The Nintendo Switch Power
Nintendo has forged their own path since 1889, when they began making playing cards in Japan. (About, 2020). Today, Nintendo shares their characters, ideas, and worlds through the medium of video games and the entertainment industry (About, 2020). Nintendo’s legacy has continued with their latest console called Nintendo Switch.
The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console that can be used as either a home console or a portable device. It is designed to fit your life, transforming from home console to portable system in a snap (Nintendo Switch, 2020). The three modes include tv mode, tabletop mode, and handheld mode (Nintendo Switch, 2020). Since its launch on March 3, 2017, the Nintendo Switch has sold over 65 million consoles worldwide (Gough, 2020). Nintendo Switch has given new life to the Nintendo company after poor sales of its predecessor, the Wii U (Gough, 2020). According to an article in Statista, the Nintendo Switch sets itself apart from its competitors by the fact that it can be used as both a stationary console and a portable device (Gough, 2020). Nintendo’s audience is built on strong first-party titles, brand loyalty, and portability of Nintendo Switch (Wilde, 2020). Blockbuster series such as The Legend of Zelda, Mario, and Pokémon are all exclusive to Nintendo, meaning that fans can only play their favorite games on Nintendo consoles (Gough, 2020).
“I’ve never once been embarrassed that children have supported Nintendo. I’m proud of it. That’s because children judge products based on instinct.” -Satoru Iwata (4th President & CEO of Nintendo)
Nintendo Switch’s target market has a unique range that involves youth or nostalgia of youth. The three main target markets are teens, young adults, and families. Nintendo Switch users are split 50/50 for male and female (Valentine, 2019). Early adopters of the Nintendo Switch tended to be in the mid 20’s to mid 30’s (Valentine, 2019). However, as the time has gone on the age range for the system has spread both older and younger. For Q4 2018, 31% of owners were under 24, and 21% fell into the 35–44 range (Valentine, 2019). An article in the USA Today, reported the console has been among the hottest tech products this year. Families have struggled at home due to quarantine and turned to video games to bide their time (Molina, 2020). These trends support the target market of young teens, adults, and families.
The best way to market to Nintendo’s target market is through social media channels. Nintendo’s social media channels are used to market their products including upcoming games to a large audience. They are also able to develop and maintain relationships with their customer base. Instagram is a great example of marketing for the Nintendo Switch.
Given the younger demographics of their fan base, Instagram is the perfect fit for Nintendo’s target market. The two largest demographics for Instagram are 18–24 and 25–35 (Iqbal, 2020). Nintendo’s official Instagram page has 6.7 million followers (Nintendo, 2020). Nintendo can show off their console and games through photos, video reels, and stories. They can encourage people to use #nintendo to be part of the story. User generated content is an efficient way to get more engagement and reach. Nintendo can also team up with different types of influencers like celebrities, video game developers, and famous gamers.
There are also opportunities for advertisement on social media like Instagram. The potential advertising reach on Instagram is 840.3 million users (Newsberry, 2019). As Christmas shopping season approaches, this can be an important tool to reach Nintendo’s target market. Many people turn to video game products as Christmas gifts for their family. Or even splurge for themselves with Black Friday deals.
Nintendo Switch’s unique selling points include exclusive characters, familiarity of the brand, and versatility of the console. These selling points can all be woven into Nintendo’s marketing strategy. The exclusive characters and familiarity of the brand go hand in hand. Parents and young adults grew up with Nintendo and these characters. I would market and create a nostalgic feeling. I personally have fond memories of playing Mario Kart with my brother and cousins. As a marketer, I would want to show how Nintendo can bring families together and creates happiness. In this pandemic, Nintendo can focus on the different features that family and friends can play either in person or virtually. The three different modes of Nintendo Switch make it unique than any other gaming consoles. The versatility can show off the variety ways to play the games and connect with people.
Identifying a target market helps a company develop effective marketing strategies (Hubbard, 2019). It’s important to have a target market because it enables a company to direct its resources, like time and money, to the appropriate audience. By having a target market, a company has a better chance for sales growth, interest in the products, and loyalty of the brand.
References
About Nintendo. (2020, November 3). Nintendo. https://www.nintendo.com/about/
Gough, Christina. (2020, October 16). Global unit sales of Nintendo Switch console 2017–2020. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/687059/nintendo-switch-unit-sales-worldwide/
Hubbard, Lori. (2019, February 19). Why Is Identifying the Target Market so Important to a Company. Chron. https://smallbusiness.chron.com/identifying-target-market-important-company-76792.html
Iqbal, Mansoor. (2020, October 30). Instagram Revenue and Usage Statistics (2020). Business of Apps. https://www.businessofapps.com/data/instagram-statistics/#:~:text=The%20most%2Dfollowed%20demographic%20is,female%20influencers%20aged%2018%2D24.
Molina, Brett. (2020, September 24). Nintendo Switch is still tough to buy. Here’s where to look. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2020/09/24/nintendo-switch-has-been-popular-year-still-tough-buy/3503757001/
Newsberry. Christina. (2019, October 22). 37 Instagram Stats That Matter to Marketers in 2020. Hootsuite. https://blog.hootsuite.com/instagram-statistics/
Nintendo. (2020, November 8). Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/nintendo/
Nintendo Switch. (2020, November 3). Nintendo. https://www.nintendo.com/switch/system/
Valentine, Rebekah. (2019, February 11). EEDAR: Nintendo Switch attracting more women, wider age ranges over time. Gamesindustry.biz. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-02-11-eedar-nintendo-switch-attracting-more-women-wider-age-ranges-over-time#:~:text=Early%20adopters%20of%20the%20Nintendo,into%20the%2035%2D44%20range
Wilde, Thomas. (2020, September 8). Analysis: In 9th console generation, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo aren’t playing the same game. GeekWire. https://www.geekwire.com/2020/analysis-9th-console-generation-microsoft-sony-nintendo-arent-playing-game/