ELECTORNIC ARTS (EA)
Region: Global
People: Dave Chilvers
Services: Research & Analytics: Multi-Market Segmentation
COMPANY PROFILE
Electronic Arts (EA) is a global interactive entertainment software company headquartered in Redwood City, CA.
CHALLENGE
In its early days as a video games publisher, EA focused most of its marketing activity on hard core gamers. As the business developed, it became clear that hard core gamers were so loyally aware of upcoming new products, they needed little nurturing through marketing communications. As long as the new or updated games appealed to them, they made purchases. While sales remained strong, EA’s UK business wasn’t gaining market share. In order to drive growth, the company wanted to find other audiences to target and monetize.
APPROACH
A UK segmentation study was undertaken to help EA identify profitable new market segments.
SOLUTION
The segmentation revealed several new and underserved segments, including girls & older games players.
RESULTS
New products developed for the identified segments - supported by segment-specific marketing - helped the company increase its UK market share +4% (from 9% to 13%) over a three-year period. (Initially, the segmentation work was undertaken solely in the UK.)
Following the UK’s very successful explore=>growth process, the work was subsequently extended to all EMEA territories and eventually 23 markets were covered in yearly segmentation updates. Sometimes segments were amended, sometimes the current segments still fitted the market landscape and criteria were developed to trigger the evolution of new segments.
The work won a UK Market Research Society (MRS) award for Innovation in market research.
