SAN FRANCISCO – Sega of America last month announced agency assignments for the $100 million launch of its Dreamcast video game console, slated for introduction in 1999. Sega plans aggressive event and retail promotion as well as advertising to let consumers interact with Dreamcast and other Sega products. The company tapped Foote, Cone & Belding, San Francisco; Alcone Marketing Group, Irvine, CA; Howard Marlboro Group, New York; and The Catalyst Group, Burbank, CA. “Sega’s business plan mandates ‘kick-ass marketing’ to launch our new console,” says Sega president-coo Bernard Stolar in a statement. “We can’t wait to surprise the consumer with our definition of what that means.”
Alcone will create large-scale joint promotions, partnering with consumer products geared to mid-teen to mid-20s consumers. HMG will develop a new in-store presence for Sega, and is already working on a consumer retail program including innovative in-store programs, custom fixtures, interactive merchandising, and P-O-P. HMG also is conducting extensive consumer research for Sega. Entertainment marketing firm Catalyst Group will place Dreamcast and Sega in TV shows, movies, and music events.
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