Supercell’s Ambitious Marketing Masterplan to Make Their Games Famous

Supercell, the Finnish gaming giant behind popular titles like Clash of Clans and Clash Royale, is taking a bold new approach to marketing. In a recent presentation by Iwo Zakowski, the company’s marketing lead, the focus was on making Supercell’s gaming brands a part of pop culture.

The Need for Change

Despite the incredible success of Supercell’s games, Zakowski emphasized the need to adapt to the changing mobile gaming landscape. He highlighted the achievements of rival company Supercell, which has produced multiple billion-dollar games and captured the hearts of millions of players worldwide.

While Supercell is already a force to be reckoned with in the industry, the goal is to break into pop culture and reach a wider audience. Zakowski explained that this requires a shift in marketing strategy and a departure from the small team structure.

Learning from Guerilla Marketing Tactics

Zakowski drew inspiration from his previous experience in marketing, particularly guerilla marketing tactics. He shared examples of successful campaigns, such as promoting Burger King by showcasing the decomposition of a Whopper burger to highlight their commitment to removing additives from their products.

He also highlighted a Call of Duty campaign where Burger King restaurants were transformed to resemble the popular game, generating buzz and attracting fans from all over.

Cultural Visibility of Gaming Brands

Zakowski questioned why Supercell’s characters and gaming brands were not as culturally visible as iconic characters like Sonic, Angry Birds, and Super Mario. Despite having a massive player base of 200 million monthly players, Supercell’s characters lacked the same recognition.

This realization set the agenda for Zakowski and his team – to make Supercell’s games “f**king famous” and integrate them into pop culture.

The Ultimate Goals

While increasing player numbers and revenue remain important key performance indicators, Zakowski emphasized the significance of creating games that people want to talk about. He presented data showing that a majority of Clash of Clans customers came through word of mouth and organic means.

Zakowski stressed that integrated campaigns are essential but challenging to achieve. He shared insights from a collaboration with Chess.com, showcasing the significant growth in Clash Royale’s player base and the positive impact it had on improving the game’s reputation.

The Key Moves

Zakowski outlined several key lessons from his talk:

• Choose the right theme and make it relevant
• Find a good partner for collaboration
• Allocate sufficient budget to make a big impact
• Offer unique and enjoyable gameplay experiences
• Create a strong call to action to engage players

Promising Results and Future Prospects

Although it is too early to determine the ultimate success of Supercell’s revamped marketing strategy, early results are promising. The company’s bold and open approach, along with increased staffing levels, indicate their commitment to achieving further success in the gaming industry.

Supercell’s ambition to make their games famous and integrate them into pop culture is a challenge that requires innovation, collaboration, and a deep understanding of their player base. With their track record of producing blockbuster games, it is undoubtedly worth keeping an eye on Supercell and their future endeavors.