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MCV speaks to account director Paul Waters about how Feref can help publishers market games right from the moment they are announced
Tell us about Feref. Feref is a marketing s agency with extensive experience in the entertainment industry. Our service is built around strategic solutions that span a diverse range of channels including brand strategy, TV, print and digital advertising, PR, social media and shopper activation. I joined from Codemasters, where I was the global brand manager for F1 2009, F1 2010 and F1 2011. So I’ve got the scars, and I understand the challenges of taking a game to market.
What has been your biggest achievement so far this year? Winning the pitch for the global F1 2012campaign was huge – especially as it will be Feref’s third year looking after F1for Codemasters. But it’s also been great working with new clients like Warner, Capcom US, Turtle Beach, Trion Worlds and Jagex.
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Do you have anything big planned for the near future? My goal is to change the way games firms work with their creative agencies. Rather than inviting agencies to pitch when it’s ‘campaign time’, I think there are benefits to be realised by working with the likes of Feref to shape the game’s vision from day one. When you’re responsible for taking a game to market it’s easy to focus on external comms over internal comms. You can’t necessarily see it day-to-day but the difference between a game where everyone’s united behind the same vision, and one where they aren’t is huge. Unfortunately
that difference is only tangible after your game is out and you look at Chart-Track on a Monday. Feref has developed a free ‘Brand Roadmap’ seminar, which is designed to serve as a project kick-off. It involves dev, brand, PR and marketing, and results in a unique, core proposition for your game. By baking the core proposition into the DNA of the game you ensure that everyone is pulling in the same direction.
Tell us something no one knows about Feref.
Our head of digital production is the chin on the box of Football Manager 2007.
My ultimate goal is to change the way games companies work with their creative agencies. Paul Waters, Feref