Portfolio Brief (product chosen is the new X-Box 360) Essay

Portfolio Brief (product chosen is the new X-Box 360) - Essay Example onale – to capture the mind share (if not effect sales right away) of the maximum population, before Sony’s next Playstation hits the stores later in 2006. The promotional strategy largely focused on the integration of the new gaming console with other media – X-BOX 360 can play music from your CDs, iPod or your PC. You can watch movies, TV or Video through it. It integrates with all digital cameras so you can view pictures and slide shows. And of course – it lets you play your choice of games. (Darren Waters, 2005) With this product, Microsoft has suddenly short-circuited the life of current generation of gaming hardware – by launching its X-BOX 360, it has ushered in a new era of entertainment. The X-BOX 360 is all set to provide a media hub as opposed to pure gaming. Microsoft’s website, TV and print ads, as well as the PR speeches by company officials, are all directed towards highlighting the multi-tasking aspect of X-BOX 360. The promotional activities are targeted towards a rational positioning of the product – as a complete home entertainment system. (Microsoft’s website). While reaching out to a majority of early and new starters, this approach might not appeal to the hard-core gamers, especially since there are still numerous OS glitches and hardware breakdowns reported by those who have made the purchase. (Peter Cohen, 2005) With 1.5 million units of its next-generation video game console already sold in the December quarter, Microsoft now expects to sell 2.5 million by February end. (Todd Bishop, 2006). The market looks receptive and Microsoft’s promotional stance has apparently paid off. However, the marketing communication efforts were not complemented by delivery and supply, thus leading to some discontent and aversion towards the company if not the product. The following pages will present the description and analysis of the Promotional Activities undertaken by Microsoft, the effectiveness of the efforts, and the impact that