There is one Activision games title which will be on many people’s Christmas lists this year but it may not be the one you are thinking of. Skylanders have already enjoyed a phenomenal amount of success in the build up to Christmas, bewitching children and adults alike with their cool designs and collect-ability. Naturally, the franchise is measured against the behemoth that is Pokemon, however their success is due to a much more measured and calculated sales strategy.
The top seven games featured in the GfK chart track (Elder Scrolls, Modern Warfare 3, Fifa 12 to name a few) have spent considerable amounts of money on television advertising in a bid to increase sales. Skylanders have taken a rather different approach to great success. By establishing exclusive deals with top US retailers Walmart, Target and Toys R Us for sales of specific Skylanders characters, Activision have created a huge buzz around which Skylanders figures are available. Additionally, some are only available with certain console starter packs such as the Skylanders Ignitor Figure and Skylander Dark Spyro Figure, both of which are only available with the Skylanders Nintendo 3DS Starter Pack.
This tactic has been considerably effective in creating a huge interest in the products and their availability across console platforms. Furthermore, it allows the retailers to take an invested interest in marketing their exclusive products in a way which would otherwise be quite expensive for Activision.
With over 30 Skylanders to collect and an average retail cost of £7.95 each, this is certainly one franchise which is enjoying healthy returns – even if at the dismay to parents who have to foot the bill!
