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23/10/09
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PERSONNEL
Birch teams up with PlayReplay Former Oxygen and Pinnacle man forms digital marketing firm Gem signs new national accounts manager PLAYREPLAY OLIVER BIRCH has joined a new marketing and PR agency for games released on digital platforms such as Xbox Live Arcade and PSN. He has previously worked for Oxygen and Pinnacle. The firm says it combines traditional games marketing knowledge with emerging methods of reaching gaming audiences and extensive experience of targeted platform marketing to stimulate more customers to trial, buy and recommend. “Developers and publishers are fast realising that digital
Birch’s new marketing firm will specialise in digital games
platforms require an entirely new marketing approach,” said Birch. “The digital shelf is infinite and there is an incredible
amount of noise to cut through when influencing a customer’s online purchasing decision. The challenge is to initiate and maintain visibility for any game. “Developers put a significant commitment and investment into creating a game and more often than not, fall short in effectively telling the consumer about their game and where they can buy it. “Marketing is not usually at the heart of their business and because of this a lot of great titles are falling at the last hurdle.”
GEM ANDREW WATKINS has been hired as Gem’s national accounts divisional manager. Watkins previously served at Pinnacle Software and Prism, managing their sales function, and also worked in telco accessory sales with Dextra. Over the past two years he has worked in consumer electronics. At Gem, Watkins will be responsible for maximising opportunities with the firm’s supply partners for national retailers – focusing on range supply and management of
Gem’s existing and new retailer partners. “I’m excited about Gem’s ability to cover all aspects of retail supply solutions and to work with our retail partners to realise all immediate and future opportunities,” said Watkins. GAMIGO RAINER MARKUSSEN has been named as a member of European online gaming provider Gamigo’s executive board. Markussen joins from the Computer Bild Group, where he held the role of managing director. He replaces SVEN OSSENBRÜGGEN.