In his first interview as Ubisoft’s new head of UK marketing, Mark Slaughter tells James Batchelor how the publishing giant uses more than big budgets to reach millions of consumers with its flagship franchises
What are your plans for Ubisoft’s marketing strategy going forwards? What changes will you bring? In the UK specifically, it is key for us to be as close as we can to our audience to understand them and reach them in the most effective ways. This is the mantra our teams here in the marketing department adhere to.
The UK team is part of a huge
marketing effort that spans across the globe with the studios, our central EMEA team at our Paris HQ, the first parties and indeed our US cousins – all are involved in planning. Teamwork is critical. It is also important to ensure we remain ahead of the curve in terms of the ever-changing media landscape and consumer behaviour. It helps that we have a strong, experienced marketing team here at Ubisoft UK and a fantastic line-up to work with.
32 October 19th 2012
The size of a campaign will not guarantee success. It is truly a team effort and not just about the money we spend.
“ Mark Slaughter, Ubisoft
Ubisoft told MCV it is splashing £4m on Assassin’s Creed III – the most it has ever spent. Do publishers need to spend this much to ensure success? The size of a campaign will not guarantee the success of a product: it is a combination of factors. Fundamentally the game quality has to be there. The sales team is critical in delivering the sell-in and distribution alongside the trade marketing support, and of course PR plays a massive part in delivering the buzz, anticipation and platform to launch from. So it is truly a team effort and not just about the money we spend above the line.
The belief is there for Assassins Creed III; it is truly the culmination of three years’ hard work from an awesome studio in Montreal, and we want to show a step change in an already successful franchise.
Which franchises receive the bulk of your marketing investment? We are lucky at Ubisoft to have a strong and diverse portfolio of products and franchises. Of course, Assassin’s Creedgets top billing but we also strongly support our other major brands like Just Dance, the Tom Clancy titles, Far Cry and Rayman. We always will look at our portfolio of games and see where opportunities exist; you may remember a few years ago the intensive support we put behind the DS brand Imagine. At the time, we capitalised on the growing DS user base and a new demographic with significant support on these very casual titles.
How do you raise awareness of your lower-budget titles? There is always a place for tactical support. It’s not all about spending