in their younger years, many of said gamers will
not be self-sustaining. As such, they will not be able to actually buy the console
without the aid of their parents. Due to this fact, much of Nintendos marketing
will also aim to convince parents of families in the North American, European, and
Japanese regions to purchase the console, especially around the holiday season.
This will be primarily conveyed in the Riptide promise and the emphasis on family
style gaming over the coolness that will be portrayed to younger audiences.

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III. Unique Selling Proposition
Slogan: Nintendo will be revealing a new worldwide slogan at the E3 convention
with the trailer for the Riptide. This slogan will be Theres no play like it, and it
will heavily emphasize the uniqueness of the entertainment provided by Nintendo
consoles. This uniqueness has been provided well in the past in terms of consoles
such as the Wii and the GameCube, and the new slogan will illustrate to players
that Nintendo intends to deliver on its entertainment.

Games: The primary selling point of the Riptide will be its games. Many games
will be released starting from the launch of the console to end of its life cycle.
Some games will be released in a series fashion, while some will be released as
new first party IPs. Games for third parties will likely be released digitally on the
Nintendo EShop, and most games will be heavily advertised before their release
through Nintendo Direct presentations on YouTube, press releases, demos at
gaming conventions, social media, and other promotional assets.

Super Smash Bros. Riptide- The Super Smash Bros for Nintendo Riptide will be released a
mere 4 months after the console in Spring of 2018. SSB is a
very popular series among long time Nintendo fans, having
seen installments such as SSB Melee and SSB Brawl. The SSB
Riptide addition to the series will feature a cast of characters
that outnumbers that of any other game in the series, and these
will include characters from the most recent games. Stages,
music, and other elements of the game will also include aspects
from other games, and SSBR will be announced at E3 of 2017
with the console. New characters for the game will be announced periodically on an
approximately monthly basis, primarily through Nintendo Direct presentations and surprise
YouTube reveals. The entire case of new characters will be revealed before the release of the

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game, and additional features such as downloadable characters and stages will be announced
after the release of the game in a similar fashion.

Splatoon: Splatoon will be Nintendos surprise game for the


Riptide. Splatoon, rather than being a part of a series like
most other games for the console, will be an entirely new
first party IP, and it will be a third person shooter with an
emphasis on territory coverage rather than kills. It will be
released in the summer of 2018 as the game for the one-year
anniversary of the console, and it is expected to do very well
as a summer title. It will be announced following the release
of Super Smash Bros Riptide and will be a feature at
Nintendos 2018 E3 Presentation.

Mario Series: The Mario series will see many additions in the Riptide as well. The first will be a
classic edition in the format of many Super Mario Bros games, and it will be called Super Mario
Bros Riptide. This game will be released at approximately the same
time as the console and will feature advertising plans similar to the
console itself. Towards the end of 2018, the next Mario release will be
Super Mario 3D World, a spiritual sequel to Super Mario 3D Land on
the Nintendo 3DS. Super Mario 3D World will be announced at E3 of
2018. The next addition to the Mario series for the Riptide will be
Mario Kart 8, an addition to the popular Mario Kart series that will
include advanced technology such as hover cars. It will be released in
Spring of 2019 and will be announced at the same time as SM3DW.
The next and final addition for the Mario series on the Wii U will be
Super Mario Maker, which will make use of the Gamepad to allow players to create and share
their own Mario levels. It will be announced at E3 of 2019 and will release on the 35th
anniversary of Super Mario Bros in 2020.

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Legend of Zelda Series: The Legend of Zelda will see three
major releases for the Riptide. The first will be Hyrule
Warriors, which will be announced alongside the console and
be released at the start of 2018. Hyrule Warriors is a unique
Legend of Zelda game that focuses on beating up a crowd of
enemies, which will also incorporate fighting game fans. The
other two games will be remakes of previous games, namely
the Wind Waker HD and Four Swords HD. Both games will
make use of the Gamepad to add new features, and they will be announced in the E3 conventions
of 2018 and 2019 respectively. They will release at the end of their respective years.

Pokmon Series: The Pokmon series will see only one


addition during the life cycle of the Riptide as it is primarily a
handheld-based series. This game will be Pokken
Tournament, which will not be a conventional Pokmon
game. Instead, Pokken Tournament will be a fighting game in
the style of Mortal Kombat. It will be announced at the E3 of
2020 and will be released immediately afterwards as an arcade
game in Japan. The Riptide port for the game will be available
towards the end of 2020.

Kirby Series: Like the Pokmon series, the Kirby series


will feature only one new addition, and it will not be
conventional in terms of the series. Due to the existence
of the Riptide Gamepad, the Kirby game for the Riptide
will be a sequel to the Nintendo DS Kirby and the Canvas
Curse called Kirby and the Rainbow Curse. Rainbow
Curse will prompt users to employ the Gamepad by
requiring them to draw lines to move Kirby, who will
then show up on the TV screen. This is intended to show
the extent of the Gamepads power and the improvement over the DS screens. Kirby and the
Rainbow Curse will be announced at E3 of 2020 and will be released in fall of that year.

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Fire Emblem Vanquish: The Fire Emblem Series will see a major
addition with the Riptide in the form of Fire Emblem: Vanquish. Fire
Emblem Vanquish, or FEV, will be a full Fire Emblem game that
incorporates the best features of all FE games before it. This includes
the story and graphics of console versions such as Path of Radiance
and Radiant Dawn as well as gameplay features such as support
conversations from handheld games such as Fire Emblem Fates. Fire
Emblem Vanquish will be announced at E3 of 2018 alongside the
Splatoon release, and it will be available to all players during the
Holiday Season of 2018.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Xenoblade Chronicles X will be


the surprise sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles for the Wii. XC
was incredibly popular with Japanese and European audiences,
but was never released in the US, so XCX will be perfect for
anxious US fans of the series. It will place a heavy emphasis
on gameplay, especially incorporating the Gamepad to make
the most out of an exploration experience. It will be
announced at E3 of 2018 and released one year later during the
summer of 2019.

Virtual Console: The Virtual Console will be a built-in feature of the Riptide that will allow
users to play past games from previous consoles. These games will be purchased through the
Nintendo EShop at their original prices (including inflation) and will be made available to all
Riptide users from the purchase date. However, new games and consoles will be added to the
Virtual console feature throughout the life cycle of the Riptide, and newer consoles such as the
Wii will see its games added before older consoles such as the NES.

Third Party Games: See section 11 for information on the companies that Nintendo has
partnered with to create Third Party games. TPGs will be available through the Nintendo EShop
and will be released according to the dates proposed by the creators, and any proceeds from
games purchased through the EShop will go towards both Nintendo and the game developer.

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Amiibo: Amiibo will be another incentive to buy the
Riptide. Amiibo are statuettes of assorted video game
characters that are compatible with certain games that
the character is featured in, and they can add
gameplay features that would be inaccessible to other
players. The Amiibo will be released in waves
approximately every two months, and they will be
released close to the games that they will be compatible with. The first wave of
SSBR Amiibo will be released alongside the game in March of 2018, and
subsequent Smash Brothers Amiibo will be released in the following months.
Splatoon will also see a release of Amiibo in the form of a Splatoon bundle (with
the Inkling male, Inkling female, and squid Amiibo) alongside the games release,
as well as Squid Sisters Amiibo one year after the games release. Special Mario
amiibo will be released with their respective games, and a unique 35th anniversary
golden Mario Amiibo will be released with Super Mario Maker. Other games will
also see the releases of appropriate Amiibo, including special Zelda, Fire Emblem,
Pokmon, and Kirby Amiibo. Notable exceptions to the Amiibo rule include
Xenoblade Chronicles X, Virtual Console Games, and Third Party Games.

Amiibo TAP: At E3 of 2018, Nintendo will announce the release of Amiibo TAP on the
6-month anniversary of the console. This software will be downloadable for free on the
Nintendo EShop, and it will provide samples of former games by simply tapping an
Amiibo to the consoles NFC reader. This will serve three purposes. First, for users not
familiar with the Nintendo EShop, it will show how to download and purchase software
electronically. Second, it will be yet another incentive to collect many Amiibo as the
games offered by tapping an Amiibo will be completely random. Finally, this software
will show users tastes of previous games, which should increase Virtual Console sales if
users enjoy the free demos.

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IV. Pricing and Positioning Strategy
Important Note: For the purposes of this section of the plan, all prices will be written in terms
of US dollars. The prices may vary slightly according to currency exchange rates and the value
of various currencies depending on the applicable region.

Positioning Strategy: The most emphasis in terms of the quantity of Riptide


console sets available will be in Japan and North America, as these regions are by
far the areas where consoles have been most purchased in the past. The standard
edition of the Riptide as well as the deluxe and all boxed sets will be available in
both of these regions only. In the European and Australian regions, all editions of
the console except for the Amiibo bundles will be available in order to reduce
distribution costs to those areas. Finally, in the South American and African
regions, only the standard edition of the Riptide will be available, as the expected
sales in these regions do not yield a revenue high enough to justify providing a
variety of consoles to the areas.

Pricing Strategy: The standard edition Riptide console will be worth 250 US
dollars (or the appropriate currency in other areas) around the world, including the
game Nintendoland and an assortment of controllers (see section 6). The deluxe
edition of the console, featuring more controllers and storage space, will be priced
at 350 US dollars worldwide. As stated in section 6, game bundled consoles will
cost approximately 300 US dollars and Amiibo bundled consoles will cost 280 US
dollars. All games for the console, sold in the disk format, will cost approximately
60 US dollars, and prices for EShop games may vary depending on the size of the
game and compatibility with other features of the console.

Amiibo: All Nintendo-sold Amiibo will start at a price of $15, which should yield a high
profit margin due to the low production costs. However, the price of Amiibo is expected
to become extremely variable, largely due to the fact that collectors will be looking to

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find certain Amiibo over others. As such, more common Amiibo will have prices
dramatically reduced in order to sell out all the supplied units, while rare Amiibo figures
will be priced at much higher rates to maximize the potential profit. Amiibo will be
released in waves starting in the year 2018, so prices and demand will be monitored for
each figure throughout each region in order to determine optimal prices for each figurine.
Additional Controllers: An assortment of additional accessories and
controllers will become available over the life cycle of the console. Example
of these include the Riptide pro controller, which will be priced at $25.
Previous controllers that are compatible with the Riptide, such as Wii remotes
and GameCube controllers, will not see prices changed. However, accessories
such as the GameCube controller adapter, which will be needed for GCN
controller play with the Riptide, will be released to the public, starting at $20.
Finally, a line of Wii Remotes with a Wii Motion Plus included inside will be
released alongside the Riptide console, and these will be priced at $25 as
well.

Additional Accessories: Some additional accessories to customize each Riptide console


will be available to consumers towards the middle of 2018 as well. Some of these will
include protective/decorative skins for the Gamepad, which will only cost about $10, and
a set of styluses for the Gamepad in the event a user loses the provided white stylus,
which will cost $5. Finally, special accessories such as designed Wii remotes/GCN
controllers and styluses for the console will be released alongside certain games, and
prices for these will vary depending on market demand and the popularity of the
associated game.

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V. Distribution Plan
Retailers: See section 11 for a full list of partnered retailers. The primary purpose
of retailers will be to distribute consoles and physical game copies. Nintendo does
not own its own stores, so Riptide packages and games will be transported to the
locations of prominent retailers for wide ranged consumer access. In addition,
GameStop stores especially will receive copies of Nintendo sales scripts, which
will outline what must be told to consumers who purchase a Nintendo console or
game. Once the Riptide is released, Nintendo will immediately stop production of
all ongoing games for previous consoles, just as it has done in the past.

Nintendo EShop: For many games, mainly Virtual Console and Third Party titles,
the Nintendo EShop will be the only available method of distribution. Games will
be added to the EShop via servers located at the global Nintendo HQ in Japan, and
they will be immediately accessible to consumers, much like a YouTube video.
Users will have to create an EShop account and link it with their preexisting
Nintendo Network ID in order to add funds to their account. Funds can be added
by using a credit card or by purchasing a Nintendo EShop prepaid card from select
retailers, and they can then be used to purchase games. Users will be notified that
any funds added will go directly to Nintendo, and the amount that allows them to
buy products will only be a number on a screen. However, purchases will
determine where the funds go in terms of outside game developers.

Physical Distribution: The physical distribution for games and consoles will be
the same as the system that is currently set in place, which involves air transport
for areas outside of Japan to warehouse locations and truck transport directly to
retailers every weekend. However, due to the release of a new console, select
retailers such as Best Buy and Walmart (see section 11) will receive a special

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Riptide set intended solely for display and demos. This set will include a copy of
Nintendoland that will include a three to five-minute trial of the game. Along with
the set, instructions for sales and what to put on the display board will be sent to
the retailers.

VI. Special Offers


Standard Edition Riptide: The Nintendo RiptideTM standard edition will be the
most commonly available model, featuring 64GB of storage space and a white and
blue color scheme. It will come packaged with the launch game Nintendoland, as
well as two Wii Remotes for multiple players in addition to the Gamepad, batteries
not included. Two nunchucks will be provided for connection to the Wii remotes.
Essential cables such as the power cord, HDMI cable, and sensor bar will also be
included with the console, in addition to a thorough instruction manual for setup
and use. Expected price is approximately $250 for the standard edition alone.

Deluxe Edition Riptide: The deluxe edition of the console will also be available
in limited quantities primarily in North America and Japan. The deluxe edition will
feature a slick black and blue color scheme to contrast with the standard edition,
and it will include 128GB of additional storage space, which will especially appeal
to expectant users of the Nintendo EShop. In addition to the controllers and wires
included in the standard edition, the deluxe edition will include a black Riptide Pro
Controller, which will be designed after many popular controllers such as the
former GameCube controller. It will also include two Wii Motion Plus accessories
to connect to the Wii Remotes, which will allow for enhanced play in certain
features of Nintendoland. Expected price for the deluxe edition at launch is
approximately $350.

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Game Bundled Consoles: Game bundled-consoles will be released in 5-6 month
intervals following launch date to promote new games available at the appropriate
time. The game bundles will include the standard edition of the Nintendo
RiptideTM, but the Gamepad will be redesigned in accordance with the advertised
game. For example, the Gamepad will feature a Super Smash Brothers theme when
it is launched in summer of 2018, and the game will be included in the bundle.
Expected price for each game bundle will be $300, which is a deal for the buyer
because it cuts 10 dollars from buying the console and game separately.

Amiibo Bundled Consoles: Amiibo bundled game consoles will also be available
throughout the life cycle of the console. These consoles will be the standard edition
with Nintendoland and one special amiibo that will be compatible with its
corresponding minigame in Nintendoland. Amiibos are expected to individually
cost $20, so the amiibo bundled consoles will be priced around $280 in order to
make up for the loss of revenue from game-bundled consoles.

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VII. Marketing Materials
Website: The Nintendo Website will feature an entire page dedicated to the
Riptide following the announcement date in June of 2017. The page will include
subpages such as What is the Riptide?, which will sell the concept of the
RiptideTM including why it was named as such. This page will also inform new
visitors about the primary differences regarding the Riptide when compared to the
Wii and will also link to the page for games, as many visitors will want to see
available software for the console.

What is the Riptide?: The page will include subpages such as What is the Riptide?,
which will sell the concept of the RiptideTM including why it was named as such. This
page will also inform new visitors about the primary differences regarding the Riptide
when compared to the Wii and will also link to the page for games, as many visitors will
want to see available software for the console.
Available Games: This page will be linked directly to the home page of the Riptide
portion of the official Nintendo website, and it will feature a table style format with
pictures of the front covers of all available games for the Riptide. These games will be
sorted in order of release date, with upcoming games being placed at the top and older
games being placed towards the end. A search function will also be available on the left
hand side so visitors can find the game and obtain more information by simply clicking
on the picture or title of the desired game. Information included in the Available Games
page will be title, release date, rating, summary of the plot/characters, trailers, compatible
controllers, cost, and buying options.
Features and Hardware: This page will include key information regarding the hardware
components of the Riptide. Featured at the top will be the console and gamepad. The
displayed features of the console will include the large amount of storage space, the
amazing graphics resolution, the simplicity of the design, and the Nintendo EShop, which
will be further described in the next page. The Gamepad will feature its excessive buttons
for maximum control, simplistic and elegant design, and double screen feature. Beneath

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the console and gamepad, other hardware pieces such as the Riptide pro controller and
HDMI support.
Built-In Software: This page will include information regarding programs that will
come preinstalled on all Riptide consoles. This will include the Mii Maker, as Miis are a
returning feature from the Wii, as well as the newly created Miiverse for communication
between players of different geographical areas. Another primary software featured on
this page will be the Nintendo EShop, and this page will also link to the Games page,
which will include EShop games as well. Finally, other software such as the Internet
Browser and the Netflix app will be included here, though less emphasis will be placed in
these areas because they have not been utilized as much in the past.
FAQ: This page will include some questions that people may ask about the console.
Some primary questions may include Can the Riptide play Wii games? or Can the
Riptide gamepad be used independently of the TV, as these questions are similar to
those that users have had regarding former consoles such as the Wii and GameCube. This
page will also include a section at the bottom that will allow visitors to email Nintendo
headquarters with questions regarding the console, and they will go through a filtration
system. The most prominent questions may be added to the website depending on the
number of times they are asked.
Social Media and Contact Us: Social media links and information for contacting
Nintendo Headquarters located around the world will be placed at the bottom of the
website. Social media for the Riptide will include Nintendos Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, and Instagram accounts, and these will be detailed in the online advertising
section.

Magazine: The Nintendo Magazine will continue after the announcement of the
console, and it will also be advertised at the E3 convention in order to gain more
subscribers. Subscribers to the Nintendo Life Magazine in North America and the
Coro Coro magazine in the Japanese region will gain exclusive information
regarding upcoming games and features for the Riptide, and they will receive
advanced notice of software updates and other information following the launch of
the console.

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VIII. Promotions Strategy
Social Media Advertising: Social media advertising will be a key component of
the Riptides marketing promotion. It will come primarily in the form of giveaways
and pictures that show the power of the console. For more information, please see
section 9, which outlines the online marketing strategy.

Trailers: Trailers will be the primary form of advertising for games. They will be
released in many various ways depending on available assets during the current
time period. For example, trailers for SSBR, which will be announced at E3 of
2017, will be played during the ad breaks of Nintendos E3 tournament livestream.
Most trailers will be released on YouTube after they have been displayed at their
respective outlets, such as certain conventions or social media releases. Some
trailers will also be released first on Nintendos official YouTube channel, such as
announcements for new characters in Super Smash Brothers or Nintendo Direct
Presentations. Finally, some trailers will be aired on TV in order to introduce
games, and these trailers will likely be voiced over so that even audiences not
familiar with video games will understand the product that is being offered. Aside
from announcements and social media advertising, trailers will be the only method
used to specifically market Nintendo games.

TV Advertisements: The Nintendo riptide TV advertisements will primarily be


used to market the console rather than the games. While some TV advertisements
will be voice-overed trailers for the purpose of selling games, the console itself
will feature a unique advertising style for its TV commercials. These will include
scenes of people playing the console and having a lot of fun with the new features,
especially including the Gamepad and the dual screen feature. These commercials
will also focus on displaying the new technological power of the Riptide, including

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the impressive graphics display, excessive storage space, and double screen play.
Only a couple varieties of this commercial will be released, and it will be the only
sort of TV advertising for the console itself.

TV Advertisement Outline for Tertiary Submarket: Most general TV advertisements


for will be made according the following outline. A lone child will be playing a Riptide
console in his familys video game room for the first scene. The camera will angle to
various aspects of the console, especially the Gamepad, to illustrate everything that will
be provided for buyers. Afterwards, the child will appear to be getting bored with his
play, so another child, most likely a sibling, will show up and grab a controller. This
process will be repeated until the whole family and other friends show up as well, which
will illustrate the potential for the Wii U as a family entertainment system.
TV Advertisement Outline for Primary and Secondary Markets: A few TV Ads for
the Riptide will focus on making it appear as a cool and hip console for younger
audiences. These will not be given as heavy an emphasis as the advertisements towards
the parents because parents will be the primary purchasers. However, in order to
convince the younger players that they need the console, these advertisements will show
off the consoles sleek design and awesome controllers, to a background of epic music,
likely selected from Two Steps from Hell with their permission.

Press Releases: Press releases regarding the console and games will be done on an
approximately two-month base during the period between the games
announcement and the games release. These press releases will be conducted by
the key players in the creation of the press releases subject, such as Mr. Fils Aime
and Bill Trinen for the Riptide and certain game developers for games. The focus
of each press release will be different, and they will also feature question and
answer sessions for the developers. All press releases will have certain portions
recorded and uploaded to the official Nintendo YouTube channel, so viewers will
be able to see them and will be convinced to join these releases in the future.

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Subsection A: 2017 Promotional Calendar

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IX. Online Marketing Strategy
Keyword Strategy: The Riptide page on the official Nintendo website must be
readily available to search engines such as Google or Yahoo, so a list of keywords
has been created that will link back to this page. These keywords include those
used for past consoles so that visitors may be redirected to the page where they can
purchase a new console. Possible keywords include the following: Nintendo,
Riptide, Console, E3 2017, E3, Gamepad, Controller, Dual Screen, Wii, Wiimote,
Pro Controller, NR, GameCube, Entertainment, Family Entertainment, Mario,
Zelda, Pokmon, Metroid, Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem, Child of Light, Virtual
Console, Shantae, etc.

Social Media Strategy: Nintendo will utilize various forms of social media
throughout the advertising period in order to reach the widest global market
possible before the release of the Riptide. Towards the beginning of the advertising
phase, from March 2017 to August 2017, posts on social media will intentionally
be scattered and random, primarily to add to the mystery of the NR and the Riptide
in general. Starting from August and September of 2017, posts for the Riptide will
become more ordered so that fans can expect new information on a consistent
basis.

Facebook: The official Nintendo Facebook account will start releasing posts with images
and the Nintendo logo regarding the Riptide starting in March of 2017. The posts will be
similar to posts used on other social media platform, and they will ambiguously advertise
a new product to be unveiled at the E3 convention under the production name NR.
Following the official announcement of the Riptide at the E3 convention in June, the
official Facebook page for the Riptide will be created, and this is where advertisements
regarding the Riptide will be placed. Posts will be released 2-3 times every week, and
they can feature images of games that will be released alongside the console as well as
image of the console, gamepad, and/or controllers themselves.

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Twitter: The official Nintendo Twitter page will work very similarly to the Facebook
page, releasing mysterious announcements from March until June. Following this, the
official Nintendo page will begin releasing tweets regarding the features of the console,
especially its impressive graphics display. The Twitter pages for Nintendo divisions
around the world, including Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Europe, will also
begin advertising for the Riptide, and each division will release new information once a
week to keep things fresh with fans around the world.
YouTube: The Nintendo YouTube channel will be used sparingly just as it has been in
the past. It will only release specialized content, and it will not display simple
advertisements such as those through Facebook or Twitter. Instead, the YouTube channel
for Nintendo will be used to post trailers regarding both the console and the available
games. This will begin with the mysterious announcements that will define social media
from March to June, and slight hints will be given once a month during this time period.
Following the announcement, the YouTube channel will first display E3 coverage of
game trailers and interactions between users and the console. However, the primary
feature of the Nintendo YouTube account will be the postings of Nintendo Direct
presentations, which will include a compilation of Nintendos upcoming plans for games
and other features.
o Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Direct presentations will be conducted by officials of
the company, including CEO Tatsumi Kimishima, President of North American
division Reggie Fils Aime, President of
European division Satoru Shibata, and
Product Marketing Manager Bill Trinen, as
well as famous game developers such as
Masahiro Sakurai and Shigeru Miyamoto.
These presentations will be released on a
monthly basis and will vary by region every
month from announcement to release date,
and each presenter will speak from a script in order to translate into other
languages with ease. Direct presentations will focus on varying topics from
console features to games to other software.

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Instagram: The official Nintendo Instagram will be the least used out of the online
marketing strategies due to the lower use of Instagram, but it will primarily continue in
order to display more images regarding available games for the Riptide. These images
will only be released once a week, but will focus on displaying the true power of the
graphics card of the console.
Giveaways: Giveaways will be features of Nintendos social media campaign for the
Riptide. Giveaways can include giving away free consoles, games, coupons, EShop
cards, and other merchandise. Console giveaways will be rarer due to high production
costs, and most giveaways will be for coupons and Nintendo EShop cards. Promotional
giveaways for certain games will also be conducted, and Amiibo will primarily be used
for these. Giveaways will happen on an approximately monthly basis (See the calendar
for more details), and will be slowed following the release of the console.
Twitch and YouTube Live: Twitch and YouTube Live will be Nintendos primary
method of livestreaming Riptide content to fans at home. However, live streaming
services will not primarily be used in order to advertise the console in the conventional
sense. Instead, they will mainly be employed to display content from gaming
conventions, including the Super Smash Bros Riptide Tournament that will be played
between some of the worlds best Smash players at E3 of 2017, when the console will be
announced. Other conventions will also be displayed through Twitch and YouTube Live,
and these services will be terminated when the console is released.

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X. Conversion Strategy
NR: The only conversion program that will be utilized for the Nintendo Riptide
will take place between the months of March and June of 2017. This program will
be known as the NR, and this refers to the production name of the Nintendo
Riptide before it is revealed at E3. Mysterious advertisements for the NR will leave
people wondering what exactly the company is working on, and this will allow for
conspiracy theories and speculation videos to arise, especially on YouTube. These
videos will become the Riptides best hope in swaying PlayStation and X-Box
users to acquire the Nintendo console as well, so it is imperative that the E3 reveal
be very impressive. However, the gaming industry is special in that most users are
already set in stone for which console they prefer, so the conversion strategy will
not see as much investing as the Retention and Promotion plans.

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XI. Joint Ventures and Partnerships
Retailers: Retail partnerships will include companies that have aided us in the past
with both demo and sales strategies. The primary retailer that will advertise and
market the Nintendo RiptideTM will be Best Buy, and they will demo the console
the day after the conclusion of the E3 gaming convention, where the console will
be announced. The demo will be available before, during, and after the launch of
the console to display games in addition to new features after the launch date.
However, before launch date, the demo will feature only Nintendoland so as not to
give away information about upcoming games. Other retailers that will feature
demos of the console will be GameStop, Walmart, and Target. GameStop will not
be a primary retailer of the console due to the fact that it also displays competitor
consoles, namely the PlayStation and X-Box systems.

Third Party Game Developers at Launch: Two main third-party developers will
aid the RiptideTM throughout the launching period in late 2017. These two
developers will be Ubisoft and WayForward Technologies. Ubisoft Montreal
Division has been working on a game known as Child of Light, with visuals that
will show audiences the graphics power of the Nintendo RiptideTM, which is far
superior to that of the Wii. This game will be available through the newly designed
Nintendo EShop following the release of the console, and it will cost far less than
the average Riptide game due to lower production costs and less demand.
WayForward Technologies is working on a title called Shantae: Half-Genie Hero.
This game is the fourth in a line of popular games known as the Shantae series, and
the last installment, Shantae and the Pirates Curse, did very well on the Nintendo
DS. As such, Half-Genie Hero is expected to sell very well around the launch date
of the console.

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Third Party Game Developers Following Launch: Nintendo has already
finalized deals with assorted third party game companies to release their games on
the Nintendo EShop when they are ready in the years of 2018-2021. Prominent
examples include Yacht Club games, currently working on Shovel Knight, 13AM
games, working on a family-style multiplayer game called Runbow, and Capcom,
which is working on a series of games called Monster Hunter that has been popular
with fans of other major consoles. Third party games will be featured on the
Nintendo EShop and a portion of the paid price will go directly to the game
developers. Due to the fact that third party games are used by all consoles in the
gaming industry, revenue from these games will not be relied on as much as
revenue from Nintendos own series.

XII. Referral Strategy


Referral Rewards Program: The Referral Rewards Program is a joint program
between Nintendo and GameStop that rewards customers who bring in friends to
obtain their own Riptide console. Any customer who brings in a friend to obtain
their own console is eligible for either $10 of store credit at GameStop or the same
amount on the Nintendo EShop, and GameStop receives 10% of the proceeds on
consoles sold towards friends of existing customers. This program is intended to
spread the word about the Riptide, especially among suburban families in North
American and European areas, which will in turn result in higher sales revenue
from the console.

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XIII. Strategy for Increasing Transaction Prices
Price Discounts: In the event that the Riptide does not sell up to its standards,
games for the console will see a 6-8% price decrease. This will not harm profits
from game sales as much due to the fact that production costs from the games is
very cheap, and if the net increase in revenue outweighs the loss of revenue from
console sales, the problem will be temporarily resolved before a more permanent
outcome can be explored.

Price Bump: The Riptide is expected to sell very well if the announcement of the
console at the E3 convention proceeds smoothly. However, in the event that the
console begins running a net loss for Nintendo, a couple emergency measures have
been taken. The last resort of these measures, which is also the most important, is
the price increase. Each set of the Riptide, including the standard, deluxe, and
combo editions will undergo a $25 price increase to ensure that the console no
longer yields a loss for the company. According to financial projections, this price
increase will not hinder quantity sold as much as the theoretical demand curve
predicts, and this just might yield the needed revenue to push Nintendo back into
the green.

Sales Script and New Marketing: In the event that the console does not perform
well a couple months following launch, a new sales script will be employed for
retailer employees to use when attempting to sell a Riptide console. This sales
script will move away from marketing the Riptide as the merging of console and
handheld gaming systems and will instead transition to marketing the Riptide
towards secondary audiences as a true family and party system. This may change
the type of consumer that will purchase the console on a local level, which will aid
in bringing up net revenue.

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XIV. Retention Strategy
Monthly eNewsletter: The Riptide monthly newsletter will be released alongside
the launch of the console for free. It will be available to any user who creates a
Nintendo Network ID to sign into their Riptide and is willing to sign up. It will be
distributed monthly through email and will include basic information such as
whats new in system updates. This newsletter will be far shorter than the Nintendo
Life magazine and will not feature as much information.
Customer Loyalty Program: The customer loyalty program for the Nintendo
Riptide will come in the form of the Nintendo Club, brought back to life after
inactivity since 1996. The Nintendo Club Membership will cost approximately $50
and will be available to any customer who purchases a Riptide console. Club
membership will include monthly coupons and discounts for upcoming games,
alongside benefits such as early access to electronic game demos and a points
system to track online purchases and provide more discounts. The details of the
Nintendo Club customer loyalty program will be ironed out by the newly formed
Nintendo Club department.
Riptide Promise: As stated earlier in this report, the gaming industry is unique in
that most users are already set in stone over which company they are aligned with.
As such, most Nintendo fans will remain Nintendo fans, but the largest exception
to this trend is the point at which children transition into teen and adult ages and
decide they need more mature games. Nintendo will do as it has always done to
convince these gamers to stay with the company, and that is to provide a safe and
entertaining play environment for everyone involved. This will become known as
the Riptide Promise to consumers (or something along those lines) before launch,
and Nintendo will do its absolute best to deliver in terms of entertainment so fewer
gamers switch to PlayStation and X-Box.

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XV. Financial Projections

Subsection B: Revenue Projections

Item Description Cost Units Total


Console Units
Nintendo Riptide $250.00 10,000,000 $2,500,000,000.00
Riptide Deluxe $350.00 4,000,000 $1,400,000,000.00
Game Bundles $300.00 3,000,000 $900,000,000.00
Amiibo Bundles $280.00 3,000,000 $840,000,000.00
Console Accessories and Controllers
Riptide Pro Controller $25.00 2,000,000 $50,000,000.00
Wii Remotes $15.00 500,000 $7,500,000.00
GameCube Controllers $15.00 300,000 $4,500,000.00
Riptide GCN Adapter $20.00 400,000 $8,000,000.00
Wii Remotes w/ Wii Motion Plus $25.00 400,000 $10,000,000.00
Wii Motion Plus $10.00 200,000 $2,000,000.00
Gamepad Decorative Skins $10.00 100,000 $1,000,000.00
Gamepad Stylus $5.00 50,000 $250,000.00
Games
Super Smash Brothers Riptide $60.00 8,000,000 $480,000,000.00
Splatoon $60.00 3,000,000 $180,000,000.00
Super Mario Bros Riptide $60.00 3,000,000 $180,000,000.00
Super Mario 3D World $60.00 4,000,000 $240,000,000.00
Mario Kart 8 $60.00 6,000,000 $360,000,000.00
Super Mario Maker $60.00 6,000,000 $360,000,000.00
Hyrule Warriors $60.00 4,000,000 $240,000,000.00
Wind Waker HD $60.00 1,000,000 $60,000,000.00
Four Swords HD $60.00 1,000,000 $60,000,000.00
Pokken Tournament $60.00 2,000,000 $120,000,000.00
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse $60.00 1,000,000 $60,000,000.00
Fire Emblem Vanquish $60.00 7,000,000 $420,000,000.00
Xenoblade Chronicles X $60.00 5,000,000 $300,000,000.00

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Other Physical Games $60.00 10,000,000 $600,000,000.00
Child of Light $15.00 3,000,000 $45,000,000.00
Runbow $10.00 1,000,000 $10,000,000.00
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero $10.00 2,000,000 $20,000,000.00
Other Virtual Games $15.00 10,000,000 $150,000,000.00
Virtual Console Sales $15.00 6,000,000 $90,000,000.00
Amiibo
Super Smash Brothers Amiibo $15.00 25,000,000 $375,000,000.00
Mario Series Amiibo $15.00 15,000,000 $225,000,000.00
Legend of Zelda Series Amiibo $15.00 7,000,000 $105,000,000.00
Pokmon Series Amiibo $15.00 6,000,000 $90,000,000.00
Kirby Series Amiibo $15.00 7,000,000 $105,000,000.00
Fire Emblem Series Amiibo $20.00 11,000,000 $220,000,000.00
Other Amiibo $15.00 10,000,000 $150,000,000.00
Total Revenue $10,968,250,000.00
Predicted Production Costs $8,000,000,000.00
Net Profit $2,968,250,000.00

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Subsection C: Promotions Budget

Item Description Cost Units Total


Website
Creation $1,000,000.00 1 $1,000,000.00
Maintenance $2,000,000.00 1 $2,000,000.00
Retention Strategy
Monthly eNewsletter $40,000.00 48 $1,920,000.00
Social Media Advertising (per click)
Facebook $0.75 4,000,000 $3,000,000.00
Twitter $0.75 3,000,000 $2,250,000.00
YouTube (Nintendo Direct) $2.00 1,000,000 $2,000,000.00
Instagram $0.15 1,000,000 $150,000.00
Trailers
Console Trailers $15,000.00 10 $150,000.00
Game Trailers $10,000.00 100 $1,000,000.00
Smash Brothers Reveals $5,000.00 15 $75,000.00
TV Advertisements
Family Focused (Script 1) $5,000.00 30 $150,000.00
Gamer Focused (Script 2) $3,000.00 20 $60,000.00
Press Releases
Riptide- August 2017 $500,000.00 1 $500,000.00
Smash Brothers- October 2017 $300,000.00 1 $300,000.00
Splatoon- December 2017 $200,000.00 1 $200,000.00
Other Press Releases $200,000.00 20 $4,000,000.00
Total $18,755,000.00

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