MICROSOFT USES RADIO TO PINPOINT NICHE TARGET MARKET Broadcaster Who wants to battle dangerous enemies with heroic magic powers in seductive, Daliesque worlds of mythic dreamscapes? Mostly guys 18-34, part of the small yet significant market for role playing PC games that represents less than 5% of the population. When Microsoft Canada Co. wanted to reach this growing niche to launch a sequel to the popular game Dungeon Siege, they investigated radio's ability to zero in on the target and achieve their goals.
It was no small challenge to create excitement, build awareness, surpass the popular, original game's sales targets in a fragmented market saturated with choice – and get the most for the media dollar. Working with MacLaren McCann and M2 Universal, Microsoft decided to test-drive radio's targeting muscle and cost efficiency with a four-week campaign in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.
First they assessed consumer perception of their brand through a Foundation Research pre-campaign survey. Then they aired two 30-second spots aimed at the gaming enthusiast on four stations with strong 18 to 34 male numbers in each market. Along with radio, the entire campaign included online and in-store promotions to raise awareness and drive traffic to the new game's website, dungeonsiege2.ca.
When the results were in, 83% of the original targeted demographic was reached and nearly one third of listeners could recall the radio spots without aid. Between pre and post-campaign surveys, unaided awareness of Dungeon Siege II showed a 100% lift, and respondents remembered the key messages. Web visits spiked substantially during the two months of radio advertising, and 34% reported that they planned to acquire the game within the next month. |