As we all know, the interactive media industry is very innovative and entrepreneurial. Because of this, we need to ensure that our region is competitive for this industry. A study was conducted to compare the competitiveness of 12 cities which are considered the top Interactive Media hubs in the United States.

Of these top tier regions, this study finds the Seattle-area among the most competitive in the United States and the world for growth in the Interactive Media sector. These findings are based on industry-selected indicators of competitiveness: talent pool, size of existing industry, education, and costs of living, and costs of doing business. Today, there is no stand alone national leader in any particular category of competitiveness. Seattle, San Francisco, and San Jose rank high across all categories. However, the cost of living and doing business in California draws the Seattle region to the forefront making it the most attractive and diverse region for Interactive Media development.

Video game marketing has evolved far past the age of simple push, pull and viral content creation: Today, it’s become virtually indiscernible from the end product itself. Having entered into an era where adding long-term value and building/managing customer relationships, not simply driving sales and fueling market awareness, have suddenly become paramount, we must also accept a radical truth. Not to mention, that is, the fundamental shift in thinking it necessitates.

To wit – no longer can promoters afford to act purely as a mouthpiece for the message, nor allow creative to serve in a mere outside supporting role. Instead, they must proactively work hand-in-hand with (and increasingly begin to think like) actual game designers themselves. Likewise, to achieve maximum ROI, marketing must also be deeply embedded into actual product development, ideally from day one, and viewed as an organic extension of any given title or campaign’s core feature set. Because in its purest essence, video game advertising circa 2010 isn’t about just providing a temporary groundswell of support for a specific title or brand. It’s about creating a persistent, standalone entertainment experience with real, tangible worth unto itself.

Given this sweeping change in focus, it’s important to note. Promotional content must not only be designed from the beginning to live on in a dedicated, persistent space. It’s also vital that users be given the tools to interact with, shape, share and make of media what they will – as well as connect and communicate with fellow enthusiasts while doing so. In essence, tomorrow’s most effective advertising campaigns are actually metagames in disguise. And will be designed so that users actively and regularly seek them out in order to sate their desire to gain exclusive access/knowledge, a perceived boost in social status or tangible physical reward. Make no mistake: Audience empowerment is the key to success. Unbounded by time, budget or political constraints, your user base can act as an eternal wellspring from which greatness springs. And – more pointedly – serve to drive new customer adoption and content refresh rates far beyond that which is within the capacity of any given agency or enterprise to reproduce.

Still, even more crucial to grasp is the following concept. Marketing is no longer a one-way street, where value accrues only to the advertiser’s benefit. To succeed with any meaningful degree of effectiveness, it must also serve as a trusted and transparent vehicle through which the user ultimately feels he or she achieves some degree of participation in (and influence over) the shape of the end-product. In other words, commonality begets community, community begets empathy, and empathy begets enthusiasm. Specifically, the kind money cannot buy, and sort which turns video game customers – or shoppers in any vertical, for that matter – into evangelists worth many times more than their weight in gold.

Because ultimately, no advertising campaign in this day and age can afford to remain stolid or static. Nor can a given marketer, however well informed, hope to understand the ever-changing wants and needs of their target demographic as well as members of said audience itself. Give users (especially passionate ones, the very definition of today’s game players) the opportunity to join forces and color within the lines of your message, and you may be surprised what happens. They might just be happy to ignite interest in a particular campaign facet you overlooked, reboot a stale initiative or provide enough content and/or inspiration to capitalize on the unlikeliest opportunities. The bottom line: Reach out a hand to embrace your community, and anything’s possible – including staying one step ahead of the game itself.

Okay so you think you’re ready for prime time i.e. your company  is gaining traction, you need to start hiring additional talent and finding a space in which to collaborate becomes critical to the success of your project.

Here are five things to remember when moving from your garage to your new office space:

1)      Start the process early…If you are under 25 people, start the search at least 6 months prior to commencement of operations.  If you are 25-50 people start the search 9 months prior and if larger, start working the problem at least a year prior to move in.

Why so much time?…In lease negotiations time is your friend if you have enough of it.  You want to be able to shop around and compare your options before making a decision.  If you leave it too late you will normally pay more and be less satisfied with the results.   The fact is that finding space that meets your needs, negotiating a lease, building out the space or at the very least providing new paint/carpet, lining up all the other vendors (Phone and cabling, furniture, movers, etc) to get the space up and running always takes more time than you think. 

2)     Know what you want before your start the search...the rule of thumb is that you’ll need approximately 180 square feet per person (which includes support areas and some circulation) when planning for space needs, always budget in some space to accommodate your growth.  Let’s face it, moving is a pain and it’s expensive, so planning up front will save you time and money.

3)     Use your space and location as a tool to attract and retain top talent.  Decide what’s important to you and your employees…easy access to amenities, bus lines, free parking, access to a building that provides heating and air conditioning 24/7?

4)     Keep in mind that the least expensive space for you to occupy is one that only needs minor work (paint & carpet).  If the landlord has to sink thousands of dollars into the space, they will be more mindful of your financial statement and more likely to ask you for the dreaded “Personal Guarantee”. 

5)     Not sure how much space you will need in a year or two and the landlord wants a 5 year commitment…think rather about subleasing space as a great shorter term solution.  Normally the rent is less than the going market rate; furniture is sometimes in place and your start up costs are less.

Given current vacancy rates the next couple of years will be a great time to lease office space and the costs for everything you need to outfit your office should remain low.  Beyond 2 years who the heck knows…!

If we can answer your questions or if we can be of assistance as you begin your search for space, please let us know.