PART -II The Pokemon Phenomenon- 90's Born can't resist and 80's Born can't figure out

This is the second part of the Post “The Pokemon Phenomenon- 90's Born can't resist and 80's Born can't figure out”. If you have not read Post one kindly click here..http://tiny.cc/otj9t

PART –II

So we know what Pokemon is and how it spread in Japan.

Let me share with you a great news. Can you imagine people feeling ill and are forced to be taken to hospitals because they watched a particular TV program. I know you will laugh at me. But this has happened. More than 700+ Japanese were reported to have admitted to hospitals because on December 16, 1997 a particular episode caused viewers Seizure.(Seizures are caused by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain).

If you are interested to know more about it click this link

http://tiny.cc/e33cc

So after that dose lets come back to our discussion.

INVADING US

Before launching the game in America, the Nintendo knew that this should not be a game but it must be projected as a Phenomenon as a Wave.

So they played a great strategy. Before officially launching the game in America, they allowed the kids of Japan, who were studying in America take with them the Cards and comics.

So they ensured that the relatives of Japanese in America will bring back with them goods and products of Pokemon with them.

To maintain a relationship with their country, it became a sort of phenomenon for Japanese kids to collect the Pokemon cards and show them off to American Kids.

Second the makers distributed the game through infiltration to America from Asian/Japanese market and labeled them as Goods , “Not for Sale or Use outside Japan”, thus creating a sort of Black Market for the Pokemon.

ADAPTION ISSUES AND TROUBLES:

The biggest issue to deal with while transferring the Pokemon to American market was , “Different Ideologies.”

If you see the children in America and in Japan, there is a very crucial difference on how they grow up.

Take for example, a Music piece.

American Kids are used to fast music, peppy and quick while the Japanese kids are oki with the “Silence” between music tracks.

So the challenge was to convey and showcase the exact worlview of Pokemon to American audience using English language. Hence the vice editor and head of the Character Planning Department of Koro Koro Comics visited the U.S. several times to arrange the broadcast of Pokemon. The issues of: how to translate the names of the 151 different pokemon types into English, choosing the voice actors, and the promotion of game-related products.

Authors also believed that in America, “Cuteness” doesn’t sell. What sell is “Coolness” hence the character names were made cool and were given the look which matched the “Cool” factor.

There were many more issues, like in America, action games were more preferred than other genre.

Anyway, the biggest challenge was to make Pokemon as brand the 151 characters as Sub Brands.

So what they did was, remember the game came in two versions, Red and Green.

But for American audience they made it RED and BLUE. Blue because it was major colour in America than green.

There were lots of adjustments done, like every character had different voice, so different artist were chosen.

One major point which I believe you must know is

The Track: The American version of the Title track was made like a Rap Song, “ which was made for easy acceptance of American kids. You might also be amazed to know that this Rap song contained names of all the 151 Characters, so that the kids can remember it.

Now comes the

PROMOTION.

The fourth P of Marketing Mix. To make it a Phenomenon, what the marketers of the game did is known as “SYNERGY” tactic in the Marketing arena. Kindly read more on Synergy through Internet or get in touch with me in case you cant find satisfying answers.

Now after this the target was 6-12 year Boys. To include the girls, they allowed Ponny tale, which somehow related with the Boyish girls. Also the Secondary target were Parents. To ensure that parents promote them to use this, they added a great trick.

In Pokemon, one cannot die in battle. You can only faint in it. Thus the message of Non-voilent ( death) was erased and even parents became somewhat positive towards the game. Also they included mathematics in cards and fights, and ensured that BODMAS was promoted aggressively.

Next came the Time frame. Based on the principle of Synergy everything was woven around December 25th Christmas.

With such acute planning, the game was sure to succeed.

So that’s how the whole Pokect Monstors became a Phenomenon in America.

Tomorrow I will try to explain how it was brought to Asian countries and how customized for Indian Children.

Hope you like it.