A marketing show caused by a "big pineapple"

Wen/Zhang Shule
Originally contained in the Sales and Marketing/Review Edition, 7th 2012
　　　　
An anecdote called Cosmic tragedy began in late May, constantly spreading across various platforms on the Internet: "The blizzard epic" Diablo 3 "(Diabloⅲ) is a 18-forbidden adult game because the game contains too many gory killing elements. Recently, a player in a StarCraft competition in the scene of the lottery to draw the "Dark 3" version of the collection, but eventually because the 18-year-old and only took a gift ticket, life is really ups and downs ah. ”
　　　　
The anecdote is just one of a variety of "big pineapple" stories that have been widely spread among netizens by the "Diablo 3", which was dubbed "The Great Pineapple" by the player according to its name, May 15, the global launch. The other side of the story is that only on sale day, "Big Pineapple" sold 1.5 million sets, compared to the previous generation of less than the first day of the achievement of the million sets.

A cosmic tragedy of no exaggeration
　　　　
For those who do not play the game, the cosmic tragedy does seem conspicuous. However, for gamers, that is, the "Big Pineapple" to affect the crowd, the cosmic tragedy is a veritable. Because the two parts of the game have conquered tens of millions of gamers several years ago and do not count pirated game users.
　　　　
This is mainly from the "Diablo 3" game of the development company, Blizzard Entertainment, the world's top gaming software maker, which has been in existence for more than more than 20 years, has launched more than 20 games of Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo, although, compared with the number of games, it is comparable to the EA, Nintendo and other companies, It's just a fraction. But despite this, but each game is known as the classic players, sales are in more than million, so that the industry and players on the blizzard products have such two word-of-mouth: "Blizzard produced, will be fine", "has been imitated, never been surpassed."
　　　　
And because of that, "Diablo 3" before the sale on 15th, has been on the network, the players have a large-scale spontaneous discussion, and such an anecdote in the 15th release date, which is called the cosmic tragedy not to arouse the netizens disgust, but was widely disseminated, and relish, And there is no official news to confirm the premise.
　　　　
There is no news that this "cosmic tragedy" is a carefully planned blizzard of a marketing drama or a real event, or from the player's spoof, but there is an obvious flaw in the picture, that the player in the award and was told not to accept the prize when the clothes are not the same, but in the same scene, This makes the online discussion about this cosmic tragedy more interesting and makes people think it is a marketing show with ingenuity.
　　　　
And what Blizzard has gained in this cosmic-level tragedy is not just the popularity and selling of Diablo 3, so as to stimulate the attention of non-Blizzard fans and purchase desire, but also cleverly to the game's grading through the image of the anecdote to let people know, of course, the purpose is to allow the 18 years old to buy or not to buy, is not covered in this article.

The pineapple Show of the Gods Carnival
　　　　
In addition to the cosmic tragedy so temporarily no one announced the marketing incident is responsible for word-of-mouth transmission cases, some and game-related enterprises are also active to join the "Big Pineapple" word-of-mouth marketing show, of course, this is never to learn Lei Feng.
　　　　
On the midday of May 16, Durex, the official microblog, published a message: "The Big Pineapple is said to have robbed the women men, it seems that in the next period of time, du will be very quiet." ”

A remark, a micro-blog uproar, more than 6,000 forwarding, nearly thousands of comments let this micro-blog immediately became a hot topic, from the content of the commentary, "Diablo 3" fans accounted for the vast majority of their expression is also more neutral, praised the exquisite game, but also willing to accept Durex "yellow news" ridicule.

Even then, a "dark widow" entry came into being, becoming a popular word on the internet, implying that the other half was the "Big Pineapple" fan of the poor sister. Their other half has been called "Big Pineapple" to go, can only be depressed alone.

Of course, such marketing itself is based on the successful re-creation of Blizzard's past marketing. Once there was an official blizzard propaganda poster: "Girls, I'm back to rob your boyfriend." "This makes Blizzard's game has always been a very strong competitive metaphor, but also makes Durex this micro-Bo's explosive force is more strong, the player's inner recognition, blizzard official leadership, Durex Initiative stance, tripartite power synthesis, let this micro bo more impact." In fact, this is similar to the cosmic tragedy case.

Similar to the "Big pineapple" craze to market your own case a lot, and every time has been very good word-of-mouth transmission effectiveness, the reason is very simple, from the Durex case can be seen, Durex cleverly according to their fans and "Big Pineapple" fans of high overlap, With the most topic of temptation is also consistent with its own positioning of the marketing approach to publicity, seemingly self-pity, was "big pineapple" robbed business, actually but effectively aroused its own highly young and fashionable fans of the game's love, and indirectly affect the fans of the game friends to participate in this Word-of-mouth feast. Of course, the "Yellow News" results will not be gray, cleverly reminded users not to forget Durex for the game, but also cleverly with the "Big Pineapple" positive word-of-mouth, for their own set a more fashionable, more interesting white-collar friends image.

Obviously, other initiatives to learn from Lei Feng's participation in "Big Pineapple" marketing, most of them are based on their own brand positioning and user categories and the type of game players of the similarity of a total win Word-of-mouth show, only micro-bo, there are Samsung, MSI, Sky Wing video, Broadway several branches, Shell nets, SOURCE branch solid-state hard drive and other enterprises, and even Xiamen Simin Public Security Bureau such as the government department of Micro-Bo also to "Big Pineapple" for the entrance of the mouth Friendship tips students: "As soon as the annual college entrance examination season, the police uncle to remind you candidates and parents to pay attention to the safety of the test, but also to remind a major killer-Diablo 3 , this dongdong is now popular all over the world, it is estimated that many students really want to play dry for a few days. Uncle advise you male candidates, endure! After the test, and then play not late, the test of good results, mother is happy.

This time, even with the obvious propaganda tone, netizens still enjoy it because heThey hope to have more recognition of the love of the Big pineapple, even from the merchant.

Accurate word of mouth marketing

"Big Pineapple" triggered by the marketing show can be a four-way to set off the heat wave, the biggest source is Blizzard Entertainment as a game manufacturer, in the game design rigorous and quality improvement.

Unlike other gaming peers, Blizzard itself is not a company that is passionate about product promotion, not that it does not do marketing, but rather that it puts more of its experience on the tempering of products. The author has in his book mentioned such a point of view: "Promote marketing first to ensure that the product is genuine, otherwise, even if the promotion of success, will not be long." Conversely, the real good products, do not actively promote, as can be a strong word-of-mouth transmission. "Blizzard is such a company.

All the products of this company, each one of which is largely known as the impeccable reputation of the user, this makes 20 years of accumulation, ten years to wear a sword of quality, to ensure that the player a high degree of identity, so that every bit of the blizzard game Research and development of information "inadvertently" leakage, will become a very high topic of attention.

This creates blizzard's most powerful Word-of-mouth marketing circle, a maximum blizzard user community circle, is also a minimal game circle, each user has become a blizzard to disseminate information of a node, a radio station, a transit point, they are linked to the group are feather blizzard users , which makes every communication as accurate and effective as possible, directly in the form of Word-of-mouth, to the people concerned, not to the player group, thus ensuring the effective arrival rate of transmission.

Of course, Blizzard does not often sell, but very attentively in some small details of the fuss, such as not yet proved to be blizzard for the cosmic-level tragedy, but ignited a word of mouth storm, and can be confirmed that blizzard every April Fool's Day will release some funny information, such as its classic game "StarCraft" will be able to provide the game mode of the Transformers, "World of Warcraft" can be danced in the way of fighting and so on.

According to the word of mouth avalanche theory I put forward in the book Lingbo Micro-step, blizzard only acts as a publisher, it has been through the product quality accumulation of the thick reputation of the snow, with similar such good-looking, playful information as crowbar, to roll up a small snowball, and then used for Word-of-mouth snow, Can roll up a huge snowball, and even affect from ordinary players, related businesses, related departments of the linkage, become a mighty Word-of-mouth avalanche, this is more than ever can be to create a gimmick marketing way, more far-reaching and lasting.

Marketing is Word-of-mouth, regardless of online network, and the power of Word-of-mouth is only relying on marketing means can not be left and right, can only rely on quality and credibility, and this is also the most powerful marketing model, just a fulcrum, you can pry up the best marketing model of the whole world