hogeschool van amsterdam interactieve media the user as a source of inspiration game on! 2007/08...

Hogeschool van Amsterdam Interactieve Media

The user as a source of inspiration

Game On! 2007/08

Marketing college


Agenda

Learning goals

About me

What is marketing?

The user as a source of inspiration Summary


Learning goals

By the end of this college you should Have learned a bit about me and how I see marketing and

user centred development as subjects Have learned the difference between needs and wants Have learned how you can use this difference to develop a

better offer for your target customer


About me


Charlie Mulholland

Education Philosophy (not marketing!)

Career Sony

1985 - 2000

UPC

2000

Freelance

Chello, WdKA

Teaching

HvA since 2005

Other stuff Language

Okay Dutch, but…

Accent

Grammar

Favourite Dutch word is gezellig

When I am enthusiastic I… Speak quick Use “idiomatische uitdrukking”

I love music

I support Liverpool (sorry) and I love cricket (really sorry)

I am a vegetarian (in case you want to buy me lunch)


What is marketing?


What marketing is not

Marketing is not advertising Although advertising is an essential part of marketing

activities

Marketing is not selling Although “selling” is usually the end goal of marketing

activities

Marketing is not in itself a bad thing Although it sometimes is done in a way that is not good

And marketing is not boring Although sometimes it can be practiced (and perhaps

taught) in a boring way


So what is marketing

Marketing is: An activity that puts a target group (or target groups) at the

centre of an organization’s activities An activity that involves working with groups of people to

meet the needs and wants (behoefte en wensen) of the target customer / user in a better way than other options

Marketing is a creative activity


What does marketing do?

The job of marketing is to help organizations create mutually beneficial (wederzijds voordelig) exchange

The idea of exchange is essential to marketing


Exchange?

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are needed to see this picture.

I’m thirstyQuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

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Ah, happy shareholders

!

That’s better!

Exchange is the process where you willingly give something of value to another, in return for

getting something of value to you

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Exchange does not have to be financial

Exchange can also apply to other things such as Barter deals (I’ll give you this DVD player for that iPod) Ideas and knowledge Gossip Support (e.g. political)

The key is that both parties feel the exchange is valuable for them and both exchange willingly Both get something they need or want


Marketing secret number 1

People and organizations do not buy or use things that they do

not need or want

(or at least believe that they need or want)

Marketing is therefore about needs and wants


A definition of marketing(not the definition)

Marketing is a creative activity that aims to create

mutually beneficial exchange by developing offers that

meet the needs and wants of a target group(s) better

than the offers of alternatives (the competition)


The user as a source of inspiration

Or how can marketing help you with this assignment?


What (I think) is important for Game On!

Your assignment is to develop a turn-based game (gezelschapspel) for groups of children aged 12 that allows them to get to know interactive media In order to do this you have to meet their needs and wants

for a game better than other options (your competition)

So you have to have to understand what needs and want are


Needs and wants

The basis of all marketing activity


What is a need?

A need is a basic feeling of missing something When people have a need they will either

Look for something to satisfy that needOR Reduce the feeling by ignoring it or looking for something else that

will reduce the feeling

Needs are basic to humans Physical needs: food, clothing, warmth, safety Social needs: belonging and affection Individual needs: knowledge, self-expression

Basic needs such as food and safety are fairly consistent for humans (and indeed other animals)

Other higher level ones are not experienced by all There are various models to help understand this


Maslow’s hierarchy of needs


In het Nederlands


Wants as expressions of needs

Wants are human needs that have been shaped by things such as Culture Sub-culture Personality Interests and concerns Family and upbringing Particular situations

For example Hunger is a basic need However how that need is satisfied if the person has the

opportunity will depend on the factors above So I need to eat, but I want a vegetable curry (since I am English

and vegetarian)


From needs to wants

CulturePersonality

Family influenceNationality

What’s availableSituation

Mood

Want

Mmm…doughnuts

Need



Empty!



I’m hungry




So this means

You first have to understand the needs of your target group and then understand how these needs are shaped into wants by culture, personality, etc.

This process will allow you to develop insights into your target group so that you can create an offer that meets their needs and wants


Analysing needs and wants

Obviously a turn-based game cannot satisfy all the needs and wants of the target group so firstly you must ask: which can it satisfy?

Once you have done this, you need to do some research into the target group

However, is the target group clear?


Spot the similarity

You’re right - there is none

But in the old-school market segmentationwe are the same

Male and around the same age


Game ON! target group: children aged 12

They probably have similar basic needs But some may be on different levels of Maslow’s hierarchy

Even if they are on the same level they will certainly not have the same wants since they have different personalities, etc., etc. etc. This means they will have different ways of satisfying these

needs

But how can you handle this? The golden rule in marketing is to group customers

together who have similar needs and ways of satisfying these needs

This is called segmentation


Segmenting the target group

In reality the Game ON! target group is too undifferentiated

In order to get better insights you need to break your group into smaller segments This will allow you to group children with similar wants You should then target one of these groups

This will help you understand how their needs are turned into wants by culture, personality, etc.

You achieve this by research


Research?

Tomorrow you must do two bits of research

1. Find out what needs and wants can be satisfied by playing games (WiiAM)

2. Find out about the target group / user

Find out about the target group cannot be done behind a computer

Go out into the world and look around…


Some research tips

Talk to members of the target group But be careful not ask them directly what they want

Generally we do not know until we see it - thinking of better offers is the one of the most creative aspects of marketing

Watch the target group Especially when they are playing

Look at the media the target group uses TV, magazines, websites

Talk to people who deal with the target group Parents, teachers, etc.

Be the user group Play games

Imagine situations and write / tell stories (scenarios)

Look at the competition What needs and wants are they trying to meet

Google for research (last option BTW) For example this age group is sometimes called “tweenagers”


Your goal

As a team you need to get beyond having a target group of 12 y.o.

Use your research to think about what group of users might help you Girls / boys maybe but this is still not good enough What more might help (blind, deaf, Ajax fan, love painting

The most successful games are targeted at the needs and wants of a clear target group

Your goal is to define a clear target group for this coming Friday’s mood board.


Summary

Marketing is about creating exchange by satisfying needs and wants of your target group

In order to understand the needs and wants you have to know your customer / user

The user is therefore a great source of inspiration

Get out there and get to know them

hogeschool van amsterdam interactieve media the user as a source of inspiration game on! 2007/08...

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