Nintendo Switch: One-Size-Fits-All
Now you’re playing with power! I remember this advertisement when I was a kid. Starting with the Nintendo Entertainment System, a Nintendo has existed in my home in one form or another for the better part of my life. I’m trying to not be over nostalgic, but it’s hard not to think about the fun Nintendo has given me throughout my life. When I spent the night at a friend’s, it was essential to bring a few games and a controller. Pillow and blanket were optional. As I got older, the consoles evolved. The controls added some buttons. The mechanics and specifications were more advanced. Today the Switch is Nintendo’s flagship console. Why as an adult do I have this sitting right next to my TV? I should be buying tools, car emergency kits, closet organizers, and other grown-up things. Why was I compelled to buy this toy videogame? I have decided not to feel bad about this. I’m not going to blame myself. I was just another helpless victim of Nintendo’s target marketing.
The Nintendo Switch is a gaming console for people who want the capabilities and library of a gaming console with the flexibility of a portable. In the early days of gaming, you were forced to play your games on a computer or console connected to a television. As gaming grew in popularity there became a demand for the portable gaming system. This would be useful if you wanted to keep kids from fighting in the car on a trip or pass time stuck in a hotel. The handheld gaming options provided solid games and entertainment even if the quality wasn’t as great as home consoles. Gamers eventually pondered the notion of a portable gaming console. The price for that kind of technology would be too expensive at the time, so that idea would have to wait. Lo and behold an announcement would be made in October of 2016 that Nintendo would be releasing a console with a built-in screen that could be played at home and on the go (Wikipedia, 2021). The console could be used as a hand-held gaming device or plugged into a television as a home console. The built-in screen could even stand on a surface like a small portable television while being played with removable controllers. Whether you were home or away, you could play this console by yourself, with someone sitting beside you, or with friends online. This is an incredibly unique selling point as no other console in the world does this. But who exactly is the Nintendo Switch for?
Segmentation
Target marketing breaks large markets into smaller segments with the purpose of connecting to specific defined groups (Blitch, 2021, slide 4). Markets can be divided by demographic, psychographic, behavioral, and geographic segmentation. We will look at each of these areas and see how Nintendo is able to characterize their customers.
Demographics are a simple segmentation technique. This includes age, gender, marital status, race, and religion (Blitch, 2021, slide 4). I think of demographics as a typical box-check item or short answer fields for applications and surveys. The Nintendo Switch home page found at https://www.nintendo.com/switch/ displays a slideshow that features people in a variety of settings playing the Switch. Multiple examples of race, gender, and relationships are present (Nintendo, 2021). Nintendo targets a diverse set of demographics with a slightly focused range of age. Children, young adults, and parents are all seen playing the Switch. Nintendo appears to be targeting people of my age who have grown up with their systems, but are also looking to include the next generation of a youthful user-base. Many of these young gamers are likely the children of Generation X and Millennial Nintendo fans. The suggested retail price of $299.99 for the standard model, and an even lower cost Nintendo Switch Lite at $199.99 give two affordable options for this gaming system (Nintendo, 2021). This makes the Switch available at many income levels and life-styles.
Psychographic segmentation is based on opinions, values, lifestyle, and personality (Blitch, 2021, slide 9). Nintendo views the Switch as the perfect item for anyone who wants a fun gaming experience. Nintendo’s first-party games provide little more than humor-themed or fantasy violence and are appropriate for most ages. Much of Nintendo’s software is easy to learn for beginners while providing fun challenges for adults. Single player games are available while multiplayer options exist online, or locally on the same system. Images from the Nintendo Switch page show gamers sharing the experience with others whether it be friends, siblings, families, or partners (Nintendo, 2021). The use of motion controls and portability are especially appealing for life on the go, but the ability to play online and on a TV are perfect for entertainment during a pandemic.
Purchasing habits, user status, and brand interactions are all examples of behavioral segmentation (Blitch, 2021, slide 10). Most gamers feel strongly about the console that they play on. The loyalty seems to run deeper with Nintendo due to their first-party exclusives. In 2018, a majority of the best-selling games were third-party software (Gilbert, 2019). This means that those games can be played on multiple consoles. The only first-party exclusive to make the top 5 was Super Smash Bros. Ultimate despite being released in December and on the shelf for three weeks (Webb, 2019). This means the number five best-selling-game could only be played on a Nintendo. Nintendo had 6 first-party exclusives make the top 20 list of best-selling games (Webb, 2019). Eighty five percent of the software sales for the Switch are games made or published by Nintendo (Gilbert, 2019). Nintendo characters are timeless mascots appearing in many games across all the generations of their consoles.
Another simple form of segmentation is geographic. A target audience can be sorted by a physical area from the size of a small neighborhood to a large country (Blitch, 2021, slide 11). According to the Statista Research Department (2021), the top three countries by unit sales of the Nintendo Switch as of September 2020 were North America (23.56 million), Europe (16.8 million), and Japan (15.08 million).
Buyer Persona
After researching the Nintendo Switch and looking at targeted marketing concepts, we can put together a typical Nintendo Switch gamer. Nintendo is looking at buyer personas that include boys and girls ages 6 to 30. Most Nintendo Switch users are living in a family setting, or game with others they are close to. Older gamers are more than likely loyal to the brand and have owned a Nintendo console previously. More Switch owners live in North America, Europe, and Japan but I would also emphasize that Nintendo is a very global company with a diverse base of users.
Social Media Strategies
Most younger children are not on social media, but may watch YouTube. YouTube ads showing children playing fun cartoon-themed games with Mario are a way to get noticed by the younger audience. Showing these during the holiday shopping season would be a great way to give kids ideas of what to ask for at Christmas. Nintendo could use Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to show ads featuring games like Zelda or Smash Bros. Some of these games might be for a more mature audience, or aimed at people who want to play with others competitively (online or offline). Holidays are good times to bring awareness to these games, but this age group is focused and aware of release dates. Building hype prior to release can take advantage of this. Facebook would be an opportunity to reach the parents. Facebook ads could include favorite Nintendo characters from an adult’s childhood, and could either influence the audience with some nostalgia, or showing games that would be fun for the whole family. Game footage of first-party exclusives would be more beneficial than third-party games, as that is what most people choose Nintendo for. Nintendo should showcase the console being played on a TV or on its own taken anywhere. Each of the social media platforms can provide opportunities to engage the audience, and see their reactions of the product through monitoring and listening. Social media can also provide information about where their traffic is coming from and where online sales are being directed from. Many people who have purchased something from Nintendo have a Nintendo account. Emails can be sent to those members with news and events promoting Nintendo products.
Conclusion
A targeted marketing campaign allows Nintendo to show meaningful information to their loyal customers. Although the age group is broad, knowing which types of ads to display on social media according to gender and age can be helpful. Nintendo can also take advantage of Mario, Link, and Donkey Kong popularity with their fans and send suitable ads to those subscribed with Nintendo accounts to their emails. Nintendo understands all of this, and is why they have really stood the test of time with a loyal following. Although the Nintendo Switch takes a one-size-fits-all approach, it still benefits from targeted marketing strategies.
References
Blitch, K. (2021). Target Marketing: Demographics & Psychographics [Lecture presentation].
Gilbert, B. (2019, February 04). Nintendo’s recent SUCCESS highlights a critical risk to the GAMING GIANT’S business. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from https://www.businessinsider.com/nintendo-reliance-on-first-party-games-huge-risk-to-business-2019-2
Nintendo. (2021). Nintendo Switch™ family — official site. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from https://www.nintendo.com/switch/
Statista Research Department. (2021, January 22). Nintendo Switch sales by REGION 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1101901/unit-sales-nintendo-switch-region/
Webb, K. (2019, January 23). ‘Red dead Redemption 2’ beat out ‘Call of DUTY’ to Become 2018’S best-seller — these were the 20 best-selling games of the year. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from https://www.businessinsider.com/best-selling-video-games-2018-2019-1#5-super-smash-bros-ultimate-nintendo-switch-16
Wikipedia. (2021, March 15). Nintendo Switch. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Switch
