Competition For Sales Leads to Creative Campaigns

To promote its new first person shooter game “Homefront,” video game publisher THQ Inc. created one of its most interesting marketing campaigns. In San Francisco and Los Angeles, food trucks called the Pyongyang Express spent a month on the streets selling tacos, burritos and rice bowls alongside Xbox 360 consoles on which to play the game whose storyline centers on an invasion of the U.S. by Korean soldiers. Earlier this month, a “Homefront”-connected rally took place in San Francisco featuring live music and speakers denouncing human rights abuses in North Korea. Getting creative with marketing can also have a downside as the Agoura Hills-based game publisher found on March 4. To coincide with the last day of the Game Developer Conference in San Francisco, THQ released red balloons with postcards for “Homefront” attached to them. Unfortunately for the company, many of the balloons ended up in the Bay and that caused quite a stir among some city residents, according to media reports of the incidents. THQ did send out a clean-up crew to get the balloons, which were made out of biodegradable material and posed no danger to the environment. Or so the company said in a release. As for actually talking with someone involved with the marketing campaign behind “Homefront,” well, that wasn’t going to happen after the balloon incident. Suddenly there was no interest in wanting to talk to the media and Julie MacMedan in the corporate communication office admitted having a hard time getting someone to participate. Not that they really needed to. “Homefront” is on track to be one of the biggest titles released by THQ when it comes out on March 15. Investment banking firm Cowen & Co. forecasts sales up to 3 million units and that the game could become an anchor franchise. While the campaign may have been the most interesting conceived by marketers at THQ it was not unusual for the video game industry. The competition for players to pick up a game, particularly an untried new title, can be so fierce that a publisher will do whatever necessary to stand out. Video games consumers are among the most enthusiastic consumer groups and will spend a year or more tracking the development of new titles, said Brad Carraway, who heads up brand strategy at the Mile 9 Agency in Calabasas. “It’s all about getting on their radar early and often,” Carraway said. “So when the games get released they have a pent up demand and they are ready to pull the trigger and make the purchase.” The marketing muscle put behind a title can reveal if a publisher believes in the game, said David Riley, executive director of market research firm NPD Group. Yet there have also been examples of a lot of money going in the development and leaving very little left to promote with. “It amazes me,” Riley said. “I will pick up a title that is discounted and it is fantastic and I had never even heard of it. So you got to get out there.” “Homefront” was developed by Kaos Studios in New York, a division of THQ. Its general manager has already said that a sequel is already planned. The same probably isn’t true for advertising with balloons. Scientific Advisor Corporate communications consulting firm FoleyFreisleben LLC has added Bart Sokolow as an advisor to the firm on scientific and environmental matters. Joining FolFry, based in Sherman Oaks, is a continuation of work he has done throughout his career of making non-scientists understand complex science information, Sokolow said. Sokolow is also president of Environmental Advisors Inc., a firm that translates and communicates technical scientific data for use by both scientists and lay people. “With his expansive knowledge of environmental and green-energy matters, Dr. Sokolow brings invaluable scientific perspective to shape communications strategy on corporate issues-management, including remediation, as well as marketing and corporate PR for cleantech and sustainability enterprises,” said Gerald Freisleben, president of FoleyFreisleben. Sokolow has also been a professor of environmental science and engineering at UCLA and directed major research studies for the U.S. Department of Energy. KSL Hire KSL Media, with local offices in Encino, has hired Mike Oddi to fill the newly-created position of chief marketing officer. Oddi will lead KSL’s marketing, new business development, and public relations and oversee the agency’s presence at industry events and develop strategies for promotional efforts in all media. Prior to joining KSL, Oddi was an executive vice president of strategic marketing services at Integrated Media Solutions. Oddi will work out of the Encino office. Social Media Scott Public Relations in Canoga Park released a white paper on how and why companies should take advantage of social media. “Are You a Wallflower at the B2B Social Media Party?” details the advantages of business-to-business companies using social media outlets such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. The report was authored by Joy Scott, a 30-year veteran in public relations. Businesses can use social media to monitor what people are saying about their product or service, to distribute press releases, build search engine visibility, and to engage with customers. Standing in the way of many businesses is a reluctance to use social media by top management because they do not use it themselves, Scott wrote. “They tend to believe that their customers and markets aren’t using it either,” Scott wrote. “To convince them, conduct a social media audit to see where your customers and competitors are present and interacting.” Management can also be convinced to start using social media if they see their competitors are already doing so, Scott advised. Staff Reporter Mark Madler can be reached at (818) 316-3126 or by e-mail at [email protected]