Too Cool for School

Companies are always trying to stay on the cutting edge of what is considered "cool" to their target market. Sometimes companies are the ones who actually determine what is the newest craze. This week, I read an article discussing Activision's extreme sports line of video games. The first game of that series released was Tony Hawk Pro Skater, which was a a huge success. At the time, the skateboarding scene was very popular and the game itself was very advanced. With the success of that game, Activision continued on the trend of extreme sports. Years later, they released Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer. Despite the popularity of Tony Hawk, it didn't do as well as expected.

Activision is only one of many businesses where product developers use concepts such as sports, music, etc. and create a product based on that idea. The goal is to use some idea or activity that is highly regarded by the target market, whether they actually participate in it or not. For some, it is almost a way to live a life they could only dream of. I think that this is a great idea in some product formats, especially video games.

Still, there always has to be another side to the situation. There are two issues to address: 1) How do you keep track of changes in what is considered cool and 2) how do you attract people who actually participate in the activity?

Issue #1: Because consumer taste is constantly changing, it is vital to stay on top of trends before they even hit. How do you do this you may ask? There are lots of options. Like I said before, be the pioneer. We've been learning about innovation, and this is a time where this comes into play. The main goal is to be ahead of the pack as much as possible, whether it involves regular surveys, focus groups, or staying in constant contact with members of their target market. Marketing research needs to go above and beyond for this goal. Companies should be more like the fashion industry. They pay attention to whats going on in society whether it is entertainment or politics, and create trends for us to follow. People are easily swayed if something interests them, but it is important not to get to controlling because the market will NOT be receptive if something is forced down their throat.

Issue #2: Video games like Guitar Hero have continued to grow for the past couple of years since its release. There are clubs and even competitions for this games. It gives people a chance to feel like "real" musicians, even if they have no experience with a guitar or any musical instrument. I would assume that this is Guitar Hero's target market. What about people who actually play musical instruments or have some kind of musical ability? I know from experience that many people may be turned off by such a concept. They feel as if it is almost mocking their talents. This same idea goes for novels that have been turned into movie productions. People who are a fan of the book maybe very unexcited about about the visual representation, especially when directors change the story to make it more appealing to a general audience. To counteract this, companies should either be more honest and remind the market that these are only simulations, not replacements of the real thing, or they can give their inspiration more credit or embrace it more.