On a normal day, I’m not the one to be discussing social marketing here at Dynamics Online. But while at E3 2013 in Los Angeles back in June, I came across one of my favorite uses of social media yet.

Nintendo used the show to promote the wide array of games coming to their Wii U and 3DS platforms in the later half of the year. This is very important for them, because although their 3DS portable gaming platform is selling like crazy, the Wii U has seen extremely disappointing sales. This can be partly attributed to the lack of A-list games available for the system, so Nintendo wanted to make sure gamers know what’s just ahead, especially with Sony and Microsoft releasing their next-gen systems this year, as well.

Nintendo’s Brilliant Use of Social Media at E3 2013

Now, Nintendo could’ve relied on the press to get the word out, but they’re too smart for that. Gamers love to talk about games with their friends, not with journalists, so they created a fun, simple way for attendees to get into the promotion: photo stations. The majority of the games Nintendo had on display were accompanied by large scale dioramas in which attendees could have their picture taken. Although the Nintendo reps were kind enough to let us get pictures on our own phones, they also had photographers on hand to snap pictures and direct us to video terminals. These allowed us to instantly share the pictures via e-mail, Twitter or Facebook. We simply entered our information and hit send, and photos like the one below were automatically posted to our accounts.

That’s me in the world of the newly released Pikmin 3, a wonderful game I’m currently enjoying with my family right now (when we’re not arguing over who gets to play it next). Notice the appropriate social media addresses Nintendo included when they sent this out to my Twitter feed.

Here’s one I had a passer-by take with my iPhone, just because I like it.

The photos are plenty of fun, and they worked. When showing the Mario Kart photo to a friend, he asked if it’s a Wii title.

“Wii U,” I told him.

“What’s the difference?” he asked.

Mission accomplished, Nintendo.

Now, not everyone has colorful little flower creatures they can place on a log to drum up some interest, but Nintendo’s photo ops show some creative thinking can be very effective to your social marketing strategy.

If you need any help generating new and innovative ways to attract audiences with social media marketing, give us a call today.

 

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Kirk Hiner is the E-Commerce Solutions Manager at Dynamics Online.
You can reach him by calling (216) 292-4410.