Can you answer “What is the definition of marketing?” [Easy and easy-to-understand explanation in one word]

What is marketing in a game app? Knowing this will allow the game business to grow exponentially.

Hello

I’m Toroneko, a marketing specialist.

Many people say “I don’t understand” no matter how many times I ask this time.

I will explain “definition of marketing” in one word in a simple and easy-to-understand manner.

 

If you are from your boss, subordinates, clients

“What is marketing? Please explain.”

How would you explain if you were asked?

 

 

In many cases like this, you can’t explain it concisely and get an ambiguous answer. And even if you can explain it, can’t you convince the other person?

So much about the definition of marketing

There is no such thing as “this is correct”, and there are as many “marketing definitions” as there are marketers.

 

And in many cases when talking about the “definition of marketing”, what is marketing?

“Strategy” “Tactics” “Market research” “Promotion measures” “PR” “Advertising”

However, this is also insufficient as an explanation for the “definition of marketing.”

The reason for this vague and unconcise “answer” is that we lack an understanding of marketing.

The reason is simple.

I talked about the fact that there is no such thing as “this is correct” and that there are as many “marketing definitions” as there are marketers.

It’s because no one has properly defined the definition of marketing.

This time, after reading this article, you will be able to talk about “definition of marketing” in a simple and convincing way.

The purpose of this article is to give an answer about “definition of marketing” in the shortest distance so that even beginners of marketing can easily understand it. However, I think that even intermediate and advanced users will find new “awareness”.

Let’s take this opportunity to explain the definition of marketing.

A common misdefinition of marketing in the gaming industry

Toroneko has been working in the gaming industry for 20 years. There is something I found out there.

 

 

This is an unmistakable fact and has been left unchanged for decades. With the recent rise of smartphone game apps, the game business has become easier to talk about in numbers and theory, and the understanding of marketing is gradually deepening, but it is still insufficient.

In many cases, the technique for creating “DAU”, “billing amount”, and “sales” is recognized as “marketing” in mobile games.

As a person who has worked in the game industry for over 20 years and has been in the marketing position, I think that this situation must be changed somehow, so I am operating this site “Toroneko Marketing University”.

First, let’s talk about the “misdefinition of marketing” that is often seen in the game industry.

① Marketing is advertising promotion

“Marketing = Promotion”

There are a lot of people who think that. As a feeling, more than 90% may think so. Many people use the same terms “let’s market” and “let’s promote”.

For example, I see many people who recognize the following as marketing.

・ Drop advertisements (TVCM, Web advertisements)

・ Implement a campaign (Web or real campaign)

・ SNS operation (Twitter, LINE, Instagram operation)

・ Real event

Marketing is an advertising and promotion measure

Very many people think so. This is not limited to the game industry, but also to the non-game industry. This is because, as a symbolic example, many companies are recruiting personnel with the following contents when recruiting marketing jobs.

Marketing recruitment
・ Execution of promotion plans such as web advertising, TVCM, and real events

・ KPI progress management and analysis

But this is not marketing. We are just looking for a person in charge of implementing the measures, not a marketing person.

However, when I ask the person who was hired in that way or the person who works in the field about the profession, I get a reply saying “I am in a marketing position”. Your business card will also state that you are a “marketer”.

That is, at this point

“Marketing is the person who implements promotion measures”

That is why the common sense has been created.

 

② Marketing is market research, research, and user interviews.

 

“Marketing = market research, research, user interviews”

There are quite a lot of people who think that.

In some companies, people who constantly conduct market research and analysis are called “marketers.”

It is considered to be “a person who researches and analyzes what marketing is.” This is not a mistake, but research and analysis is only part of marketing.

③ Marketing is to create a marketing strategy

“Marketing = person who makes marketing strategy”

I often see cases that are thought of this way, but this is also a mistake. Marketing professionals make marketing strategies, which are only a small part of marketing activities.

Toroneko has been in the marketing position in the gaming industry for over 20 years,

“Marketing = person who makes marketing strategy”

As a result of the recognition that

Marketing department = person who makes a strategy

Promotion department = person who implements measures

There were also game companies that organized the organization so that the roles were divided into departments. However, this is an organizational structure that is extremely meaningless and produces no results.

④ What is marketing? A person like a PM (project manager) who manages the game development schedule.

“Marketing = a person like PM who manages the progress of the schedule in the game development team”

There are almost no cases like this, but I do see them occasionally. This is a case where there is no distinction between project manager and marketing.

 

In fact, marketing activities also occur during the game development phase.

This site publishes the “Marketing 100 List” that summarizes the tasks related to marketing, but marketers can contribute in various fields even from the game development stage.

But here

“Marketing = a person like PM who manages the progress of the schedule in the game development team”

This means that people are just like entering the game development department, collecting information and managing progress, and there are cases where they do not take action to improve the product. However, some companies call this marketing.

⑤ Marketing is to increase sales and make numbers.

“Marketing = making numbers, making numbers is the job of the marketing department.”

Here are some common cases in companies that have a little better understanding of marketing. It is especially found at game companies that specialize in mobile games.

The reason why there are so many mobile game companies is

Therefore, in such a case, what is marketing?

・ Acquire users and create DAU

・ Make DAU and increase sales

・ Take every possible measure to create a DAU

It is easy to think that.

If this way of thinking becomes excessively pervasive, the following may be reached from the upper management of the game company.

However, acquiring users and acquiring DAU is not marketing in itself. This is a state where elements of different axes such as goals and marketing are mixed.

To put it the other way around, you can achieve sales without acquiring new users.

⑥ Marketing is an idea (a collection of HOW thinking)

“Marketing = a measure, an idea that creates it.”

Marketing is a case of misunderstanding that it is to think about and implement measures that are interesting and become a hot topic on the Internet. In fact, this case is also very common in the field.

In the past, when a person in charge of marketing decided to do marketing, he would just write down a list of policy ideas and execute them in order from the top.

This is not marketing. It’s just an idea that was conceived in HOW thinking.

Toroneko calls this HOW thinking, but in reality, there are quite a lot of game companies that are falling into HOW thinking.

If there is a company that appoints a person who can only talk with HOW thinking as a marketing person or a person in charge, I have to say that the game business of that company is extremely dark even if it is doing well at this moment. Hmm.

Check out “Definition of Marketing” on Wikipedia

I don’t understand the definition of marketing …

Then check it out on wikipedia.

When actually looking up on wikipedia, the definition of marketing is written as follows.

Marketing (English: marketing) is one of all activities performed by an organization such as a company, “creating products and services that customers really want, delivering that information, and enabling customers to effectively obtain their value. Is a concept for. It also refers to the management philosophy, strategy, mechanism, and process for clarifying customer needs and creating customer value. Source: wikipedia

By the way, did you understand the “definition of marketing” as a result of searching on Wikipedia?

Maybe you don’t understand (I don’t understand)?

Maybe the reason I don’t understand

“I think it’s correct, but it’s not a concise sentence, and it lacks the specificity to use it in the actual game business.”

Isn’t it like that?

Even if you look it up on wikipedia like this, you cannot understand the “definition of marketing” that can be used in the game business.

“Simply explain what marketing is in one word.”

I can’t find a suitable answer on wikipedia for this issue.

What is marketing?

Here is the main issue. Suddenly, I will enter from the answer.

To briefly explain the “definition of marketing” in one word

“Creating a mechanism to sell things”

It will be.

If you want to customize it to the “definition of marketing” in the game industry

“Creating a mechanism to sell games”

It will be.

“Promotion, market research, policy ideas, making numbers”

Marketing is not about “creating a selling mechanism”. In other words, to put it in the extreme, “promotion, market research, policy ideas, making numbers” is not a “selling mechanism” but a “part necessary to create a selling mechanism”. However, it is not an “essential part”, so in theory you can create a “selling mechanism” without spending money on advertising.

As a result of various thoughts, in “creating a mechanism to sell”, it is absolutely necessary to use money to advertise, so we use money to advertise.

 

From here, we will dig deeper.

What kind of answer would you give if you received the message?

Actually, the “mechanism for selling games (things)” can be explained by breaking it down into three marketing processes.

“Mechanism for selling games (things)” consists of “three marketing processes”

Let’s organize the “definition of marketing” explained so far

・ Marketing is to create a mechanism to sell games (things).

・ Promotion, market research, policy ideas, and making numbers are only a part of marketing.

・ It is not important to “promote using money”, but if you cannot create a “mechanism that sells things” without using money, you have no choice but to use money as a means.

 

From here is important.

The definition of marketing, “a mechanism for selling games (things),” consists of “three marketing processes.” In the game business, especially in the smartphone game business, it is possible to create a “mechanism for selling games (things)” by executing all three processes.

 

“①Development marketing” is marketing at the game development stage.

“② Reachable marketing” is marketing from the time a game is announced to the world until it is sold.

“③ Marketing that keeps going” is marketing to keep the released games selling, or to acquire fans so that the sequel games and peripheral businesses can be sold. For smartphone games and PC online games, this is the “game management phase”.

If you break it down a little more finely, it will be as follows.

What should you do in the three marketing processes? Can be understood.

By executing these three marketing processes, the definition of marketing, “a mechanism for selling things,” is created.

Since it is a “mechanism that sells things” to the last, promotion is not everything. Promotion is only a part of “② Reachable marketing” out of the three marketing processes.

The point in realizing a “mechanism for selling things” is that if any one of the three marketing processes is missing, it will not be realized. If you do not execute in the order of ① → ② → ③, you will not be able to realize a “mechanism for selling things”.

In other words, marketing cannot be executed.

Summary of marketing definitions

So far, this is my goal

“What is marketing? Please explain.”

Let’s match the answers to such themes.

The answer is like this.

By the way, these three marketing processes can be broken down further. This site explains in detail in “Marketing 100 List“. If you look at it, you can see how the concept of “marketing = promotion” is a misunderstanding created from a narrow perspective.

Many sites misunderstand “② Reachable marketing” as “marketing”

I explained the three marketing processes, but in fact, in the game industry, many marketers misunderstand that “② Reachable marketing” is all about game marketing.

The contents of “② Reachable marketing” can be seen in many parts corresponding to “promotion”. Apparently from here

It seems that there is a misunderstanding that marketing = promotion.

However, no matter how much you execute only “② Reachable marketing”, no result will be obtained in the game business.

This is the conclusion that Toroneko has reached as a result of 20 years of marketers in the gaming industry.

In other words

・ If you don’t play a game that you don’t understand, you will have a hard time.

・ It is necessary to create a game that makes you want to play because the fun is conveyed just by looking (videos and screenshots) without playing.

・ Of course, when you actually play the game, you need to have fun with the game that matches your expectations for the appearance.

Is the idea.

The sad reality of marketing jobs in the gaming industry

But the reality is not that sweet.

“①Development marketing”

“② Reachable marketing”

“③ Marketing that continues to reach”

Very few marketers can do these three things. It has some ability problems, but there are many things.

 

After working in the game industry for 20 years, “lucky things” rarely happen. What I happen to make sells in line with the times and user needs.

There was also a time when even boring games could be overcome by power promotion.

Once you get used to selling with this kind of “luck”, even if you realize the importance of the three marketing processes, you will not make an effort to go into it.

A marketing manager was talking about this.

It’s hard to hear what the marketing manager says, but that’s the reality. In fact, the company is struggling with the gaming business and desperately looking for a marketing job, but that won’t be the ultimate solution.

Also, if you have been working in the game industry for many years, you may also:

It is misunderstood that marketing is to sell the finished product. At this point, we cannot step into “①Development marketing,” which determines 90% of the success of the game business, so we must fight only with “②Reachable marketing.”

However, games that have not been “①Development marketing” are like buckets with holes, so even if you can store water momentarily, the water will drain immediately.

I repeat this many times, but if marketers cannot step into “①Development marketing,” even if they can produce results in short-term battles, they will not be able to compete in long-term battles.

Especially in the case of smartphone game apps, the delivery date is not the goal but the beginning.

It is an operational product that cannot produce results unless it is continuously delivered while being tuned according to the tastes and demands of fans.

The same is true for sold-out “home games,” and if you don’t do “③ continuous marketing” in the blank period until the sequel is released, you won’t be able to survive anymore. This is because when the next work is released, the answers to “③ Marketing that keeps reaching” will be matched.

Summary

So, this time I talked about “definition of marketing”.

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original Japanese language article here