Wednesday, December 13, 2006
This isn't viral marketing!
Yo, dawg!
I got this great marketing idea! See, I'm going to set up this fansite about Rampant Games. I'll pretend to be this small community of rabid fans of Rampant Games. And I'll try to write like I think a gansta rappa talks. Yeah! That way I'll appeal to the a market that I believe to be fiscally irresponsible, and easy to imprint with branding! And naive! That's really important, too. I don't want anyone to, say, do a whois and find out that the fan site was actually made by ME. But nobody ever does that, do they?
Then I'll wait for it to snowball into a real community of rabid fans, and enjoy tremendous word-of-mouth success! After all, it worked for Frank Sinatra, right?
What * could * possibly * go * wrong ?
Don't hate the playah, hate the game, yo!
Labels: Mainstream Games
- posted by The Rampant Coyote @ 8:04 AM (Permalink)
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Oscar Wilde said that the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.
While I think this situation is entirely disgusting, I don't feel that it's going to affect Sony's reputation in the long run. In fact, comparing this to (say) the whole incident about Firestone Tires some years, back, it seems minor. Could this ultimately end up helping Sony?
While I think this situation is entirely disgusting, I don't feel that it's going to affect Sony's reputation in the long run. In fact, comparing this to (say) the whole incident about Firestone Tires some years, back, it seems minor. Could this ultimately end up helping Sony?
I don't know. It could, in the long term, be beneficial. I mean, the PSP is in the gaming news again. That much is working in their favor. After all, in spite of (or because of) the scathing reviews of the movie "Battlefield Earth," it still went on to earn $72 million.
However, if there truly was no such thing as bad publicity, then Michael Jackson's career would have been totally jump-started and better than ever a few years ago. The Edsel and "New Coke" would have been huge successes.
So we'll just have to see. I expect Sony and Zapatoni to put a convincing and positive spin on this debacle any minute now. Inevitably, it will soothe the rioting crowds in spite of their own protests.
However, if there truly was no such thing as bad publicity, then Michael Jackson's career would have been totally jump-started and better than ever a few years ago. The Edsel and "New Coke" would have been huge successes.
So we'll just have to see. I expect Sony and Zapatoni to put a convincing and positive spin on this debacle any minute now. Inevitably, it will soothe the rioting crowds in spite of their own protests.
Busted. Nailed. Snagged. As many of you have figured out (maybe our speech was a little too funky fresh???), Peter isn't a real hip-hop maven and this site was actually developed by Sony. Guess we were trying to be just a little too clever. From this point forward, we will just stick to making cool products, and use this site to give you nothing but the facts on the PSP.
Sony Computer Entertainment America
Posted by Brian H. on behalf of SCE (quoted from the aforementioned site)
Sony Computer Entertainment America
Posted by Brian H. on behalf of SCE (quoted from the aforementioned site)
I think that was the only reasonable response at this point. I mean, they could have just shut down the site and ignored it. While the post doesn't exactly apologize, it admits the error as well as trying to diminish its magnitude (they were just "a little too clever.")
Still, it's better than just taking the site down or attempting to continue the charade. I expect this will be an faux pas that will be remembered by marketers for some time to come. Although I bet the lesson learned will be, "Hide your corporate identity when you register a fake fan site."
And while I think it may not help the PSP's sales this Christmas, I doubt it is going to hurt Sony too much in the long run.
Still, it's better than just taking the site down or attempting to continue the charade. I expect this will be an faux pas that will be remembered by marketers for some time to come. Although I bet the lesson learned will be, "Hide your corporate identity when you register a fake fan site."
And while I think it may not help the PSP's sales this Christmas, I doubt it is going to hurt Sony too much in the long run.
Zipatoni, on the other hand, might be in trouble.
It looks like decision-making moved on to higher levels, to yank the site.
Bottom line - it was dishonest. I can't say I'm upset about them getting egg on their faces.
It looks like decision-making moved on to higher levels, to yank the site.
Bottom line - it was dishonest. I can't say I'm upset about them getting egg on their faces.
It happened, it was embarassing, it confirmed (again) how out of touch Sony is, and... it won't make the slightest bit of difference.
Any googler can find out more, but here are the biggies right off the top:
* the PSP grafitti tagging
* rootkit fiasco
* production problems & console delays
* laptop batteries
* stumbling console launch
Isn't this stupid viral marketing attempt merely small doritos in comparison to all that? Or has all been forgotten as we argue about blu-ray?
Any googler can find out more, but here are the biggies right off the top:
* the PSP grafitti tagging
* rootkit fiasco
* production problems & console delays
* laptop batteries
* stumbling console launch
Isn't this stupid viral marketing attempt merely small doritos in comparison to all that? Or has all been forgotten as we argue about blu-ray?
The rootkit fiasco has made me swear off buying any further CDs made by Sony, period. I've found myself purchasing more and more digital music, anyway. I can burn it to a CD later if I feel like it.
Man, I miss 1995, when Sony was so dang cool. I guess it's easier to be cool when you are the underdog.
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Man, I miss 1995, when Sony was so dang cool. I guess it's easier to be cool when you are the underdog.
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