Nintendo of America announced today that they will spend $140 million in marketing for the Holiday 2002 season; 25% more than the previous year.Nintendo of America is gearing up for a competitive Holiday 2002 by upping its marketing budget by 25% to $140 million. You should expect to see plenty of GameCube ads this fall, even more than during last year's console launch.
Much of this budget will go towards marketing aimed at an older audience (teens and 20 somethings), with Metroid Prime and Resident Evil Zero being the centers of attention. Previously announced marketing efforts like the Cube Clubs, Metroid movie commercials, and promo DVDs will be supported with increased TV, radio, and internet advertising as well as promotional partnerships with companies like Heineken, Keebler and Kraft. All in all, it looks like Nintendo is about to finally step up its GameCube marketing. Below is the full press release.
October 2002 (Newstream) -- In support of its strongest lineup ever of video games designed for older players, Nintendo of America announces it will spend $140 million in marketing during the holiday season, a 25-percent hike over last year. Much of the funds will target teen and 20-something players.
The marketing focus mirrors several noteworthy and highly anticipated game releases over the remaining weeks of 2002. Both the teen-rated Metroid® Prime and the mature-rated Resident Evil Zero arrive this fall exclusively for Nintendo GameCubeTM. They are among 80 new game launches supporting the platform before year-end.
"As our game library grows to 180 by New Year's Eve, Nintendo will have the largest concentration ever of games designed for players in their teens, and older," says Peter MacDougall, executive vice president, sales and marketing, Nintendo of America. "By significantly boosting our fourth quarter spending over last year, when we launched the Nintendo GameCube, it's clear Nintendo is serious about the serious gamer."
Targeted marketing programs for the remainder of 2002 include:
-Exclusive Nintendo Cube Clubs in urban storefronts in 15 cities, featuring live music and extensive hands-on game play
-A celebrity-studded anniversary party for Nintendo GameCube in Hollywood
-Intensified advertising campaigns aimed at teens and young adults highlighting a wide range of older-appeal titles from Nintendo and independent third-party publishers
-More than 3 million promotional DVDs with 80-plus minutes of game footage representing more than 25 new games
-Cinema advertising in Nov. and Dec. on more than 6000 screens nationwide
-Sponsorship of the USSA Snowboarding Grand Prix, running from December through April
-Promotional partnerships with Heineken, Keebler and Kraft Easy Mac & Cheese
-Multi-market radio promotions
-Intensified internet and print advertising 1.5 million copies of a new 80-page, full color consumer booklet at thousands of retail outlets in November
-Numerous out-of-home programs - in schools, malls, college campuses, airports, bars and nightclubs - reaching teens and young adults where they hang out
While expanding its message to the older player, Nintendo remains unparalleled in attracting gamers of all ages. In August, the latest iteration in the Mario series, Super Mario® Sunshine for Nintendo GameCube, moved to #2 on the sales charts, despite being available only the last six days of the month. Recent releases Star Fox® Adventures and Animal CrossingTM also are selling very well.
In total, 60 percent of Nintendo's global marketing budget is spent in the last four months of the year. As an industry, the retail value of video games in America is on track to surpass $10 billion for the first time in 2002.
As the worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co. Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home video game systems. The systems include Game Boy®, Nintendo® 64, Game Boy Advance and NINTENDO GAMECUBE. Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.6 billion video games worldwide, creating enduring industry icons such as MarioTM and Donkey Kong® and launching such franchises as ZeldaTM and Pokémon®. As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere.
For more information about NINTENDO GAMECUBE or any other Nintendo product visit the company's Web sites, www.nintendo.com or www.nintendogamecube.com.
Topic: Nintendo Ups the Marketing Ante 25% (Read 2485 times)
