Current Events News

E3, the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, started this Monday in sunny Los Angeles. Even if you aren’t big into knowing the latest and greatest in the gaming industry, perhaps you’ve heard about the biggest rivalry going into the event: both Microsoft and Sony were there to show off their new consoles. While the actual products themselves have been amazing to get glimpses of, another thing on display this year is the level of competitive marketing the vendors have brought t his year. So what can you gain from examining this anti-wallflower mentality? Read on!

Creative Commons Licensephoto credit: Ariel ZambelichAs I mentioned above, all eyes have been on Microsoft and Sony and their respective new consoles. Microsoft revealed their Xbox One before E3, and it may have proven a dire mistake. Sony waited until E3 and was able to highlight their system by flaunting in a not so subtle manner the main differences between it and the Xbox One. For example, after the uproar that followed the announcement that the Xbox One would have costly requirements for playing used games, Playstation released this playful jab of a video demonstrating just how easy sharing used games on their console is. Waiting to unveil the Playstation 4, a move that was once criticized, gave  the marketing team the time to develop content that would be timely, relevant to the release, and successful in making in their console look like the superior choice.

Xbox One sounding a little too pricy? Well the Playstation 4 will be $100 less. If you think the Xbox One looks like an ugly VCR,  Sony will be quick to mention the slightly asymmetrical looks of the Playstation 4. For every complaint that has been lodged at the Xbox One, Sony has not so quietly offered a viable alternative. So far, it’s been tastefully funny mockery that has been fun to enjoy as a consumer. Sony has shown that it’s okay to be a fierce competitor, point out flaws, and offer your solutions without slipping into a mess of ugly marketing tactics. And it seems the gamble paid off, Fast Company mentioned that Sony seems to be “winning the event” at this point.

The mentaility at these expos seems to entail forgetting that the competition exists, never mentioned unless the word “exclusive” comes up. Sony has broken through these barriers by throwing convention to the wind. They played coy by waiting to show the world what the console would actually look like; teaching us that shouting “FIRST!” doesn’t necessarily mean your product will win the title of best. We now see that we can poke fun at a competitor without being rude. They’ve stayed on top of the news and the world’s reaction to the new consoles, releasing new content and details about the Playstation 4 to keep themselves in the spotlight as the expo has carried on. It’s a model that is easily applied to every day marketing where occasionally old rules can stifle new creativity; break free of your competitor’s or industry’s  mold

Now in case you’re thinking that Xbox and Playstation only reached these levels of competitive marketing is because Sony and Microsoft are willing to spend thousands in marketing, let me mention the Ouya console. Ouya is the little gaming console that could, and it raised $8.6 million in funding last summer. Not wanting to spend all that hard earned money of the staggeringly high fees of presenting at E3 and with the idea of attending “on its own terms“, they came up with a clever alternative. Ouya rented, will the necessary permits and permissions, parking spaces oppsite the Expo and invited people over to come check out the new console. The company behind E3 retaliated by renting parking spaces in the same lot and blocking Ouya’s stand with trucks. Ouya responded by simply renting more spots in front of the trucks and setting up banners. And that’s when the police were called. However since Ouya had obtained all the right permits, there was nothing amiss going on legally and Ouya still has their stand. The story has made cemented Ouya’s image as the scrapping-indie company to watch for, and given it a firm place amongst the console news coming from E3. The lesson here? Even if you’re considered the broke underdog use everything in your power to create an impression. It may require some extremely creative thinking but as we were all taught in school, “if there’s a will, there’s a way.”

What do you think of the friendly (and in Ouya’s case not so friendly) competition that surrounds product unveilings? Would you prefer to be the one who unveils first or sits back and waits?

Have you ever been suprised by a company’s promotional product offerings? I found myself pleasantly shocked yesterday when I saw the Public Radio Tattoos offered by the This American Life online store. When you think of National Public Radio and it’s offerings, I rarely think of tattoos but instead except something like the fundraiser-drives that offer CDs and tote bags. I would have never thought to offer Sailor Jerry-inspired temporary tattoos, but then again, I’m not This American Life host, Ira Glass.

According to their website, Glass suggested the idea of temporary tattoos only to have colleagues think it was a crazy idea. 70,000 temporary tattoos later, his far-fetched idea has proven a success.

So why did these custom temporary tattoos cause such a stir? Perhaps it has something to do with a survey Harris Interactive did that last year that found 1 in 5 U.S. adults sports a tattoo; being inked is now considered in vogue. With reports that radio is struggling to stay relevant, I can only imagine the drive to connect with a younger audience that may only know to tune into Top 40 stations. These promotional tattoos may seem silly but just take a look on their page to see the spectrum of age groups that have happily applied their temporary tattoo. It’s a fresh, fun idea that gives the recipients instant gratification, and even if the tattoos is left unapplied it can easily hang around a desk monitor as a constant reminder of public radio offerings. If you’d like to know more about the temporary tats, This American Life did their blog post on them here.

What do you think about stepping outside of your product comfort zone: do the rewards outweigh the risks?

Mashable has a great article out now about a noble quest: a documentary team is leading an expedition into the New Mexico desert to see if there is any truth to the myth that video game maker Atari buried almost 4 million copies of their terrible game, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. If this is indeed what happened, it means that Atari spent millions on this failure of a game and then realized that their last alternative was to bury their shame in the New Mexico desert.

Now let’s jump to the most impressive part of this whole ordeal: Atari released this game in 1982 and, if the rumors are correct, this games were buried in 1983. It has been 30 years, an impressive lifespan for such a terrible game. In fact, according to this AP article, one of the reasons the film crew is even being allowed to do this excavation is because the town’s commissioner recalls playing the game and can vividly remember just how terrible it was.

I recently blogged about choosing promotional products that last, but what about those that take on a life of their own? What about those items that become their own versions of Willy Wonka’s golden ticket? Like the Beanie Babies that can go for thousands simply because of a speling error or Pokemon cards that are made extra rare because they are extra shiny.

What traits do both these mythical products, both the failures and successes, share? And, perhaps more importantly, how can this translate into your everyday product choices? I’m sure entire disserations can be written on the nuances, but I’ve chosen my top three traits.

1. There is an urban myth: The Atari  game is the best example of this. The story has lasted as long as it has because it has an urban myth attached to it.There have been plenty of terrible games releases since 1982 but very few have reached these levels of cult notoriety. The possibly buried games have stayed in the limelight for such a long just because their is a possibility that they exist. While you may not be able to create an urban myth immediately on an item you choose, you could always choose a product that hints at an urban myth you can relate to your event or company. After all, most people who go searching for the Loch Ness Monster come back with no proof but some awesome souvenirs.

2. There is rarity: A rare Superman comic found in the insulation of a dilapted house sold for over $100,000; there’s a reason people are willing to spend money of the first editions of old books. People love the idea of having something rare, something not easily attained or available in small quantities. On a broader scale, think of the collaborations that Target does with big name designers: their recent collaboration with Prabal Gurung sold out one day after it was released. Items that were reasonably priced in store were going for double or triple their retail value online. So think of your wording: perhaps phrases like “limited edition” will help make your item the next hot commodity; consider working with local artists to add a touch of exclusivity to your design.

3. There is a feeling that it was worth it: This last point ties closely to rarity. Imagine now that the film crew looking for the buried Atari games does come across them, I imagine there will be both a feeling of deep satisfaction and immense relief that the journey actually produced results. Back to the Target collaboration example from point two, the Prabal Gurung collection allowed people to enjoy clothing by this famous designer who under other circumstances they probably could not afford or find. The lesson here is: make it worth their while. If people stand in line at your tradeshow, give them a sense of satisfaction that it was worth the wait, make the item worth the cost.

Are there any other traits that you would add to this list? And let me know if anyone has actually played the E.T. Atari game, I’ll be waiting with baited breath to see if they do find anything in the desert!