PRODUCT INCLUSION ACTION
Engage Local Markets
Different markets may have different player trends & priorities, so look for ways to adapt yours to be locally relevant in places around the globe. Be sure to communicate to local markets in relatable marketing and PR strategies.
Customer Challenge
Because a lot of products and experiences are designed with a North American perspective, many players outside of the U.S. feel that they don't belong and are a secondary consumer for our content.
By proactively thinking and engaging with markets around the world, we can ensure that all players feel included and seen.
Business Impact
- There are over 3.2 Billion gamers in the world today so there is a huge market opportunity to engage gamers from all over the world.
- In markets like LATAM, Middle East and Africa, and Southeast and Central Southern Asia, on average 35% of non-players intend to get started with playing a game on PC, console or mobile within the next 6 months as of the survey time, as compared to the 14% average for the same in markets like NA, Europe, East Asia, and Oceania.
References: Newzoo 2023 Global Gamer Study
Source: Newzoo Global Games Market Report, Jan 2024 Update
Questions to Consider
- Are you speaking to international customers in a way that resonates locally (with the local language, culture, etc.)?
- Is the experience localized at quality for all of the markets where we seek to engage our customers?
- What aspects of the product experience change for customers in different parts of the world? (i.e.; infrastructure, economic, identity, payment systems, compliance, knowledge, information flow, etc.)
- What barriers may exist for customers in different parts of the world in the current product experience?
- How do you validate your product UI, terminology, and flow resonate for customers around the globe?
- How could your product feel more culturally relevant to the different regions where your product will launch?
- What parts of the experience could make a customer feel part of the outgroup when using your product?
- Have you reviewed your marketing, social and community engagement plans with our local subsidiaries to collect feedback and plan a coordinated launch & engagement strategy?
- Do you have a process to review key decisions with the lens of local relevance?
Steps to Achieve It
1. Set Goals for what you want to achieve & share them with your project stakeholders
- Do planning at the start of projects to identify opportunities & obstacles.
- Go through the 10 Product Inclusion actions to bring intentionality into your designs.
2. Identify & Utilize resources to help drive success
- Identify key team members in the local subsidiaries who you will be working with to launch the project and drive engagement.
- Take into consideration local teams needs for localization and execution and build time & resources to support this into the project schedule and budget.
- Help team members understand key differences across markets that need to be considered to deliver customer success, such as payment systems, language, internet availability, media channels, etc.
- Leverage inclusive Listening systems to ensure that you are including a global perspective in your feedback channels
- Look at data using a global lens to see how different geographic locations are responding to programs and which tactics to engage customers are delivering the best local success.
3. Create & release experiences that engage our local markets and help our global customers feel at home