Boosting internationalization and market acces. Watagame, Growing Games 2014

Growing games 12.11.2014:

Boosting internationalization and market access

• More than 10 years experience within the social media and gaming sector for kids

• 20 employees covering all necessary areas of our business• Ad sales• Marketing• Community management• Concept development• Development• Administration

• Office in Copenhagen

watAgame

The company

Momio®Facebook for kids - Always among friends• Platform: Android apps, IOS apps and browsers• Launched 2014 in DK,NO,SE,FI & NL• 1,3 million downloads

goSupermodel®Girls only community - Where girls rule!• Platform: Browsers• Launched 2006• 25 million registered users

SafeguardProprietary safety and moderation tool • Advanced algorithms to pinpoint users that need attention• Highly efficient live moderation suite• Culture building tool to teach users safety and social media

etiquette

watAgame

The products

ASAP – but in a controlled approach• The gaming industry is almost by definition ”Born global” • Before going global a plan is however in order

• Minimize the risk of failed launches• Maximize the value obtained from a marketing investment

No time for a controlled approach or money for marketing?Short runways sometimes demands earning money right away• Hard/slow to grow on app store without marketing• Multiplayer games demanding critical mass to be fun – even harder• Flappy birds did it – but most don’t. It requires a unique game

Internationalization

When to go global with an app?

Good runway and money for marketing A stepwise approach is recommended - but requires funds• Iterate the launch process to achieve perfection• It is only possible to launch once in a country • Start with a small country and work your way up – this

allows learning but keeps the cost of learning as low as possible

Launch in a small country as the first one• Denmark works well as a first market due to easy access

of focus groups • Other small countries could however be cheaper

Internationalization

Step by step

Bug hunts and optimizations• Investigate your main concerns

• Focus groups and surveys if possible• Read the users reviews in app store• Analyze the error logs

Make you CPA lower than your LTVFind your weaknesses and improve them• Analyze your marketing channels and creatives and fine tune performance• Optimize retention of new users through funnel-analysis etc. • Tweak your business model for better ARPU• Estimate life time per user and identify cliffs • Know your virality and include it in your LTV

Internationalization Tweak the concept until it works

Get the most out of the target groupMake sure your users life time is acceptable – you don’t want to burn through the target group in three months

RegroupIf you cannot achieve satisfying results by tweaking then reconsider • A games DNA cannot be fixed by tweaks• Making a new game and learning from experience might be a better option

• Failing is part of developing games. It is not bad - it is only expensive

Internationalization Tweak the concept until it works

• Population • Target group size• How large is your critical mass

• Single player games also have one!• IOS/Android reach• Available marketing channels• Price of marketing

• Cost per acquisition?• Downloads in app store to reach top 20• Cost to reach critical mass

• Affiliate ads inventory and eCPMs• GDP (Gross domestic product) per inhabitant• Language Free category App store competition: Techcrunch, June 2013

Internationalization

Analyze the critical market variables per country?

Internationalization

Recipe1. Launch in DK or other small country

2. Test and tweak the concept

3. Shortlist the countries where you:Have enough marketing power to reach critical mass and good app store placements

4. Evaluate and prioritize countries on the short list• Lowest cost to reach critical mass• Highest revenue potential• Highest user base potential

Launch in the country on top of your short list

Earn or obtain money for new launch

Empty shortlist

Failed launch

Success

Consider if game is fixable

Make new game

No

Yes

Go get ‘em