In the previous article, the SWOT analysis of Xbox. In this article, we will discuss the marketing strategy of one of the top video gaming consoles – Xbox by Microsoft.
The objective is to help you gain insights into what exactly Xbox did to achieve its current position as one of the world’s leading video gaming brands out there.
And obviously, Microsoft’s strategic marketing helped its product- Xbox reach out to its target audience. As people around the world have migrated to the digital sphere, marketing has followed suit. If you too are interested in digital marketing then you should definitely check out IIDE’s Free MasterClass on Digital Marketing, by our CEO and Founder Karan Shah.
By the end of this blog, you will know the marketing strategy of Xbox completely. Before diving deep into it, let’s begin with the company’s story, target audience, and digital presence.
About Xbox – Company Overview
It all started when Sony Computer Entertainment first introduced its PlayStation 2 in 1999, the company positioned the console as the center of home entertainment because it could play not only video games but also audio CDs and video DVDs. Microsoft’s main business was to support the personal computer (PC) business with Windows operating systems, software, and games and saw PlayStation 2 as a threat to personal computers.
That was when four engineers of Microsoft’s DirectX team Kevin Bachus, Seamus Blackley, Ted Hase, and DirectX team leader Otto Berke began imagining what a Microsoft console, that could compete with Sony’s PlayStation 2, would look like. They designed a system that shares many hardware components with the PC, effectively runs versions of Windows and DirectX, and runs games on the console.
This approach makes it easy for Windows developers to create games for new systems and differentiate them from the custom hardware solutions found on most other consoles. Many names were proposed for this console, such as “DirectX Box” and “Windows Entertainment Project”. As a team, they believed ‘Xbox’ would be the least desirable, but it was found to be the highest priority in the survey and thus, was finalized as the name of the console.
| CEO | Phil Spencer |
|---|---|
| CMO | Jerret West |
| Area Served | Worldwide |
| Industry | Video Gaming |
| Market Share/ Revenue | $16.28 billion |
| Tagline | Gaming is for everyone because when everyone plays, we all win. |
What’s new with Xbox
Check out some current news about Xbox:
- Xbox just launched an Xbox 360 Mega Blocks set.
- Xbox Series X/S Already Has a Better 2023 Lineup Than the PS5.
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Microsoft has revealed six additional games leaving Xbox and PC Game Pass in October 2023 including fan favourite Trek to Yomi.
- Mortal Kombat 1 reveals the Jean-Claude Van Damme skin for Johnny Cage, ending years of waiting for a look based on the legendary action movie actor.
Target Audience of Xbox
The target audience of Xbox majorly includes both males and females aged 18-34 who are tech-savvy and Gamers and entertainment enthusiasts.
Below is a buyer persona of Xbox:
Buyer’s Persona
Name:
Raj
Place:
Jaipur
Age:
21 years
Profession:
Pursuing Bachelor of Business Administration
Motivation
- Multiplayer Gaming
- Game Pass Subscribers
- Cloud Gaming
- Competitive Gaming
- Media Streaming
Interest & Hobbies
- Playing video games
- Following gaming trends
- Singing
- Dancing
Pain Points
- High costs of gaming.
- Balancing screen time.
- Online gaming issues.
- Keeping up with updates
Social Media Presence
- Discord
- Tinder
Now that we have got insights about the company. Let us move on to study the marketing strategy of Xbox.
Marketing Strategy Of Xbox
Here we will discuss various marketing strategies of Xbox from STP analysis to marketing campaigns and many more.
Segmentation, Targeting, And Positioning
Since there is no particular age to play games and enjoy yourself, anyone with an interest in playing games can use Xbox to play games. Hence, the audience is people of all age groups. However, an internal research survey conducted by Microsoft observed that the demographic of Xbox users ranged in gender, age, and generation. The age group range is from 16 to 30 years of age for hardcore gamers. Hence the target audience for Xbox is mainly teenagers and adults from around 20 to 45 years of age.
Generation plays a considerable role in garnering the kind of audience that’s more likely to use these products hence, teenagers are targeted greatly more than older people. This age group is the future for these categories of products.
Lifestyle gamers tend to be antisocial and thus try and build relationships online for which Xbox provides features such as online chat. Behaviour gamers are the most loyal ones as consumers so the company focuses more on them.
With a clear intention to compete with its arch-rival PlayStation Sony, Microsoft released Xbox with many specifications that gave it a lead over PlayStation.
Xbox introduced a gaming console that did not require a specialized hardware platform designed for gaming purposes only. Instead, it was based on the same hardware on which Microsoft’s computer platform was based. The Xbox hardware is derived from the same electronic architecture as the standard IBM-compatible PCs.
Marketing Campaigns
In May 2006, Microsoft rolled out its $40 billion marketing campaign for the 2007 Xbox 360 exclusive Halo 3 game, with a theoretical trailer release at the E3 gaming expo, which went on to become a record-breaking juggernaut that sold 14.5 million copies.
A second trailer released on December 4, 2006, produced by global ad agency McCann-Erickson, had been viewed over 11 million times by the time the title was launched the following September.
The last major advertising campaign before and during Halo 3’s release was a series of videos marketed with the tagline “Believe”, beginning September 11, 2007.
In addition, Halo 3’s marketing initiatives included a virtual reality game, over 10,000 global launch events, and advertising collaborations with PepsiCo and Burger King.
2019 saw record attendance at the well-known Australian gaming convention PAX Australia (@PAX AUS). The three-day Melbourne event attracted more than 80,000 gamers and featured expert panels, concerts with a gaming theme, competitions, and exhibitor booths from both independent and well-known game publishers and developers.
Xbox Australia and New Zealand (@XboxANZ) intended to increase brand awareness and engagement during a significant gaming event and offer both attendees and viewers at home an active brand experience.
Twitter was the ideal channel for Xbox to maximize its exposure at PAX because it has a sizable gaming audience. Xbox wanted to increase real-time interaction at PAX and become the most talked-about console brand there.
The “Beyond Generations” campaign was created by James Crosby and William Cottam, and directed by Chris Fowles through Craft.
The most recent of all Xbox partnered with Pringles for a campaign to bring a digital zombie called Frank to life.
Digital Marketing Strategy of Xbox
Social Media Marketing
Xbox has its presence on all major social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
The gaming giant is highly active on all platforms and enjoys a massive fan following. It has the most followers on Facebook with a whopping 21.83 M+ followers on its account. This is followed by Twitter with 18.7 M, Instagram with 12.7 M followers, and lastly LinkedIn with 10k+ followers (As LinkedIn is mostly used for and by professionals hence the number).
The posts contain a variety of content ranging from promotional, informational, and product launches to even relatable memes. This ensures very high engagement from the users.
You might want to check out their handles:
- Facebook: Xbox (21M+ followers)
- Twitter: Xbox (18.7 M+ followers)
- Instagram: Xbox (13.1 M followers)
- LinkedIn: Xbox Game Studios publishing (10,693 followers), Studio Quality – Xbox Game Studios (7,914 followers).
SEO Strategies
As per SEO ranking, it is said that the number of keywords – below 500 is bad, above 1000 is good, and 10,000+ is amazing. As we can see, www.xbox.com has 3,840,512 organic keywords and it’s considered amazing. That means the digital marketing of Xbox has an excellent number of insights.
Also, the traffic per month is around 46M+ which is outstanding. Hence, Xbox is doing great with its SEO strategies in maintaining its digital presence. Xbox should keep up the work to keep soaring high in the Google organic SERP results.
Influencer Marketing
Xbox has collaborated with many top gaming influencers who have a huge popularity and fan base through YouTube, Blogging websites, etc. Recently, Xbox collaborated with TikTok sensation Khaby Lame – one of the world’s most popular TikTok creators, with 120.7 million followers – to launch their “Simply Next Gen” campaign with Ayzenberg and ION.
Check out his TikTok video here: @xbox
E-commerce Strategies
Xbox has its own website where users can make purchases of its products. But it is also available on recommended online retailers like Amazon and Flipkart.
Mobile Apps
The Xbox app keeps you connected to your gaming community with the ease of your phone or tablet. The Xbox mobile app allows you to share your game clips & screenshots, chat with other gamers, view your achievements and share them with your friends online also, and get notifications. Plus, you can play games directly from your console too.
Joining Xbox parties will allow you to get together and chat with friends as you move from game to game, right from your phone or tablet. Chat with friends on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC.
Xbox remote play – The Xbox app is more useful than ever. You can play games from your console straight to your phone or tablet over the network with Xbox remote play. Find and install new games even if you’re not at home, or adjust console settings just how you like.
Content Marketing Strategies
Xbox is very active on social media platforms. Its posts are highly engaging and grab users’ attention with regular posts and relatable content. Apart from social media, Xbox also organizes events at various game launches and holds contests to ensure that gamers are greatly involved.
Hence, the marketing strategy of Xbox needs to be always updated to beat the competition. Here are some of the top competitors of Xbox.
Top Competitors of Xbox
- Google Stadia: Google’s cloud gaming platform aims to provide high-quality gaming experiences without dedicated hardware.
- Valve (Steam Machines): Valve’s Steam Machines, while not as prominent, are a part of the PC gaming ecosystem and compete for the attention of gamers.
- Alienware (Dell): Alienware’s gaming PCs and hardware accessories are popular among PC gamers.
- Asus: Asus manufactures gaming laptops, monitors, and components, providing options for PC gamers.
- PlayStation (Sony): Sony’s PlayStation is Xbox’s primary competitor, known for exclusive titles and powerful gaming hardware.
Before we conclude this case study on the marketing strategy of Xbox let us have a look at an example of a campaign of Xbox that faced user backlash.
Example of a Failed Campaign
One example of a failed campaign associated with Xbox was the “Xbox One DRM Policies Reveal” in 2013.
The issue with the failed “Xbox One DRM Policies Reveal” in 2013 was primarily related to the Digital Rights Management (DRM) policies that Microsoft initially announced for the Xbox.
These policies included:
- Always-Online Requirement
- Used Games Restrictions
- Kinect Privacy Concern
What was the issue?
The issue stemmed from a lack of alignment between these policies and the expectations of the gaming community. Gamers saw these policies as intrusive, restrictive, and potentially harmful to their gaming experiences. The negative reactions were particularly intense, with many vocal gamers expressing their concerns online, which contributed to a significant backlash.
What backlash did the brand face?
The Xbox faced significant backlash and negative reactions from gamers and the gaming community as a whole in response to the initial announcement of the Xbox One’s Digital Rights Management (DRM) policies in 2013. Some of the major sources of backlash included:
- Always-Online Requirement
- Used Games Restrictions
- Kinect Privacy Concerns
- Backlash on Social Media
What did the brand do in this situation?
In response to the significant backlash and negative reactions to the Xbox One’s DRM policies, Microsoft took several actions to address the situation:
- Reversal of Policies
- Communication and Apology
- Listening to the Community
- Adjusting Marketing Messaging
- Reversing the Negative Sentiment
These actions were significant in addressing the backlash and transforming the perception of the Xbox One in the gaming community. Ultimately, Microsoft’s willingness to listen, adapt, and communicate effectively with its user base played a crucial role in salvaging the situation and ensuring a more positive launch for the Xbox One.
This ends with an elaborative study of the marketing strategy of Xbox. Let us conclude our learning below from the marketing strategy of Xbox.
Conclusion – What’s Unique In Xbox’s Marketing?
In the marketing strategy of Xbox, we saw that Xbox is the leading video gaming console. With the excellent marketing strategy of Xbox, it manages to come to the mind of a gamer when they think about video gaming. Xbox’s user-first approach has made it possible to bring in users’ convenience and enhance their gaming experience.
Having outstanding digital marketing skills can prove to be a boon for your company. With SEO-optimised strategies, you can easily target your audience and grab their attention towards your company. As we all know now when the digital revolution is taking place, it has become mandatory to have a digital presence! Having said that in order to grow your reach you will need at-par digital marketing skills.
Digital marketing is crucial since it links a company with its clients when they are online and is effective across all sectors. It links businesses with ideal consumers through SEO and PPC on Google, social media marketing, and email marketing. If you would like to learn more and develop skills, check out IIDE’s 4-Month Digital Marketing Course to learn more.
Alternatively, you can enrol in one of our free online masterclasses led by IIDE’s CEO, Karan Shah, to gain insight into the field of digital marketing.
We hope this blog on the marketing strategy of Xbox has given you a good insight into the company’s marketing strategies.
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