INTERVIEW: Imagine the possibilities

Can you give us some background to the Imagine label?
Sally Cormack: The Imagine label was born in the summer of 2007 with the launch of Happy Cooking. Ubisoft noticed an obvious gap in the DS market and established a dedicated range of games for young girls.
Each title is based on extensive global qualitative and quantitative research conducted with girls on their hobbies, ambitions and dreams.

Which products have been released under the Imagine brand so far and how have they performed?
SC: Between September and November last year we released four games under the brand – Happy Cooking, Babies, Fashion Designer and Pet Vet. Cumulatively we’ve seen sales of just over half a million units which we are incredibly pleased with.
Imagine was a new brand being communicated to a relatively new audience, so the investment was clearly worth it and we’re very excited about the new releases for this Christmas.

Who are the target markets for Imagine games? And are only certain formats suitable for Imagine games, do you think?
SC: Our primary audience is girls between six and 12, with a sweet spot of six to nine year-olds. With such a significant percentage of DS owners being girls, we feel it’s key to develop games for this audience and format.

Imagine games are perfect for the DS because of the extensive use of the stylus which girls enjoy, the dual screen which allows story and action, the easy pick-up-and-play element and the multiplayer aspect of the console.
We are also developing Imagine games for the Wii and will continue to release some for the PC too.

What’s next on the roster and which titles do you have particularly high hopes for?
SC: This year we are kicking off our new campaign with Imagine Girl Band releasing August 8th. Following that we have Imagine Teacher on August 29th, My Secret World by Imagine on September 19th and just a few more in the run-up to Christmas including Imagine Dream Weddings, Imagine Movie Star, Imagine Baby Club, Imagine Fashion Model, Imagine Figure Skater and Imagine Modern Dancer.

There is such diversity between the products that we have high hopes for them all. However, we believe our key titles will include Imagine Girl Band, Imagine Teacher, Imagine Dream Weddings and Imagine Movie Star.

What do you think has caused the general trend for the ‘casual gaming’ boom that has seen the industry attract a broader audience than ever before? Do you think it is being driven by hardware, software or other factors?
Mark Slaughter: There are a number of drivers that are influencing the boom in casual games. Firstly, the job done by Nintendo has been phenomenal; the Wii and DS platforms have managed to penetrate the consciousness of the casual gamer and reached into previously untapped markets.

If you just look around today you can see the effect DS has in day-to-day life like on public transport, in the school playground, and its interconnectivity allowing friends to play with and against each other.

Of course good software is key to this. Titles like Wii Fit and My Health Coach, are prime examples of how publishers are appealing to new markets.

We also now see that media is being used differently to reach these markets. The hardware manufacturers and software publishers are now broadening their media plans to get to new consumers. Above the line media are now being used to enter the lives and hit the relevant touch points of the target consumer with much more focused communications.

Finally I think that the trade is, and has to become, much more aware of the needs of the casual gamer. FMCG category management principles are beginning to be adopted into the retail space. Traditionally the games industry has been strong in below the line communications and POS; the trick now with bigger ranges is that these are managed much more effectively so that the consumer has choice at fixture and indeed has the right products in front of them.

How differently do you market the Imagine games in terms of media and the messages you put across?
MS: For the Imagine range we have adopted a 360 degrees approach, with a unifying creative idea and a powerful connection. It is long-lasting, distinctive and ownable, media and channel neutral and allows gamers to engage with the brand.

We have created a platform idea of ‘Live your Dreams’ that we can leverage across media channels. We needed a message that works with the Imagine brand and the target market’s passions of friends, creativity and dreams. This lead us to the aspirational territory of ‘Live your Dreams’.

The endorsement of two very relevant UK celebs – Fearne Cotton and Holly Willoughby – allows us to cut through with this message. Fearne and Holly were chosen due to their fit with this territory and positioning. They themselves are great friends, are fun, friendly and positive role models that exist in the area of aspirational media.

Are other publishers doing similar things? And if so, what marks Imagine out?
MS: I can only see the competitive landscape becoming much more crowded. First mover advantage is key but more importantly it is necessary that we build brands that really appeal to the target market.

This is why we have developed a strong ownable positioning for Imagine, that is endorsed by two major UK celebs, that has a stand-out creative and which is activated using a 360 degrees methodology – we hope that it reaches the consumer and makes it a must-have brand for this market.

We are confident we have the pieces in place to deliver a truly effective campaign and we are excited about the positioning, plan and activation in place for the Imagine range over the next 12 months that will allow the brand to stand out.