How well is your company making use of today's marketing opportunities being offered through journalists and press outlets? Does your company excel at 'getting the word out' or does it wait for the press to come knocking on the front door? What messages are you sending to your buying public - or to those who may wish to enter the talent pipeline in a few years?
Almost one year ago, I launched my small news site whose purpose was (and still is) to publicize all of the innovative digital media, peripheral and software products which are developed in Canada. In part, I launched this site because Canadian digital media news seemed very hard to come by on the larger, international news sites, and I envisioned a site which would create a focal news point for Canadian digital media companies. Since launching the site, I have found that tracking down Canadian news to share with the rest of the internet world is often like searching for Bigfoot in the BC Interior.
Why are we so hesitant to shout our news to the world? The nature of our industry is very social - many of us know each other, and as we all enjoy attending events, we are a networking-savvy and educated group. Many in our industry enjoy sharing news and knowledge as speakers at seminars and expos. We just don't seem to like telling the rest of the world about all of the great things that are going on in Canada, and in this, I believe we are doing ourselves and our industry a disservice - especially in the face of current economic challenges.
People around the world are interested in what we as Canadians are doing. Visitor stats for my own site support this, with an average of 7 page views and an average 20 minute visit, and the number of site visits grow each day - even on days when I've posted nothing new. This is not bad for a site which to date only has about 500 news articles on it. So what then, are the barriers to putting our companies into the forefront of the news media? Is it a lack of person-power in our offices? A lack of knowledge about how to develop a mutually beneficial relationship with the press? Or is it a fear of less than 100% favourable publicity and returns?
The purpose of the media is to inform and engage the public in events which are occurring throughout the day. This is done by the sharing of information and opinions. The public responds with either a desire for further information or an opinion of their own. These forms of communication are part of what our society is built upon - and part of what a company's success can be built upon. Certainly as an industry we are all mature enough to know that not everyone is going to be as excited or approving as all of our products as we may be. However, we also have to deal with being of the creative ilk that produces these dynamic products, and that creativity often comes with the fragile ego of the artist. Is that what is holding us back? Or is it just that Canadian psyche of belonging to "proper society" where one must hope to be recognized by others simply by our actions? Well - in this day and age, how is the world at large to recognize you for your actions (products), if you don't tell them?
As I began my search for Canadian studios, manufacturers, associations, schools, events and related entities, I found myself battling a growing feeling of discouragement. Site after site, while actively engaged in product development, had extremely outdated, neglected and poorly designed sites. Studios which are developing current titles hadn't posted a single news item in months - in some cases, years. On other sites, not a shred of news was to be found. Some companies make use of news wire or PR agencies to get their news out, and I regularly visit all of those press sites; unfortunately, I find myself back in the same boat I was in at the start - reading through massive amounts of press releases on completely unrelated topics in order to find those which fit into my very specialized niche.
I could easily go the route of all of the big digital media news sites and publish every story that comes out on the global wires, but I don't want to be like every other site. I am Canadian, my site is Canadian, and as a Canadian I am very proud of our digital media industry and all that it has accomplished. Our studios employ some incredibly talented people who have a passion for creating the best entertainment, the best gear, and the best software - and in many cases are on the cutting edge of innovation. We have shown through the quality of our products that Canada is one of the best development countries in the world for a reason. Why then, are we so silent about it? Why are we not engaging in this global conversation? Is it that we aren't sure about what is newsworthy and what is not?
The primary question that many should be asking themselves is this - "Is our company taking full advantage of the internet as an effective marketing tool?" This then leads into further territory and a broader scope - "Do we have information in place which lets people know not only what we've done, but what we are doing right now?" Going even further, "Does our company have a person who can deal with press inquiries, and make sure that our sites stay current?" Not all news agencies will run your story - that is a given. Sometimes it depends on the timing and the subject matter - then again, your press release could spur an idea for a major article, one which your company may be featured in. Let the press know that your company is full of experts who may be approached for opinion pieces - a good journalist will recognize from whence their experts came - and this is again beneficial for your corporate profile.
For those who are governed by international corporations - and I know there are more than just a handful of these across Canada - is your parent corporation helping your franchise or hindering it? For example, if you are developing a title for any of the big international publishers, when those dev updates, product announcements and release notices go out, are those in the head office telling your potential clients and fans that your company was involved? While NDAs and other agreements may come into play, is your studio taking advantage of whatever leeway is possible to get out news about what your company has produced? Some parent companies are very good about recognizing their satellite studios - others fail miserably. It can be very disheartening to go to the site of a well-known game dev company, only to find that the news on their site has not been updated since 2006! That company is seemingly oblivious to the fact that people want to know what they are up to - even if it is mention of awards won, events participated in - let your public know that you are still publicly active, not simply hiding away in studios and offices plotting your next move.
Some companies have embraced the value of RSS feeds and newsletters - but if they aren't updated, what real value do they offer? Others post to Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook - all great marketing tools, certainly - but they should not be depended upon for a primary source of publicity. They are meant to be incorporated into your brand, to get people excited about what you are working on, to bring traffic - and the buying public, to your site. What are they going to see once they get there? An outdated site with no information related to the tweet they just read? How are you going to convert the general public into a happy end-user if they don't know who you are and what you do?
Making use of social media is not a bad thing - in fact it's a great way to draw in your audience, but as I said earlier, it should not be your only option. Other avenues which offer excellent returns for publicity include getting involved with events - either as exhibitors, speakers or sponsors. These give exposure to your company, and they don't always cost a bundle to get involved in. While sponsorship and involvement is important for the success of "industry only" events, and while involvement in them will get your company some publicity, think outside the industry as well. Community events, schools, fundraisers, charitable activities - they are facing challenges in this economic climate as well - and many of them provide services to those who are truly in need of assistance.
Sometimes something as simple as donating a swag package to a local school or organization for a door prize provides an excellent return on investment. Sometimes all your company's participation in an events requires is a donation of time. Volunteering to help at a local event can sometimes be just as effective as donating cash or a prize - a donation of time sincerely given is often worth far more to the recipient than any product you may offer. Involvement in these types of events broaden public awareness of your name and your brand - especially if it is more than just a token effort. Provide your corporate volunteer team with shirts or caps to wear with your logo, and start taking part in the community outside your office door. People unfamiliar with who you are and what you do will engage your representatives in conversation at the event - and now you are full circle again - you've gotten their attention, will your new visitors be let down at the door? News is what you make it to be - you alone can choose to make your company a leader or a follower in the global market. Be proud to tell the world you are Canadian!
Almost one year ago, I launched my small news site whose purpose was (and still is) to publicize all of the innovative digital media, peripheral and software products which are developed in Canada. In part, I launched this site because Canadian digital media news seemed very hard to come by on the larger, international news sites, and I envisioned a site which would create a focal news point for Canadian digital media companies. Since launching the site, I have found that tracking down Canadian news to share with the rest of the internet world is often like searching for Bigfoot in the BC Interior.
Why are we so hesitant to shout our news to the world? The nature of our industry is very social - many of us know each other, and as we all enjoy attending events, we are a networking-savvy and educated group. Many in our industry enjoy sharing news and knowledge as speakers at seminars and expos. We just don't seem to like telling the rest of the world about all of the great things that are going on in Canada, and in this, I believe we are doing ourselves and our industry a disservice - especially in the face of current economic challenges.
People around the world are interested in what we as Canadians are doing. Visitor stats for my own site support this, with an average of 7 page views and an average 20 minute visit, and the number of site visits grow each day - even on days when I've posted nothing new. This is not bad for a site which to date only has about 500 news articles on it. So what then, are the barriers to putting our companies into the forefront of the news media? Is it a lack of person-power in our offices? A lack of knowledge about how to develop a mutually beneficial relationship with the press? Or is it a fear of less than 100% favourable publicity and returns?
The purpose of the media is to inform and engage the public in events which are occurring throughout the day. This is done by the sharing of information and opinions. The public responds with either a desire for further information or an opinion of their own. These forms of communication are part of what our society is built upon - and part of what a company's success can be built upon. Certainly as an industry we are all mature enough to know that not everyone is going to be as excited or approving as all of our products as we may be. However, we also have to deal with being of the creative ilk that produces these dynamic products, and that creativity often comes with the fragile ego of the artist. Is that what is holding us back? Or is it just that Canadian psyche of belonging to "proper society" where one must hope to be recognized by others simply by our actions? Well - in this day and age, how is the world at large to recognize you for your actions (products), if you don't tell them?
As I began my search for Canadian studios, manufacturers, associations, schools, events and related entities, I found myself battling a growing feeling of discouragement. Site after site, while actively engaged in product development, had extremely outdated, neglected and poorly designed sites. Studios which are developing current titles hadn't posted a single news item in months - in some cases, years. On other sites, not a shred of news was to be found. Some companies make use of news wire or PR agencies to get their news out, and I regularly visit all of those press sites; unfortunately, I find myself back in the same boat I was in at the start - reading through massive amounts of press releases on completely unrelated topics in order to find those which fit into my very specialized niche.
I could easily go the route of all of the big digital media news sites and publish every story that comes out on the global wires, but I don't want to be like every other site. I am Canadian, my site is Canadian, and as a Canadian I am very proud of our digital media industry and all that it has accomplished. Our studios employ some incredibly talented people who have a passion for creating the best entertainment, the best gear, and the best software - and in many cases are on the cutting edge of innovation. We have shown through the quality of our products that Canada is one of the best development countries in the world for a reason. Why then, are we so silent about it? Why are we not engaging in this global conversation? Is it that we aren't sure about what is newsworthy and what is not?
The primary question that many should be asking themselves is this - "Is our company taking full advantage of the internet as an effective marketing tool?" This then leads into further territory and a broader scope - "Do we have information in place which lets people know not only what we've done, but what we are doing right now?" Going even further, "Does our company have a person who can deal with press inquiries, and make sure that our sites stay current?" Not all news agencies will run your story - that is a given. Sometimes it depends on the timing and the subject matter - then again, your press release could spur an idea for a major article, one which your company may be featured in. Let the press know that your company is full of experts who may be approached for opinion pieces - a good journalist will recognize from whence their experts came - and this is again beneficial for your corporate profile.
For those who are governed by international corporations - and I know there are more than just a handful of these across Canada - is your parent corporation helping your franchise or hindering it? For example, if you are developing a title for any of the big international publishers, when those dev updates, product announcements and release notices go out, are those in the head office telling your potential clients and fans that your company was involved? While NDAs and other agreements may come into play, is your studio taking advantage of whatever leeway is possible to get out news about what your company has produced? Some parent companies are very good about recognizing their satellite studios - others fail miserably. It can be very disheartening to go to the site of a well-known game dev company, only to find that the news on their site has not been updated since 2006! That company is seemingly oblivious to the fact that people want to know what they are up to - even if it is mention of awards won, events participated in - let your public know that you are still publicly active, not simply hiding away in studios and offices plotting your next move.
Some companies have embraced the value of RSS feeds and newsletters - but if they aren't updated, what real value do they offer? Others post to Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook - all great marketing tools, certainly - but they should not be depended upon for a primary source of publicity. They are meant to be incorporated into your brand, to get people excited about what you are working on, to bring traffic - and the buying public, to your site. What are they going to see once they get there? An outdated site with no information related to the tweet they just read? How are you going to convert the general public into a happy end-user if they don't know who you are and what you do?
Making use of social media is not a bad thing - in fact it's a great way to draw in your audience, but as I said earlier, it should not be your only option. Other avenues which offer excellent returns for publicity include getting involved with events - either as exhibitors, speakers or sponsors. These give exposure to your company, and they don't always cost a bundle to get involved in. While sponsorship and involvement is important for the success of "industry only" events, and while involvement in them will get your company some publicity, think outside the industry as well. Community events, schools, fundraisers, charitable activities - they are facing challenges in this economic climate as well - and many of them provide services to those who are truly in need of assistance.
Sometimes something as simple as donating a swag package to a local school or organization for a door prize provides an excellent return on investment. Sometimes all your company's participation in an events requires is a donation of time. Volunteering to help at a local event can sometimes be just as effective as donating cash or a prize - a donation of time sincerely given is often worth far more to the recipient than any product you may offer. Involvement in these types of events broaden public awareness of your name and your brand - especially if it is more than just a token effort. Provide your corporate volunteer team with shirts or caps to wear with your logo, and start taking part in the community outside your office door. People unfamiliar with who you are and what you do will engage your representatives in conversation at the event - and now you are full circle again - you've gotten their attention, will your new visitors be let down at the door? News is what you make it to be - you alone can choose to make your company a leader or a follower in the global market. Be proud to tell the world you are Canadian!
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4 comments:
This issue came up during the Canadian government's GDC prep camp a few weeks ago. Nathalie Bergeron from High Road Communications (a PR firm) asked the group about their plans for speaking to the press at the conference. There was dead silence.
i chimed in and asked "why would the press care about anything i'm doing? My game is too small, and my company is too new."
i heard someone from the Montreal side of the telecast say "typical Canadian attitude".
i confess, that moment changed my mind about marketing my company. i, for one, am shy about promotion because it feels like boasting. Maybe that IS a Canadian attitude? i don't know. But being so small, and with the chips stacked against me, i now plan to do as much boasting/marketing/shouting from the rooftops as possible to squeeze as much possible love out of this world as i can for our upcoming game launch!
The press (most press) won't care - and can't care - unless you tell us you're there. I spend hours on the internet researching, looking for Canadian studios or tie-ins, and I have never had your studio's name come up. I didn't know your studio existed until I saw it on this blog. However - now that we know of each other's existence, I can (and have) bookmarked your site, and you can send me your press releases for publication.
Good luck at GDC, one year I will make it to San Francisco, but for this year I will content myself with GDC-Canada in Vancouver.
Why ... how opportune! i happen to have a spicy-hot press release sitting right in front of me. But your Blogger ID isn't working for me. Hit me up here:
info (the at symbol) untoldentertainment (dot) com
i'll be happy to send over our release! ... And thanks!
Email sent - awaiting return transmission.
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