Using Digital Media to Mass Effect

When you have a hot property, brand, product or service, people will do just about anything to get their hands on it. As a marketer, you can leverage this unwavering 'want' by making the customer jump through hoops to get at it. Then once you've got them hooked, it's even easier to make the customer do the things you want them to do.

The brands that already know this (and exploit it to mass effect) are obvious. Apple is the first one that springs to mind, Rovio (makers of Angry Birds) come in second. Apple may not technically have the best tech on the market (not in my opinion anyway), but they sure as hell have the coolest. Forbes said it best only 2 weeks ago 'Apple Made the Rules and Can Break Them Whenever It Wants'.

These days though, it's all about making the customer jump through what I'll coin to be 'digital hoops'. These hoops can be as simple as making someone sign up to a newsletter or even upselling them when they've decided to checkout on your eCommerce site. The games industry has this process nailed to perfection. Let's take a look at what is arguably the hottest game on the planet right now 'Mass Effect 3' and how EA and BioWare have used digital media to get 'mass effect'...

Mass Effect (ME) is an extremely popular series of sci-fi RPG games that are developed by BioWare and published by EA. The first 2 instalments in the series went on to sell millions and received widespread critical acclaim. In a nutshell, ME is huge and equals big business for all involved. So fast forward to the latest instalment, ME 3, which also happens to be the final game in the series and promises to tie up all loose ends in the ME mythology (to all the nerds, I did say 'promises').

If you've played any of the previous ME games there is simply no way in hell you'd not consider buying Mass Effect 3. EA have it in the bag. They've already got a locked down market that are ready and willing to fork out the cash, their only challenge is making the game even bigger and reaching new untapped markets. But for now, let's focus on the ME fans, of which there are millions globally, because that's really what this blog is about. How to make the people who already have a 'want' do more than just purchase the product.

What's at the core of Mass Effect is a solid story, great writing and a world you never want to leave. Gamers truly do care about what happens to the characters and will literally scour the game's crevices to find anything and everything they can about the mythology. EA leverages this by releasing Mass Effect 3 with what is largely an incomplete story, but enough of a story to satisfy gamers who just purchase the game and do nothing else. But for those who want to know 'everything' and want to get their hands on the complete experience, they can do the following:

Firstly, head over to the iOS store and buy 'Mass Effect Infiltrator' for an extra $6.99. Doing this not only gives the gamer another cool, fun stand-alone experience, but it also impacts on Mass Effect 3 by unlocking extra in-game content and even gives you a better chance of survival in the game's closing battle sequence. An extra $7 isn't bad is it? It's also worth noting that this game was developed by an entirely different developer.

Now, while you're there, you might as well download the 'Mass Effect Datapad'. This again, is a pretty cool little app in itself, but also adds to the overall Mass Effect 3 experience by unlocking even more content, etc. But wait, it's free? Of course it is. Within the app is a feature that allows BioWare to send gamers news and updates about the Mass Effect universe, and about any other upcoming games or related content. Having the brand on the customer's device and being able to message them whenever you want... I'd call that a home run.

 

In the lead up to the game's big launch, EA asked fans on Facebook to use their 'Mass Effect Recruitment App' to share the game with friends and to complete a number of social objectives. Overall, this was a clever way of using fans to generate a buzz around the game.

Then there's the extra 'From Ashes' DLC (Downloadable Content) that can be purchased online for a cool $10 or included for free in the Collector's Edition (which again, costs a little more). While many gamers were outraged at being forced to purchase what is arguably a stripped out piece of the game's core storyline, millions still reached for their wallets and were delighted to extend their Mass Effect experience a little bit longer.

With Mass Effect 3, EA & BioWare hit gamers on all fronts, with a digital onslaught of content. Every piece of content was designed to achieve different objectives, ranging from generating extra revenue to creating a viral buzz. As a brand, if you've got a hot product or service that people want it's time to start leveraging digital media to get more out of the customer. I'm not suggesting brands simply milk customers, but instead brands should look at crafting digital experiences that are rewarding for the customer, whilst simultaneously ticking all the right marketing/business boxes.

Now, out of 50 points, how did all of you score in my blog?

• 10 Points - You are a fan of Mass Effect
• 10 Points - You are aware of the "ending controversy"
• 10 Points - You are a sucker for this type of stuff
• 10 Points - You agree with me that Garrus is the best ME character
• 10 Points - You know what the term 'FemShep' means

- Digital Goose