2. 2
Introduction:
My paper will be on three different types of video games. I decided to research
the video game industry because not only am I a fan and consumer of video games, the
video game industry has definitely evolved to become as big as movies and music in
the world. A few interesting facts that I found in the documentary, Video Game Movie,
was that 49% of American households own a dedicated game console. The average
gamer’s age is about 30, so kids are not the only ones playing. Also 47% of gamers are
females, so video games are not just a “guy’s thing” anymore. What I find interesting
about video games is that they offer different genres such as: Action, Role-Playing,
Shooter, Puzzle, and many more. There are so many video games out there that
creators and marketers must constantly come up with innovative ways to gain the
consumer’s attention.
My main product will be Destiny, which is a first-person, action-adventure
shooter. The game was created by Bungie and published by Activision and Sony. The
game is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360. The game
can be played online with your friends and other online users. I chose this game
because not only was it one of the most anticipated games of the year, so much money
and effort was put into promoting this game.
My second game is Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, which is a fighting
game that features iconic characters from the Nintendo franchise and is the fourth
instalment in the series. The game was developed by Sora Ltd. and Bandai Namco
Games, and published by Nintendo. The game was released for the Nintendo 3DS and
Wii U video game consoles, but I will be more specifically focusing on the 3DS version,
which is the portable version.
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My third game is Candy Crush Saga, which is a puzzle video game. It was
developed by King as a game on Facebook, and has evolved as a mobile app for
smartphones. I chose this game because it is usually overlooked as a video game
because it is an app, but it is actually one of the most successful apps in the market
today and has become a household name.
Discuss the Marketing Mix for all three products:
Destiny
Product Place
Bungie known for creating the popular
Halo Series
Video game comes in multiple
packages and editions that include
souvenirs
Beautiful packaging to enhance
experience of playing the game
Any local retailers such as Best Buy,
Gamestop, Target, or online on
Amazon
Can order a digital copy edition
Promotion Price
Over $300 million spent on Promotion
Partnership with Activision and Sony
Gaming Blogs, Social Media, and TV
Commercials
$59.99
Limited Ghost Edition - $149.99
Glacier PS4 White Edition - $449.99
Destiny’s game is on a disc that comes in the normal PS4/Xbox One game box.
However Destiny offers special limited edition packages you can purchase the game
with instead. There is the Glacier White PS4 Bundle: which comes with a custom white
PS4 and controller. There is the Digital Guardian Edition: which comes with a digital
copy of Destiny and early access to Destiny exclusives. The Limited Edition: which
comes with a booklet of artwork of the game from the creators, expansion pack passes,
and other souvenirs. Then finally the Ghost Edition: which comes with everything above,
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but this one comes with a limited edition ghost replica from the game that lights up. The
different packages are to enhance the consumer’s experience when they play the
game, and for the more dedicated fans. Bungie has been known to do this before with
their previous series Halo, which was a very successful and has given Bungie a lot of
respect. The game can be sold at your local retailers such as Best Buy and GameStop,
or ordered online and shipped to your house through Amazon. Promotion is where I
believe Destiny excels. With the help from Sony, Bungie was given exclusive rights to
use Destiny in promotions for the PS4. Also Sony spent millions for marketing Destiny
on PlayStation ads, blogs, social media and commercials during the NFL season
opener. CEO of ad-tracker, Sean Muller, estimates that $12 million was spent on
commercials. The pricing for Destiny is what new games usually go for when they are
released at around $60. For the Glacier PS4 White Edition, the price is $10 less than if
you bought the two items separately.
Super Smash Bros.
Product Place
Nintendo known for creating iconic
characters like Mario
Super Smash Bros. already a beloved
series
Game cartridge is a small chip for 3DS
Local Retailers such as Best Buy,
Gamestop, Toys R’ Us, Target
Promotion Price
Character Reveal Trailers
Thank You Video from President of
Nintendo North America
Super Smash Bros. Tournaments for
the fans
3DS Version - $39.99
Wii U Version - $59.99
This is the first portable entry for the Super Smash Bros. series. The game is on
a small chip for the Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo is a well-known name and almost anyone
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in the U.S knows them for creating characters like Mario and Donkey Kong. Nintendo is
also been known to cater to the younger generation by limiting the amount of violence
and complexity in their games, but they also cater to the older generation that grew up
playing Nintendo when they were young. Same as Destiny, the game can be found at
your local retailers such as GameStop, Toys R’ Us, and Target. For promotion they did
not spend as much money as Destiny, but they did some things different. Ever since the
game was announced, they have released multiple videos and trailers, which would
reveal either a new playable character or returning character in the game. These types
of trailers give fighting games the advantage and make the game more valuable to the
consumers. Another type of promotion was a thank you video from Reggie Fils-Aime,
the president of Nintendo of America. This video was presented at EVO 2014, and in it
Reggie thanks the fans for all the dedication and support over the years. Finally, the
type of promotion that makes Super Smash Bros. stand out, was the hosting of a
tournament that was held at EVO 2013. The tournament featured Super Smash Bros
Melee, which was the second installment of the game, but is considered the best out of
the three that have come out. What I found interesting was that Nintendo actually
almost cancelled this event. Even though the game brought a large crowd to the event,
show casing an old game won’t necessarily lead to more sales for the fourth installment.
However, successful gaming companies such as Blizzard and Riot Games, hold these
kinds of tournaments to promote their games such as Star Craft, “Interest in the
competitive scene of a game only increases interest in the game itself.” The price for the
3DS version is cheaper than a normal video game on a console, at $40, but for the Wii
U version it is still around $60.
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Candy Crush Saga
Product Place
o King known for creating popular casual
social games such as Pet Rescue Saga
o Downloadable App on the internet
o Online App Stores such as Facebook,
Amazon, or Company Website
o Players can sync their games between
platforms
Promotion Price
o Integration with Facebook
o Ads on shopping websites
o Candy Crush video on their website
o Free
o Charge people for In-Game purchases
o Extra Moves - $0.99
o Extra Life - $0.99
Candy Crush Saga can be downloaded on the internet. The creators, King, are
known for creating other popular social games such as Pet Rescue Saga and Farm
Heroes Saga. Places where you can download the game are the company’s website,
Facebook, the App Store, Google Play, or Amazon. What makes Candy Crush more
versatile is that you can sync your game between multiple platforms- which means
players can continue their game where they left off, on any device that is connected to
their account. The goal of Candy Crush was to promote their game so it goes viral. They
used Facebook to accomplish this. There are over 500 million people that use
Facebook. When a player progresses in Candy Crush, the game will post an update on
the person’s Facebook page for all to see. This exposes Candy Crush to the user’s
friends and will induce them to try the game out. What is interesting is that King
discontinued advertising for Candy Crush because the product already makes enough
money off of in-game purchases. About 30% of users make in-game purchases, and
AppData estimates that Candy Crush makes about 45.6 million monthly. The price of
the app is free. Free items are more attractive to the consumers than cheap products.
But most of their revenue comes from the players who make the in-game purchases.
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The top in-game purchases are ‘Extra Moves’ and ‘Extra Life’ which are $0.99 each.
Why are these the top purchases? It is because Candy Crush only gives the user 5 lives
in the game, before they have to wait a certain amount to continue playing. Extra moves
and extra lives make it easier for the player to pass the level, or continue playing.
Describe segmentation variables that your choices use to target their customers:
Destiny
Since Destiny is a consumer good, it uses a regional approach. Destiny can be
sold mainly in the U.S, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. A survey of 964 Destiny users was
found online. About 46% of users were between the ages 18-24, also known as
Generation Y. The second largest users were between the ages 25-32 at 28%, also
known as Generation X. About 17% of users were below the age of 18, which is the
game’s rating, at M for Mature. It was not stated how many users were male and
female, but I would suggest the game targets both audiences because you have the
choice of making your character in Destiny either male or female. For psychographics,
veterans of first person shooters will be interested, since most of Destiny’s mechanics
are from Halo. Motives for gamers would be a new experience for first person shooters.
Bungie has described Destiny to be the future of first person shooters, by offering super
Geographic Demographic Psychographic Benefits Sought
Regional
Approach
U.S, Europe,
Asia Pacific
Main Target is
18-24 year
olds
Both Males
and Females
Veteran
Gamers and
People who
enjoy First
Person
Shooters and
MMO RPG’s
Gamers who
seek
Adventure and
want to play
with friends
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powers and a MMO role playing type of gameplay in the game. The benefits would be
adventure from the game by traveling to different planets and completing missions with
your friends. Also another benefit would be competitive multiplayer and beautiful
designs in the game.
Super Smash Bros
Geographic Demographic Psychographic Benefits Sought
Regional
Approach
85% of
Gamers make
up North
America
Target age is
18-25 year old
males
25 male to 1
female ratio
Casual and
Veteran
Gamers
Take game on
the go
Exclusive
Game for
Nintendo
Portable
Fun w/ friends
at home and
online
Just like Destiny, Nintendo uses a regional approach to market Super Smash
Bros. I looked up a survey on the demographics for Super Smash Bros. and found the
results interesting. Out of a poll of 230 players who play Super Smash Bros, 68% were
between the ages 18-25. About 17% were ages 14-17, and 10% were ages 26-35. I
found this interesting since the game is rated E for everyone and Nintendo is known for
targeting the casual and younger gamers. But it seems the people most interested in
Super Smash Bros, are the college students and adults that grew up with the original
Nintendo games. As a fan of the series, I was able to play the first installment when I
was in elementary school, now all the kids who were there to play Super Smash Bros
when it first came out are now in their 20’s, which seems to be the main target
audience. The poll also stated the ratio of male to female gamers who play Super
Smash Bros. is 25:1. The psychographics would be both casual and veteran gamers
who have played before. The mechanics of Super Smash Bros. are very simple, but
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difficult to master. Also for the 3DS version, this game is perfect for people who do not
own a console or do not readily have access to a TV. On campus I see many students
playing with their friends on their break. The benefits of the game would include a fun
multiplayer with friends. Super Smash Bros. is an exclusive game for Nintendo 3DS and
Wii U. Also another benefit would be the fantasy to see your favorite Nintendo
characters on the same screen fighting each other.
Candy Crush Saga
Geography Demographics Psychographic Benefits
Anyone who
has access to a
computer or
owns a smart
phone
Target age is
21-35 year old
Females
Core Gamers
People who
like to shop
online
Gamblers and
Puzzle Solvers
Satisfaction of
completing
level
Addiction can
occur
Compare
scores with
friends
Candy Crush can be accessed anywhere since it is an app on the computer or
smart phones. The game is offered in English and Japanese. The main users of Candy
Crush are females aged 21-35 at 25%. In second are males aged 21-35 at 18%, and
right under are females aged 36-50 at 17%. Another poll asked Candy Crush users how
much video games play a part in your life. 45% of users were ‘Core Gamers’, people
who consider gaming an important part of their lives and they spend a large amount of
time playing. 31% were ‘Mid-Core’, people who play regularly but not as long as Core
Gamers. They would spend more time and money if they had more available. 23% were
‘Casual’ gamers who enjoy games, but only play to pass time.
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What was interesting was the type of websites Candy Crush users are visiting. 67% of
Candy Crush users visit Amazon, 47% visit Netflix and PayPal, and the lowest website
visited was ESPN at 17%. From these results it seems that shopping websites are the
best place to advertise Candy Crush.
Some users of Candy Crush consider the game to be highly addicting. This may be true
because Candy Crush caters to people who like to gamble because of the small
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rewarding system to the users. There have been news articles on women being
addicted and neglecting chores in the house and their ITunes bill going up. One of the
women stated, “Soothing music and hearing a male voice that gives us all positive
reinforcement.” Benefits would be the satisfaction of completing a level on Candy
Crush. Another benefit would be the community users build on Facebook. Being able to
see your friend’s high score boosts competition and make the game more fun.
Pick any product that has multiple segments and explain how you would attempt
to position your product to appeal to all of those segments:
Dance Dance Revolution was introduced in Japan in 1998 and North America in
1999. This is a classic game almost everyone has heard of. In this game, players must
stand on a dance platform and hit arrows with their feet to match the music and screen.
This game can be found either in arcades or played at home with a game console. The
game can appeal to all different segments. It can appeal to competitive gamers who like
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to achieve high scores. Also casual gamers will enjoy the game because of its simple
mechanics. People who enjoy dancing will like the game. Dancing is a universal hobby
that connects people from different countries. The game can be played on special
occasions such as a house party with family and friends. The game can also appeal to
people who want to lose weight. The game requires a lot of movement with the feet,
especially on higher difficulties, and is considered a good aerobic exercise. Some
players have reported losing 10-50 lbs. The way I would attempt to position this product
to appeal to everyone would be through a commercial. I would use the setting of a living
room with a family playing the game and having fun. I would make the player in the
commercial achieve a high score to appeal to all the competitive gamers. Also I would
include a calorie burner on the screen to show that the game is a good tool to lose
weight.
Visit the web sites for all 3 competitors and give a synopsis of your findings:
The homepage for Destiny’s website opens with multiple live action trailers. On
the top right corner is a visible blue box that says, ‘Buy Now’ to purchase the game.
When you scroll down to the bottom the home page displays expansion packs you can
purchase for the game. This is useful and easy to access for people who already want
to find the expansion packs. Also for people who did not know of the expansion packs,
this can be a useful opportunity to sell them on it. Under ‘Overview’ tab, there is a seven
minute video playing from YouTube explaining the game to the viewer, instead of them
reading. The video shows gameplay and cinematic cut-scenes describing the
experience. The ‘Game Modes’ tab shows the different types of game modes you can
play online, as describes how they are played. The ‘Story’ tab provides four slides that
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each give a short description overview of what the story is about in the game. The
‘Destinations’ tab shows the different planets you can travel. The ‘Guardians’ tab shows
the different characters and classes you can choose form in the game, and the
‘Enemies’ tab shows the enemies you will encounter in the game. There is an ‘App’ tab
that is a direct link to the Destiny App that is compatible with all smart phones. With this
app you can stay connected with your Destiny game stats on your phone. The ‘Media’
tab provides all the trailers and screenshots for Destiny. There is a ‘News’ tab that
includes reviews on Destiny from MTV, Rebel Gaming, and Cheat Code Central. What I
noticed was that all reviews are positive and there is no negative feedback reviews.
Finally there is a ‘Bungie.net’ tab that is a direct link to the Bungie’s website. Through
here you can access forums, read about upcoming news, hear about community
events, and track your stats. Out of my three video games, Destiny does the best job at
fully describing their product and providing consumers answers on what the game is
like.
The homepage for Super Smash Bros. shows the box cover for both games and
their launch dates. There is a ‘Movie List’ link that includes trailers, commercials, and
interviews with the creators of the game. Also there is a link to purchase the Game
Cube controller adaptor that was specifically made for Super Smash Bros. The bottom
of the page has pictures and links describing most of the characters in the game
individually. The ‘How to Play’ tab gives the basic controls for the Wii U version coming
up. The ‘Music’ tab has YouTube videos of the songs that will be featured in the game.
Also includes the names of the musicians who worked on the soundtrack. Finally the
‘Buy Now’ tab gives the viewer the option of buying either the 3DS version or pre-
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ordering the Wii U version online, or finding the closest retailer near you. Out of all the
websites, Super Smash Bros. looks the most user-friendly, with the focus being on the
different characters available to play in the game.
Candy Crush’s website is the most simple out of the three, since there is not as
much to describe in the game. On the homepage there is a quick description of the
game mentioning that you are able to play with friends and solve puzzles. Also there are
links where you can download the game from Google Play, App Store, Kindle, or
Facebook. The homepage advertises new ‘Dream World’ game mode for players who
pass level 50 to give incentive to play more. Finally there is a link to go to King’s
website, where you can access and see other games King has to offer.
What issues do these competitors have to deal with? Do a SWOT analysis for
your primary choice:
Strengths Weaknesses
Moneyand Capital from Activision
Promotional andMarketingHelpfrom
Sony
Employeesare experiencedafter
successful franchise:Halo
Havok Technologytorungraphics
Serversforonline gameplayare smooth
Lack of excitingStory
Lack in varietyof charactersand
personality
Repetitive gameplay
Opportunities Threats
Loyal Bungie Community
ExpansionPacksforplayerstocontinue
playing
OtherFirstPersonShooters
Call of Duty, Titanfall,Borderlands,
Battlefield
Grand TheftAutoV still leadinginsales
and consideredabettergame bygamers
The strengths of Destiny would be the money and capital invested into the game.
I believe this is Destiny’s competitive advantage over most titles. Activision CEO Bobby
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Kotick estimated that Destiny’s development and promotion for its 10-year plan will cost
around $500 million! Activision has a contract with Bungie to pay them $2.5 million
every year during production of the Destiny. Do not forget the help from Sony, the
strongest platform maker right now, with their PS4 promotions. Since October, PS4 has
been leading Xbox One by at least 40% in global sales. Another strength for Destiny
would be the online servers for the game. As a player of the game, I have not
encountered and rarely here about complaints about disconnections in the game, which
is incredible for how big the game is. Also Bungie has teamed up with Havok
Technology, the leading provider of game development technology. Havok specializes
in-game physics for the environment and clothes on the characters.
The biggest threat to Destiny will be the competition. In my opinion as consumer
of video games, first person shooters are hard to make because so much has already
been implemented. Today many first person shooters feel similar such as Call of Duty,
Titan Fall, and Halo. Destiny takes an innovative step forward for first person shooters,
but it is a small step in my opinion. The idea of an RPG element in the game has
already been used in games such as Borderlands. Also the weapon choice in Destiny is
very limited. Destiny falls short and can learn some things from their competitor Grand
Theft Auto V, who sold $800 million its first day of sales. First of all GTA V is an open
world game similar to Destiny, but the different characters you interact with have more
character and are more interesting. This game is not a first person shooter, but is a third
person action-adventure game that can also be played online which makes it more
versatile.
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Think of any product in the world that is no longer being sold and explain how it
failed in your opinion:
A game that I believe failed in my opinion was Halo: The Master Chief Collection
made by 343 Industries. This game was recently released on November 11, 2014 and is
still selling, however the game was very flawed when released to the public and
received a lot of criticism that will definitely impact the future for the company and this
game.
This game is a compilation of re-mastered versions of the Halo Series, the series that
made Bungie famous, exclusively for Xbox One. This game was a good idea because it
was a great value for your money, 4 games for the price of 1, and it includes access to
the Halo 5 beta. How did it fail? When people started playing the game, they could
either not access multiplayer, or the connections were too slow. My friends and I
personally got the game mainly for the multiplayer features, and were disappointed
when we could not play. A week later a downloadable patch was made online to fix the
problems. Many people were disappointed and lost respect for the company 343 after
this problem. As I looked on online forums for help on fixing my game, many users were
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complaining and saying they already returned the game, and do not even plan to buy
the next Halo installment made by 343. Also this trend for game developers to rush a
game and fix problems later with a downloadable update is very irresponsible and
frustrating for the consumers.
How does Personal Selling (Relationship Selling) affect the final consumer who
buys your product? What kind of white collar sales efforts were required to create
the final product? How did all the efforts of all B2B buyers and sales people
associated with your primary choice impact the final consumer?
There are many jobs that go to the final product before it is in the hands of the
consumer. To create the game, you need writers for the story and script. Then you also
need music composers for the soundtrack, character designers, level designers that
make the 3-D architects in the game, voice actors, and many more jobs that go into
making the actual game. The relationship selling is more complex for video games,
because they have to showcase it to millions of people some way. When the release
date for Destiny came out, Bungie co-founder Jason Jones called it the next great first-
person shooter since Halo, and displayed an announcement trailer with gameplay. The
use of the internet plays a huge role in today’s generation, and through Sony, Destiny
was promoted on their gaming blogs and social media. Destiny has its own Instagram,
Twitter, and Facebook. To keep fans updated and interested, many trailers and videos
were released at Sony Press Conferences and the E3 Gaming Convention .
Give me a descriptive analysis of your products’ advertising efforts:
My favorite promotion of Destiny was there live action trailer. This can be found
on the company’s website, YouTube, and a short version is shown on TV. Trailer shows
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a racial diversity in characters by their voice, 1 Caucasian male, 1 African-American
male, and 1 female. The trailer shows action and features moves you can do in the
actual game. It actually looks better in the trailer than the actual game. The trailer shows
the different planets you can travel and enemies you will encounter. The trailer does not
give a serious emotional feeling, but more of an adventure with your friends feeling. The
song playing in the background is the ‘Immigrant Song’ by Led Zeppelin.
My favorite ad from Super Smash Bros was one of their quick 30-second ‘Food
Fight’ commercials. These commercials are more comedic than serious. The
commercial features a bunch of teenagers playing in a living room, and they settle an
argument by playing Super Smash Bros. The ad features the Nintendo 3DS and has
gameplay footage. The commercial shows classic characters such as Mario and Kirby,
as well as the new characters like Megaman and Charzard.
Candy Crush actually does not have any commercials on television, but they
were able to slip their name into an Esurance commercial which I found creative. The
commercial features a lady and her grandson. The old lady represents the ‘old
generation’ of today and the son represents ‘today’s generation.’ The lady is not playing
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the actual app of Candy Crush, but she is literally crushing candy with a hammer. The
main focus of the commercial is that the old lady switches from Geico to Esurance. The
lady mentions that when the grandson told her about Candy Crush, she was hesitant,
but once she tried it, she became hooked on it. This can be a nod to the users who
became addicted to Candy Crush.
Discuss at least three different activities that deal with your choice’s ‘Blue Collar’
supply chain management process
CD’s are the most common form of storage mediums for video games. The CD’s
are usually made with strong plastics called polycarbonates. Also there is thin layer of
aluminum on the CD, with a protective acrylic coating. To prevent flaws in the disc, the
process of transferring the game onto the disc must be done in a clean dust free
environment. Random samples of finished discs are tested to make sure everything is
working properly.
For packaging the product, it is either done by hand or machine. Each game is
placed in a preprinted cardboard box. The boxes are then transferred to a shrink wrap
machine that seals them for shipment. Sometimes games can be damaged in the
package or scratched in the packing line.
After packaging, the video games are transported to retailers. This is usually
done by truck. A problem that could occur is that the boxes slip and open during travel
and get damaged.
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How are your three choices addressing the “Societal Marketing” concept?
Bungie has their own Charity Foundation and for their 20th anniversary
celebration, they auctioned off hand drawn illustrations from their past video games,
body armor, and weapon props used to help make the game. Earlier this year there was
a 24 hour charity stream of people playing Destiny to help support and bring awareness
to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. These are international non-profit
organizations that raise funds for children’s hospitals and research for child health
issues.
Nintendo has a ‘Take Back Program’ where they recycle consumers’ and
businesses’ old video game products. This includes old consoles and controllers.
People can ship their products at no cost with UPS also.
In 2013, Nintendo of America processed 771 tons of
returned products. Nintendo also partners with Starlight
Children’s Foundation. Starlight has created fun centers,
which are mobile entertainment units equipped with a
Wii that provide entertainment for children patients
facing surgery or are feeling lonely after visiting hours.
What I found interesting was that Nintendo did a secret philanthropy for earthquake
victims in Japan. Nintendo sent out care packages to civilians living in evacuation
centers. In these packages included TV tuner packages so victims could watch news or
could be used to play video games. No efforts were made to publicize this gesture.
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King hosted a ‘Help CRUSH Epilepsy’ charity. In 2012, for certain date, King
would donate $1 to the Epilepsy Foundation of America for every mobile download of
Candy Crush Saga.
Think about any one of your three products and how would you try to get your
best customers to order more?
To get their customers to continue playing for the years to come, Bungie is
planning to release an expansion pack on December 9. This expansion pack that you
buy will include new weapons, armor, missions, maps, and game modes for your game.
As one of the creators for Bungie, I would make sure to listen to customers complaints
on Destiny, and fix them by the time we release the second installment. For the most
dedicated fans who want to pay more, that is why we have the limited edition Destiny
packs that you can order that come with collectibles and exclusive in-game content.
Like Nintendo, I would host community tournaments for Destiny. These kinds of
tournaments build a closer community between Destiny players. Also people who do not
own Destiny can try out and see the game for free.
At these tournaments we can advertise and sell
the expansion packs, the actual game, or Destiny
gear. Finally just like Candy Crush, I would include
in-game purchases in the game. You usually need
electronic currency in the game to buy weapons
and armor, which could be time consuming. I would give the choice to the gamer to
trade their real money for in-game currency just like most apps today.
22. 22
Explain how Walmart has several sustainable competitive advantages over any
other retailer in the world:
Today Walmart is the largest and most profitable retailer in the U.S. In 2009,
Walmart had $401 billion in sales. What makes them more successful compared to their
competitors Target or K-Mart? It starts with their fundamental principles: Low prices,
commitment to customer service, technological superiority, and loyalty among
employees. Walmart’s low prices give them a cost advantage over their competitors,
which make them more attractive. They are able to afford these low prices because of
their efficient communication network and relationships with their vendors. For example,
they have their vendors manage the inventory systems, which minimize inventory cost
for Walmart. Walmart is customer oriented and considers the customer the ‘boss.’ Sam
Walton, the founder of Walmart stated, “I want you to promise that whenever you come
within ten feet of a customer, you will look him in the eye, greet him and ask if you can
help him.” Walmart has a technological advantage over their competitors as well. Their
operations management includes warehouses, satellite system, and distribution
network, which make distribution and logistics cheaper and more efficient. Finally Sam
Walton believed not only in value for the customer but empowerment for employees.
Walmart provides a management training program and ‘Yes We Can Sam’ program
which all lead to teamwork and motivation.
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Marketing 351 Survey
(Survey of 10 males and 8 females between the ages 18-25)
1. What app/game do you hear about most when you are on Facebook?
a. Farmville
b. Candy Crush Saga
c. Texas Hold Em Poker
d. Pet Rescue
2. Which game on your phone would you most likely play in your spare time?
a. Angry Birds
b. Candy Crush Saga
c. Temple Run
d. Clash of Clans
3. Which game would you rather play with friends on the Nintendo 3DS?
a. Pokémon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire
b. Mario Kart7
c. Tetris Axis
d. Super Smash Bros
4. Which game would you most likely you continue to play for the long-term (over a year)?
a. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
b. Destiny
c. Assassin’s Creed
d. Grand Theft Auto
5. Since this Fall, which game have you heard most about from word of mouth, TV
commercials, blogs, etc.?
a. Halo:Master Chief Edition
b. Far Cry 4
c. Destiny
d. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
24. 24
11.76
88.24
0 0
Which App/game do you hear about most
when you are on Facebook?
Farmville
Candy Crush
Texas Hold 'Em
Pet Rescue
6.25
56.25
25
1.2
Which game on your phone would you
most likely play in your spare time?
Angry Birds
Candy Crush
Temple Run
Clash of Clans
25. 25
16.7
44.445.56
33.33
Which game would you rather play with
friends on Nintendo 3DS?
Pokemon
Mario Kart 7
Tetris Axis
Super Smash Bros
27.78
11.11
5.56
55.56
Which game would you most likely continue
to play for the long-term?
Call of Duty
Destiny
Assassin's Creed
GTA V
26. 26
How have each competitor positioned themselves in the marketplace?
Candy Crush dominates the votes with 15 out of the 18 people saying they have
heard of Candy Crush the most on Facebook. King’s goal of making Candy Crush viral
is true, and the implementation with Facebook definitely was a success. For the game
most people would like to play on their phone, Candy Crush wins again with 56% of the
votes. The demographics I listed earlier are pretty accurate, with 50% of females
between the ages 18-25 voted they would rather play Candy Crush. Second place was
Temple Run with 25%. I believe this is due to the simplicity of Temple Run compared to
the other games. Angry Birds got one vote, even though this game is simple, it is one of
the most frustrating games out there which may have drove people away. Clash of
Clans got a few votes, but this game is definitely more complex compared to Candy
Crush and Temple Run.
16.67
0
61.11
22.22
Which game have you heard most about
most?
Halo: Master Chief Edition
Far Cry 4
Destiny
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
27. 27
Super Smash Bros got second place with 33% of the votes for game people
would rather play with friends on Nintendo 3DS. The good news is that it was to a
similar game, Mario Kart, which features an all-star cast of Nintendo characters, except
they are racing each other this time. I believe this might be due to the violence in the
game which may not be appealing to females, since most females chose Mario Kart.
Destiny failed to position their game as a 10-year plan, only receiving 11% of the
votes. Grand Theft Auto V won with 55% of the votes. As I stated earlier, GTA has more
to offer in their game than Destiny, and consumers understand that. However Destiny’s
marketing and promotion was a success. For which game people have heard the most,
Destiny won with 61% of the votes. Everyone definitely knows about Destiny, Bungie
just needs to make their game live up to expectations just like GTA V did.
