In late 2020, after the full pandemic fatigue set it, I began to really rely on my Xbox One console for an escape. I have always been an avid gamer, but the pandemic gave me a deeper appreciation for the joy of gaming. It was around then that I started to look into updating my gaming system in which I, of course, began to compare two major console releases: PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series X. Being a devoted Xbox girl, I was pleasantly surprised when I began to consider purchasing the PlayStation 5 instead of the newly released Xbox Series X.
Perhaps it was the “Play Has No Limits” one-liner that hooked, lined, and sank me, or the ultra-high-speed SSD, immersive haptic feedback, and 3D Audio that did me in. In reality, it was the brilliant and engaging marketing campaign PlayStation launched throughout their social media platforms and televised ads that truly caught my attention and led me astray from the Microsoft universe. PlayStation brought a sense of togetherness, community, and innovation. Its campaign resonated with its users and spoke to their ambitions and imagination, which was something hard to come by during a global pandemic.
In November 2020, PlayStation released its new PS5 console. In the upcoming months to November, PlayStation launched its campaign marketing the console and its exclusive features. PlayStation’s marketing campaigns highlighted the revolutionary — one-of-a-kind console, in addition to the state-of-the-art immersive controller, stunning visual experience, and out-of-this-world 3D Audio functions. But PlayStation did so much more. They marketed to the gamer and how the PS5 console would enhance their experience by providing play that has no limits.
PlayStation’s marketing techniques were not anything new but what was eye-catching was their ability to bring a sense of togetherness, community, and joy to the gaming community during such a tumultuous time. It is beyond evident that PlayStation’s brand has built a loyal fanbase, and their recent launch of a brand new console has succeeded beyond what any company could hope for — which is a complete and total sell-out. When launched online, the PS5 sold out in a matter of seconds.
Considering all of this, it is interesting to look at PlayStation’s marketing campaigns and determine what goals its marketing strategy had and how it achieved these goals.
Marketing is all about goals. Without goals, you have no way to achieve your brand’s purpose or measure your campaigns' success. “The goals of marketing can be broken down into five main areas: to raise brand awareness, to generate high-quality leads, to grow and maintain thought leaders, to increase customer value, and to empower your colleagues to become brand ambassadors” (HubSpot, n.d.). Given my familiarity with PlayStation and by looking at its overall brand concept, I can assume that PlayStation’s marketing goals are the following:
- To Increase Brand Awareness
- To Generate High-Quality Leads
- Increase Revenue
PlayStation does a great job at promoting and increase brand awareness. They understand their target customer and know where their customers spend the most time — social media. PlayStation actively engages and connects with their follows and consistently posts relevant and interesting content related to the gaming industry and their users. Within the PS5 campaign, PlayStation would share clips of internationally recognizable buildings or monuments with PS5 projections against them. In the post, they would say, “The future of gaming has arrived in “x”. #PS5" (Instagram.com/playstation/). This post would connect to the viewers in this geological area and promote an open conversation of how exciting it was that this new and innovative gaming console was coming to their area. Measuring brand awareness is one of the most difficult KPIs. However, you could look at the steady growth in direct traffic, measure referral traffic, earned media value, the share of voice, and more (Smarp, 2019).
Lead generation focuses on “using social media to get potential customers into your CRM or in touch with your sales team. At this stage, you’ll focus on using social media to direct people to your site” (Knapp, 2018). PlayStation executes this by creating posts with short, attention-grabbing sentences and emojis and a link that takes users to their website. Measuring lead generation is pretty straightforward; count how many inquiries have been received and determine those who turn into customers.
As will all companies, the ultimate goal is to make money. Increasing revenue was evident with PlayStation, given that they have been unable to maintain PS5 in stock since the release date. Now it is late 2021, almost a year after its release, and it is still extremely difficult to get your hands on a PS5. By posting relevant content that spoke to the PS5’s incredible new features and functions, gamers were willing to pay the exorbitant price tag for this console. Measuring sales revenue can be determined by comparing the rising in sales to the active marketing campaigns and the leads gained from the campaigns.
Overall, PlayStation's marketing strategy is one to keep an eye on. They speak to their audience exceptionally well and have maintained resiliency through a global pandemic. Worth an estimated net 45 billion dollars and growing, PlayStation is here for the long game.
