Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru
It is painfully obvious to anyone who knows me, even slightly, that I am not a “gamer,” the moniker commonly used to identify those who spend much of their leisure time playing or learning about different video games. Actually, the word gamer historically refers to someone who plays role-playing and war games, and literally refers to those who play all types of games—even board games—so technically, since I am an avid Scrabble and Scramble player, I am a gamer. But I digress—one of the hazards of being a word nerd. The point is, I don’t really play video games. My son owns a few and I have tried to play with him to facilitate familial bonding, but it usually ends with my throwing down the controller and my son giggling at my ineptitude. I am sorry, but playing golf by holding a vibrating piece of plastic and pushing a button does not resemble smacking a ball in real life. Not even close. But it might…very soon.
I was fortunate enough to attend the Microsoft press event at E3 on Monday and saw something I could not believe—the prototype for a controllerless video game called “Project Natal.” It provides much of the same functionality as a Wii controller, but without having to hold on to the controller. According to the videos and live, on-stage, demo given by the sunglasses wearing Kudo Tsunoda, motional control allows your body to be the controller. Want to kick a ball in a game? Then make a kicking motion. Want to buzz in in a game show setting? Smack your fist into your hand. One video showed a kid scanning his skateboard in to the sensor and then playing a skating game with his own board. That means I could play virtual golf with my own clubs! As far as I can tell, it blew everyone away, myself included. Microsoft is not saying when Project Natal will become a reality, but if they are showing it off now, the actuality of it being in living rooms around the world cannot be far off.
The lesson here is pretty simple—when you have an amazing product or service, if what you offer is innovative, industry changing and exciting, marketing is simple. I realize that for most of us, it’s not easy to innovate on the same level of a giant like Microsoft and most products are not going to change the face of the industry. But thinking big is never wrong. So, even if what you have to offer is small potatoes, find away to make a big splash. For example, when looking for promotional products to support your brand, think big…literally. Try something different like a Giant Logo Fortune Cookie. Imagine a fortune cookie the size of a football, hand dipped in luscious White Chocolate with a personalized fortune inside and a 100% edible image on the outside. This cookie is guaranteed to make a big impression! True, it’s probably not going to change the world, but it might just make enough of an impact to change your bottom line.
Project Natal isn’t a reality yet, so I am going to practice my swing—on a real golf course. Until next time, remember, “You’ve got to think big, to win big.”