e-spaces

Cindy White is very excited – and she has every right to be. It’s 29 September, and South Africa’s gaming population is abuzz. In fact, even people who do not usually thrill to the thought of dodging bullets in interplanetary wars, playing virtual tennis against Rodger Fedderer or racing Monaco’s grand prix circuit are talking about it: because that night, with the launch of Xbox 360 in South Africa, home entertainment received a – rather enormous – boost. And White, South Africa Group Marketing Manager, Microsoft, is at the center of it all.

In fact, you could say she’s been waiting for this moment for 18 months, when the plans to bring Xbox 360 to South Africa were first set in motion. White admits that South Africa’s gaming community had spent much time before then speculating about the arrival of Xbox – several years, in fact. So, why is it only now that the market has been deemed ready for the gaming revolution? “We wanted South Africans to be able to enjoy the next generation of gaming. Xbox 360 has proved immensely popular overseas, so we decided to launch the version here, enabling us to bring a number of brand new games to South Africa.” With the plans set in motion, events moved along speedily, aided by the market’s excited expectations. “The best part of this process has been the spirit surrounding the product. People understand that Xbox is not just about gaming; it’s an entire experience. The response from the market has been outstanding, and we’ve been approached by several potential partner brands who would like to join forces in the revolution in entertainment,” White informs. Sam Greely of Sam Greely and Associates, the merchandise company that helped turn Microsoft’s dream into a reality by bringing next generation trade execution to interactive areas with leading retailers, aggress that this has been a project like no other. “It’s been indescribably exciting,” she enthuses. “The landscape of gaming in South Africa has changed forever.” The reason for that, she adds, is because of Xbox’s superior product. Stunning graphics combine with outstanding capabilities to create a gaming experience second to none. Importantly, Greely says, Microsoft has taken care to ensure that this attitude of excellence permeates every aspect of Xbox. Sales staff have received very careful training, clever marketing campaigns have generated buzzing hype and point of sales materials have been designed to create maximum impact. Part of that job fell to David Abrahamse and his team at Algoran, who were charged with designing branded ‘stores-within-stores’ or wall fixturing for Xbox displays. “This was a challenging job. We had to rollout the concept to 24 stores nationwide in just six weeks, and many stores wanted to tweak the fixtures to their own specifications,” Greely points out. Algoran was up to the challenge. Having designed a number of similar point-of-sale promotional stands for national retailers and leading brands, the team has accumulated a wealth of experience in this area. It took just one month from receiving the design brief to create a display that, in Greely’s words, epitomizes the Xbox image: chic, urban extreme and very funky. What went into creating this design? Abrahamse explains that the project kicked off with some intensive research. “Our brief was to speak to the senses of Xbox’s target market with a design that was young, modern and state of the art; one that would make the product stand out from the crowd and show off its appeal.” Algoran started by visiting the sites where the kiosks were to be displayed, including retailers like CNA, Reggies, Toy ‘R Us and BT Games. “We looked at the layout and style of the stores, and considered the space available,” he informs. “We also considered the design of the gaming console, and what we would need to do to show it off for maximum impact.” While the design process was fairly straightforward – the displays were evolving organically in line with the product and brand requirements – logistics were another matter. “We had to build 54 stands to be transported to sites in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria and Port Elizabeth in just eight days,” Abrahamse says. By the time Xbox was ready for launch at midnight on 29 September, participating retailers had already purchased all available stock – and Abrahamse is certain that response from consumers would be just as good. “The fresh design of the displays aims to draw the buyer’s attention and make the product stand out from competitors.” He points out that the hallmark of good design for point-of-sale material is its ability to draw the attention of the consumer, while subtly directing it towards the product. “The kiosk must be interesting enough to catch the eye, but must not become the major focus area.” It’s worth investing in such design, he continues, because “this becomes your image, and your image is your brand – and your brand is all important.” That’s something Microsoft can attest to. White is pleased that the kiosks make for clear merchandising, so that consumers “know what they’re buying”. “The instore displays form the ideal backdrop for the ultimate in next generation gaming,” White concludes.