Communication Strategy

We have chosen to market the Microsoft Xbox Kinect to a group of people that are not gamers, in this case parents of children diagnosed with autism.

SWOT analysis
Microsoft Strengths Reliable, easily available, Weaknesses unlawful practices, includes a wide range of products under its brand from operating systems to gaming consoles monopolistic

Opportunities relatively cheap, has a large market share.

Threats Other IT brands such as Apple, Sony, Nintendo

Kinect Strengths Able to detect movement, relatively cheap 3d camera, people may prefer other able to detect changes in brands. facial expression and tones in (brand preference) voices. Able to play games without the need to touch a controller Opportunities Threats Weaknesses

Able to expand the product Nintendo Wii Remote Plus scope outside of the gaming industry because of the PlayStation Move

camera and technology

The brand has kept its competitive edge by creating a product that is technologically superior to its direct ompetitors, enabling the Kinect to be used for more than just gaming. The brand is also trusted and well known, leading to more people trusting in the Kinect as a product that can deliver what it promises. The technology in the Kinect allows it to be used in a variety of circumstances outside of the gaming industry due to the lack of a need to physically hold a controller, and it detects movement, sounds, and facial expressions.

Consumer and Target Audience

As Kinect for the rehabilitation of autism in children has been chosen, the primary target audience would be parents who find it hard to connect and build relationships with their children because of this disability, parents who wish to help rehabilitate their autistic children and who want to build a meaningful relationship with their autistic children through fun and games. The secondary target audience would be

special education teachers who are looking for other ways to improve the condition of their charges through more engaging ways.

Proposition and Why?

The Kinect can facilitate the rehabilitation of autistic children and help parents of these children build a relationship with them by physically and mentally engaging them in a range of games and activities through the use of the Kinect by stimulating different areas of the brain thus assisting in learning.

Brand Attributes, Benefits and Personality

Microsoft is a reliable brand with many years of history of innovation and is friendly and accessible.

Creative Brief
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that results in impairments in social interaction, communication, restricted interests and repetitive behavior. The primary target audience is parents of children suffering from autism, with a secondary target audience of the teachers of these children. Our objectives are to change the perception of the Kinect, that it is not only for gaming, creating awareness about the use of Kinect for the rehabilitation of autism and to persuade the target audience to purchase or consider purchasing the Kinect for this use. This is because the Kinect can aid in rehabilitating autistic children and help parents build relationships with their children through engaging gameplay.

Tone
The tone for the campaign will be informative and empathetic, as well as being supportive.

Desired Response
Convince the target audience to purchase the Xbox Kinect, or at the very least consider it as a viable option.

Mandatories
Green and white colours must be included Xbox & Kinect Logo Microsoft Logo Pictures of the Kinect Information about where to find more information about the Kinect and its uses for autism Information about stockists.

Creative Concept
As autistic children view the world differently from non-autistic people, we would like to play with the idea of fantasy worlds, such as Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. This involves parents falling into their childrens fantasy worlds and understanding how they view the world through playing games with their autistic children on the Kinect.

Media Plan
Media Objectives and Target Audience
Bring awareness to the uses and the presence of the Kinect for autism to the chosen target audience.

Media Mix
A mix for 3 above the line and 1 below the line mediums have been chosen. The three above the line mediums are TV advertisements, Radio and Magazine advertisements. These were chosen because TV and radio ads reach a large group of people, while ads in Family oriented magazines were chosen because the target audience were primarily 4

parents. The below the line medium that was chosen was a live demonstration/road show. This was chosen because of the need to demonstrate how the Kinect actually works with autistic children and would give parents a chance to try the device.

Media plan (Rationale)

Tv advertisement to air during summer, everyday for 2 weeks during prime time and 3 times a week for another 3 weeks on prime time. This is because summer is the school holidays, and parents and their children would be watching television more than during the school term. Magazine print ad promoting the roadshow in a family magazine issued monthly, running for 3 months . This is because the target audience are parents.

Radio ads running for 2 weeks on a major radio network (e.g FOX), promoting the road show event at the same time. This was chosen because of the level of reach the radio has to a large audience. It is free to air and is available to everyone. The ad will be aired before the live demonstration in order to promote the event, ending when the event is over. Live demonstrations to be held at Melbourne central over the weekend from Thursday to Saturday because of the heavy human traffic and accessibility.

Budget
Tv ad During summer, everyday for 2 weeks during prime time and 3 times a week for another 3 weeks during prime time. Total = $4.6 mil Magazine print ad Monthly Magazine, running for 3 months . Total = $4500

Radio Running on 2 weeks on a major radio network (e.g FOX), promoting the live demonstration event at the same time. Total = $200 Live demonstrations 3 days at Melbourne Central Total = $7000 + GST

Miscellaneous costs (posters, booths, brochures) Estimated cost of $2.5k

Risk Assessment
The campaign runs a risk of potentially offending its target audience given the sensitive nature of Autism. Parents might view the campaign as looking down of them and pitying them, which would result in them possibly shunning the Kinect and the idea of using the Kinect to build meaningful relationships with their children.

Advertising Campaign Evaluation

In order to test the effectiveness of the campaign, post testing can be used in the form of surveys and questionnaires to gauge how effective the campaign was to bring about awareness to the availability of the Kinect for autism. Parents can be asked whether they felt the campaign was effective in showing them how the Kinect can be used to connect them to their child.

References
BBspot, 2000, Microsoft Purchases Evil from Satan, viewed 10 May 2012 <http://www.bbspot.com/News/2000/4/MS_Buys_Evil.html> Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1999, The Screening and Diagnosis Autism Spectrum Disorders, vol. 29, no. 6 (1999), viewed 10 May 2012 <http://www.springerlink.com/content/lkv6152111701724/> Seattle Pi, 2009, E3 2009: Microsoft at E3 Several Metric Tons of Press Releaseapalloza, viewed 10 May 2012 <http://blog.seattlepi.com/digitaljoystick/2009/06/01/e3-2009-microsoft-at-e3several-metric-tons-of-press-releaseapalloza/> Technology Review, PrimeSense, viewed 11 May 2012 <http://www.technologyreview.com/tr50/primesense/> Web MD, Autism and Family Relationships, viewed 11 May 2012 <http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/features/autism-and-family-relationships>

Contents
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY SWOT ANALYSIS CONSUMER AND TARGET AUDIENCE PROPOSITION AND WHY? BRAND ATTRIBUTES, BENEFITS AND PERSONALITY CREATIVE BRIEF TONE DESIRED RESPONSE MANDATORIES CREATIVE CONCEPT MEDIA PLAN MEDIA OBJECTIVES AND TARGET AUDIENCE MEDIA MIX MEDIA PLAN (RATIONALE) BUDGET RISK ASSESSMENT ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN EVALUATION REFERENCES 1 1 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 6 6 7

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BUSINESS REPORT