AWARD CRITERIA: Product knowledge, Depth of advance information, Telesales customer care, Field sales reliability, Sales performance
SALES TEAM
NINTENDO
The format holder is the first to admit that 2011 presented many challenges for Nintendo and its partners... and yet its consoles were still responsible for 50 per cent of hardware market last year. The firm describes itself as “adaptable and flexible in a tough market”. That means it has “listened to retail partners and offered many promotional opportunities to drive commercial wins”. Specific successes include the 3DS deployment and eventual sales boost post-price cut. Meanwhile blockbuster software releases such as Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land, Pokemon Black and White, Zelda Ocarina of Time and Zelda Skyward Sword all reinvigorated games and family audiences alike, resulting in welcomed footfall – both on the High Street and online.
SCE UK
In the last year Sony says it has “focused more than ever on understanding our business partnersʼ needs”. Joint business plans with retailers have been the antidote to a softer market and the firm says it has shown a greater flexibility in its approach to customers businesses and is very pro- active in steadily building support throughout the year to drive as much consumer interest as possible across both hardware and software.
THQ
Regardless of the numbers its US parent has to deal with, THQ UK has specifically done incredibly well: 91.3 per cent growth year-on-year in a market that declined nine per cent. THQ went from No.9 ranked publisher to No.6. Even more impressive is the fact that there were only three people in the sales team for most of the year working across all retail partners. Products like Saints Row, uDraw, WWE12 and Homefront benefitted from this trioʼs energetic and tireless efforts.
UBISOFT
Ubisoft was the biggest selling publisher in December. The firmʼs sales team says this is down to having a strong breadth of range in the firmʼs products. Ubisoft has more titles in the top 25 2011 All Formats than any other publisher and had two titles in the Top 10 All Formats for the calendar year. The firm was very strong on 3DS, and with Vita earlier this year, while on Wii it grew market share further, thanks in no small part to Just Dance. And the Ubi sales team says credit should also go to a key team of support people: two analysts who provide a wealth of historical data and forecast every one of its titles continuously, the telesales team at Gem, and also a dedicated seven-strong Ubisoft field team who have run hundreds of events at retail.