Putting a foreign game atop Chinese app stores.
tl;dr:
- Outfit7 launched a new mobile game in China and needed to create a media buzz to support download
- Influence Matters developed a media strategy that included putting together compelling content and placing it in top tier game publications in China.
- Results: 162 articles in top tier tech and gaming press in China and lots of social media shares, game reached top spot on Chinese Android App stores and 2nd on iTunes China.
As a non Chinese company, Outfit7, the creator of My Talking Tom and Friends, is naturally at a disadvantage when it comes to cooperation with local media, and players. China has an undeniable preference for locally developed games.
To overcome this obstacle and boost Outfit7’s influence in China, Influence Matters was asked to come up with a way to put the Outfit7’s latest game, My Talking Hank, front and center on Chinese game and entertainment news portals.
Influence Matters developed a communication strategy that would see the agency put together a series of articles introducing the game, the cute dog character Hank, and tamagochi-like gameplay and have them placed on high traffic portals read by their target players: entertainment and mobile game news portals.
When Outfit7 announced the closing of their sale for 1 billion dollars to a Chinese consortium, Influence Matters stepped in to take care of the Chinese media announcement.
We’ve delivered 162 articles in leading Chinese entertainment and gaming press over a 6 weeks period, showing readers that My Talking Hank is a fun and enjoyable game, and foreign games can be successful in China.
Throughout January and February 2017, My Talking Hank reached the top spot on several Chinese Android app stores, and 2nd on Apple’s gaming category in the iTunes store, a very rare feat for non-Chinese games.
In the Press.
