Brief Magazine Spring 2010 : Page 4

Spring 2010 Volume 2, Issue 2 EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Jonathan Block-Verk GENERAL MANAGER Jill Lindeman EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chris Pursell EDITORIAL MANAGER Shanna Green CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Hillary Atkin, Kate Bacon, Wayne Friedman, Daisy Whitney ing 2010 Volume 2, Issue 2 EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Jonathan Block-Verk GENERAL MANAGER Jill Lindeman EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chris Pursell EDITORIAL MANAGER Shanna Green CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Hillary Atkin, Kate Bacon, Wayne Friedman, Daisy Whitney oll oll into our annual MI6 conference, I opted to assign the video game marketing feature that anchors our special reports section in this issue, as I have always taken my long history with video games as a personal pleasure and distraction over the years. What came out of the interviews, however, was something far more indicative of the very nature ofmarketing in this era: the rise of the community. The strength of gaming isn’t personal and hasn’t been for some time. Whether it was my mom requesting help on Facebook for “FarmVille;” my wife, aka Lady Fingers, raking in virtual chips playing poker; my son rising up the world leaderboards of “Mario Kart;” ormy daughter accessorizing another player’s house on “Toontown,” they are all connected not only with their friends but around the world by a happy kinship. Of course, that’s just the way branders want it: three genera- tions of people who are not only actively engaged with the product, but walking billboards for the title. But as long as the product is solid, the players, in my family at least, are all happy to do it. Community is a theme you’ll see throughout this edition of Brief. It’s a theme in my interview with Fred Seibert, and it’s broken down in our quarterly roundtable. Community breeds the word-of-mouth buzz thatmarketers in any industry are perpetually trying to tap into. This has been hugely prodded along by socialmedia, of course, and in our special report on Social Media and PR, you’ll fi nd that the idea of community has shaken up the corporate structure and changed how entire departments interact. It’s hard to believe that in the next issue we’ll be well on our way to the Conference. In it, we’ll take an insightful look at the state of the key art industry, talk with one of the few people in the world who is a walking brand and put the spotlight on the next generation ofmarketing gurus with our annual next-gen special. Chris Pursell Editor-in-Chief and VP of Content Innovation DIRECTOR, SALES AND BUSINESS INTEGRATION Laura Coones EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Jessica Henning EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Rebecca Job MAGAZINE DESIGN bpg www.bpgadvertising.com CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Kevin Lynch www.kevinlynchstudios.com Patrick Buckley www.patrickbuckleyphotography.com All letters sent to Brief or its editors are assumed intended for publication. Brief invites editorial comment, but accepts no responsibil- ity for its loss or destruction, however it arises, while in its offi ce or in transit. All material to be returned must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Brief, 1522e Cloverfi eld Blvd., Santa Monica, CA, 90404. Printed in the United States. Brief is a quarterly publication, plus special issues as a part of member outreach for non-profi t organization PromaxBDA, which publishes this magazine. For a membership to PromaxBDA, please contact our main offi ce in Santa Monica, Calif. email: anush@promaxbda.org. Brief 1522e Cloverfi eld Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90404-5567 (310) 788-7600 www.promaxbda.org

Letter from the Editor

Chris Pursell

As we roll into our annual MI6 conference, I opted to assign myself the video game marketing feature that anchors our special reports section in this issue, as I have always taken my long history with video games as a personal pleasure and distraction over the years. What came out of the interviews, however, was something far more indicative of the very nature of marketing in this era: the rise of the community. The strength of gaming isn’t personal and hasn’t been for some time. Whether it was my mom requesting help on Facebook for “FarmVille;” my wife, aka Lady Fingers, raking in virtual chips playing poker; my son rising up the world leaderboards of “Mario Kart;” or my daughter accessorizing another player’s house on “Toontown,” they are all connected not only with their friends but around the world by a happy kinship. Of course, that’s just the way branders want it: three generations of people who are not only actively engaged with the product, but walking billboards for the title. But as long as the product is solid, the players, in my family at least, are all happy to do it. Community is a theme you’ll see throughout this edition of Brief. It’s a theme in my interview with Fred Seibert, and it’s broken down in our quarterly roundtable. Community breeds the word-of-mouth buzz that marketers in any industry are perpetually trying to tap into. This has been hugely prodded along by social media, of course, and in our special report on Social Media and PR, you’ll fi nd that the idea of community has shaken up the corporate structure and changed how entire departments interact. It’s hard to believe that in the next issue we’ll be well on our way to the Conference. In it, we’ll take an insightful look at the state of the key art industry, talk with one of the few people in the world who is a walking brand and put the spotlight on the next generation of marketing gurus with our annual next-gen special. Chris Pursell Editor-in-Chief and VP of Content Innovation

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