Playing The Ad Game
"I LOVE MAGAZINES," says Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of global marketing, interactive entertainment business at Microsoft, who admits he is a "harsh critic of publishers and editors." Bell has been calling the shots on where to run ads for the Xbox 360 since last summer, when he joined Microsoft after a stint as head of marketing at DaimlerChrysler for Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep.
"There’s something special about magazines," he says. "They have unique content that’s compelling to readers and the ability to stimulate with color photos and layouts — and they’re very portable. But I am concerned they aren’t making enough progress in being interactive."
More than many other corporate marketers, Bell needs his relationships with magazines to include the use of PDAs or cell phones to let people act upon stimuli. He’s talking about "that special moment when someone sees a pair of sunglasses, a sweater, the latest cell phone or great new video game, or an Xbox 360 console. With a print magazine, they rip a page out or scribble a note to themselves, but if they could just hit *535 or *545 and answer two to three questions, or bookmark something and make contact later through email...Some magazines understand this would be much more powerful."
Microsoft’s interactive entertainment business has a significant commitment to video game publications, many of which are getting better at the online component – and fast. "But the issue is knowing how people use the Web," he says. Often, the relationship is not so much surfing as searching. "When they do," he warns, "the right results have to come up." is year, Microsoft is looking for partners that "understand the target customers for games," he says.
Microsoft’s products target families and 20-somethings as well as die-hard gamers (young men), and strategies must be tailored to fit. "You have to know who is the target customer, what’s the message, and what’s the appropriate media plan," says Bell. He also seeks more measurable, actionable media. "We are interested in using the Web, wireless through phone partners, reaching people in unique ways and inviting them to respond," he says.
When Microsoft wanted to promote its game for children, Viva Piñata, it incorporated vehicles from party events to a viral campaign online, as well as a TV show based on the game. The team ran print ads in family and children’s magazines to promote the game and the show. A promotion with Nickolodeon Magazine encouraged readers to buy a special edition of the game that included a DVD of the show, plus demonstrations of other Microsoft games.
Magazines, says Bell, have a "brand DNA" that ensures the most attractive elements are being presented to the audience in that format. "One size doesn’t fit all in print creative," he adds. "It’s more powerful to work with publishers and editors to make sure the creative you place is being sensitive to the color palette, the layout, and critical messaging" of the content. For a lifestyle magazine, Microsoft would place Xbox 360 ads that emphasized the beauty of the product. In contrast, ads placed in Sports Illustrated would promote sports titles from Microsoft that have more action, using live action photos. "Different strokes for different folks," notes Bell.
When he looks for a title to run his ads, Bell seeks the stimulation of the printed page and other forms of marketing, whether it’s online or through events. "That’s what makes Google such a formidable player," he says. " They only get paid when people act. Magazines have to be sensitive to that...they have to be held accountable for brand power and selling right now."
In the Driver’s Seat
JEFF BELL HAS ALWAYS BEEN an experimenter, and his parents encouraged his forays. "They even let me explore transcendental meditation when I was 17," he laughs. A liberal arts degree gave him what he calls "a bedrock" for lifelong learning. Bell spent 17 years in the automotive business, including a long stint in Ford’s marketing department, where he established a Web presence. After Ford, he became head of marketing at DaimlerChrysler for Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep, setting product strategy until joining Microsoft last summer.
"What attracted Microsoft to me was my use of games in marketing automobiles," says Bell. Through his efforts, more than 40 online games carried Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep branded content.
"I’ve been playing games all my life. It’s fun to play games," he says. "Xbox is about the joy of gaming, letting people feel that joy – I believe strongly in that...Software lets people have more fun with all aspects of life, not just games. It’s an exciting game for the future, and one that I want to be a part of."
- min's Special Issues — October 1, 2007
- The Sweet 16 Issue: Jan Thompson - Vice President, Marketing, Nissan and Infiniti — April 1, 2007
- Marketing Masters: Custom Publishing Project — June 1, 2006
- Platinum Winner: People, People's Sexiest Man Alive Series — October 1, 2007
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