Topic: Nintendo Teams with Vital Marketing

[Bloodworth]

Nintendo aims to increase exposure in the urban marketplace.

Gaming Industry Leader Looks to Increase Visibility Among Urban Demographic By Tapping into Vital Marketing's Youth Marketing Experience & Insight    

   NEW YORK, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Nintendo of America Inc. has selected  VITAL MARKETING (http://www.thevitalgroup.com), to be its Urban Agency of Record. In  this capacity, Vital Marketing is tasked with increasing Nintendo's market  share in the $10 billion video game industry, through marketing and branding  efforts aimed at young adult gamers in the urban marketplace. Vital  Marketing's strong track record of raising brand awareness for clients such as  the U.S. Army, NASCAR, Tommy Hilfiger, Boost Mobile and Motorola made them a  natural choice for Nintendo.    

    "With our proud history as pioneers in the gaming industry, we want  today's consumers to know that not only is Nintendo their preferred brand of  the past but also the future," said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's  executive vice president of sales and marketing.  "Vital Marketing's ability  to reach the urban consumers who have become today's trendsetters will be  crucial in positioning Nintendo as a cutting edge brand that has cultural  relevancy among today's urban inspired consumer."    

    Vital Marketing will create proprietary programs for Nintendo as well as  advise them on existing events and programs to maximize product visibility.  Vital Marketing plans to use the event space as a sounding board to create a  distinct branding experience that will bring the Nintendo brand into the lives  of the urban consumer, for further penetration of the market on a national and  local level.    

    "With our experience and presence in the urban market, we look to bring  Nintendo into the lives of the 17-24 year old gamers. Through culturally  relevant experiential marketing initiatives we will build upon Nintendo's  history as the leader in the video game industry and position them as the  premier video game company," said Joseph Anthony, Founder and CEO of the Vital  Marketing Group.    

    In addition to creating experiential marketing programs aimed at the urban  demographic, Vital Marketing will serve Nintendo on several other capacities.  They will help construct the brands urban positioning statements as well as  develop image building programs targeting various influencer groups within the  entertainment industry.

[KDR_11k]

Clippy sez: "Do you mean Viral Marketing?"

[Nephilim]

nintendawg!

[PaLaDiN]

Dammit, KDR. Beat me to it.

[Epitaph]

It sounds like nintendo is finally putting some effort in to regain the market. I mean nintendo marketting their consol is unheard of.

[Djunknown]

Now this is a step in the right direction.  Nintendo decided to go with at the very least, a competent ad agency that can appeal to everyone. This should help them shed their KiTtY skin/fur a little bit.

As much as the the cult of the Reggie think that he alone on the TV can sell and Revs, he can't be everywhere at once. Though it'd be interesting if he was featured in a commercial....

[Epitaph]

just show the video of that microsoft rep i forget hit name jumping around screaming and just about getting a heart attack. Then once thats played put on the screen your gonna buy a consol from this guy? Nintendo revolution the new generation in gaming.

[NotSoStu]

Microsoft rep that's screaming? Sounds like Ballmer. Developersdevelopersdevelopersdevelopers!

[KDR_11k]

Ballmer apparently threw chairs around in a fit where he screamed "I'm going to f#cking bury Google! I've done it before and I'm going to do it again!" not too long ago.

[Epitaph]

Ya ballmer, if nintendo poked fun at him im sure it would be great for ruining microsofts reputation. Maybe make a ballmer biography.  

[odifiend]

Howard Dean style!  America would react anyway...

[jasonditz]

When they say "Urban"... isn't that just a code-word for black?

I just hope its only a marketing thing and doesn't effect their content in any way. Not that targetting any potential marketplace is a bad thing, but marketing companies are usually so lame and superficial when they try to target a particular audience (think McDonalds and their effort a couple of years ago to develop "Street Cred" or the animated Kentucky Fried Chicken Colonel's attempts to "Get Jiggy With It"). I just really don't want to see Nintendo take their timeless cast of characters and paste in some insulting "the token black Mario clone" or something.  

[Hostile Creation]

There's a difference between working with a company established specifically to work with urban consumers (which vital marketing appears to be) and having your usual advertising division make a stupid commercial.

[Renny]

Play ohn, playaz. Fo rizzle.

Personally I'd love to see Mario in blackface dancing alongside Judy Garland's earlier efforts--à la Fred Astaire and his vacuum. They be gettin' mad street cred. But that might actually be the end of Nintendo. (Except in the Netherlands. They'd be #1!)

[RABicle]

I still don't understand why they need to aprtner with someone to do this. Is it really that hard to put up billaboards?

[KDR_11k]

It's hard to put something worthwile on these billboards. As we can easily see, it's too hard for Nintendo.

[wandering]

Quote
Personally I'd love to see Mario in blackface dancing alongside Judy Garland's earlier efforts--à la Fred Astaire and his vacuum. They be gettin' mad street cred. But that might actually be the end of Nintendo. (Except in the Netherlands. They'd be #1!)

Nintendo creating a character in blackface? Pfft. That's almost as likely as Nintendo making mascot characters that are outrageous Italian stereotypes  

[Renny]

I don't follow Pokemon (actually never played it), so that's news to me. Ahhh, spaghetti....

[ThePerm]

Quote
Originally posted by: Djunknown
Now this is a step in the right direction.  Nintendo decided to go with at the very least, a competent ad agency that can appeal to everyone. This should help them shed their KiTtY skin/fur a little bit.

As much as the the cult of the Reggie think that he alone on the TV can sell and Revs, he can't be everywhere at once. Though it'd be interesting if he was featured in a commercial....

Blasphemy the Reggie is omnipotent