Are you curious why the Cyberpunk 2077 marketing campaign had such a massive success?
I’m sure that many of you have heard of this game. Even if you’re not a gamer and don’t really care about sci-fi worlds, you might have seen a meme or a trailer on your feed, or your friends might have posted countless times about how excited they are with the launch of this game.
This is what I call a successful marketing campaign. Not only has it reached the target audience, and made most of the gaming community really impatient and excited about the launch, but it also became a meme, a phenomenon and it sold more than 13 million copies worldwide.
Today I want to share a few things that I believe contributed to the massive success of Cyberpunk 2077.*
*Of course, this is my own analysis, opinion and research, there might be some other factors involved here that I am not aware about.
1. Multichannel marketing
They used a mix of online and offline channels, to make sure everyone knew what Cyberpunk 2077 is all about. For the online part, they focused on social media, ad campaigns, videos, email, media coverage etc., while also engaging in offline activities (such as specific gaming events, where they did a bunch of demos and gameplays), and also adding a traditional marketing component (outdoor advertising, newspapers, TV, radio).
Also, they had a couple of collaborations with big brands, such as Sprite and Samsung, and also with clothing brands and designers – such as Cropp & Black Milk, by doing merch collections.
What can your business learn from this: Don’t just rely on a Facebook post and a few ads to promote your new product launch. Use multiple platforms, post often and try to be consistent, to make people interested in your offer.
2. Celebrity endorsement
Keanu Reeves is one of the biggest stars that people actually like and care about. And I’m not just talking about movie fans or critics, but also a massive online community that constantly praises him for being a lovely human being. Also, he was a fantastic choice for Cyberpunk 2077, since he played the main character in the Matrix trilogy, and he’s already often associated to the sci-fi genre.
What can your business learn from this: Make sure you associate your brand with influencers or public figures that are not problematic and that people genuinely appreciate. Don’t pay attention only to a high number of followers, but also to the general sentiment that people have towards that person. And make sure they are relevant for your industry and brand.
3. Teasing
This game was first announced in 2013, and the first real trailer was posted on 2018. But the game was only launched last month, on the 10th of December 2020 (after a few delays, of course, since it was originally supposed to be launched in April). So they had a LOT of time to get people hyped and excited, to post game screenshots, trailers, updates, demos etc.
What can your business learn from this: If you plan a new collection, a new product launch etc, make sure you set a decent timeframe for teasing, before the launch. But set that timeframe according to the expectations you will deliver, of course. If launching a new product won’t take you more than 2 months, your teasing shouldn’t last a whole year, for example – a few weeks should be enough.
4. Great branding & aesthetic
The Cyberpunk 2077 branding is amazing. They used really eye-catching colors and elements in all of their marketing materials. Futuristic, tech-inspired, bold and colorful, quite hard to ignore when scrolling on your Facebook page.
What can your business learn from this: Branding is more important than you think. That’s why you need to use a specific color scheme, symbols and templates, and mantain a coherent visual style, to make people think of you the moment they run across any of your materials.
5. Promising background
Cyberpunk 2077 was produced by the Polish developer CD PROJEKT RED, the same company behind The Witcher series. With more than 800 awards (including the Game of the Year title in 2016), The Witcher 3 is considered one of the best RPG games ever launched.
So, considering the game’s massive succes, it makes sense why all the gaming community was really excited for Cyberpunk 2077 as well. People want more good stuff from the companies they trust.
What can your business learn from this: If your current products are already great and people love them, they will be really excited to try the new ones you will launch. Make sure you always deliver quality, and new clients will come easier.
6. Exciting and fun storyline
Yes, the game was promoted on all channels, was produced by a major label and endorsed by popular celebrities. But it wouldn’t have had the success it has today without an amazing storyline. And this new open-world sci-fi universe was really appealing to the gaming community.
What can your business learn from this: No matter how good is your marketing campaign and how well your ads perform, if there’s nothing exciting in your launch, people won’t buy your product. Make sure you create something new, fun and exciting, that people actually want to own or experience.
7. A bit of controversy
A wider range of possibilities in customizing your character’s genital area (such as size) was something quite new and unique in the gaming world. So, obviously, it was the subject of a lot of memes and discussions all over the internet. And you know what this means: free publicity!
What can your business learn from this: Give your audience something to talk about, even if it challenges the current status-quo. It doesn’t need to be something outraging, but instead something fresh, with a twist, that can led to the creation of memes, commentary pieces, tweets – just get them talking about you and your brand!
Hope you found this post useful or a least interesting 😊 Feel free to bookmark it for future reference or share it with others who might be interested in this topic. 📌
