Marketing Mix Of Candy Crush and 7Ps (Updated 2024)

The Marketing mix of Candy Crush analyses the 7Ps of Candy Crush which includes the Product, Price, Place, Promotion, people, physical evidence and process of Candy Crush. Candy Crush is an online game released by a gaming company, King, that deals with social games. This mobile game was launched in 2012 on 12th April for Facebook. Candy Crush is a free game and has become a craze amongst gaming society. Millions of people are downloading it, and it has become a sort of addiction. Although the young population was its leading target group, its popularity has spread beyond age group and gender. Some of its chief competitors are as follows.

• Temple Run
• My Talking Tom
• Farm Heroes
• Fruit Ninja Free

About Candy Crush

• Type: Mobile game
• Industry: Video games
• Founded: August 2003
• Founder: Riccardo Zacconi
• Headquarters: St. Julian’s, Malta
• Area served: Worldwide
• Key people: Melvyn Morris (Chairman) and Riccardo Zacconi (CEO)
• Number of employees: 2,000

Candy Crush Product Strategy

Candy Crush is an online game and has an addictive nature as its players are desperate to reach the next level. The game sets out certain limitations that, instead of annoyance, push players ahead to better performance levels. Players have only five lives; they must wait at least thirty minutes to spend them. Scarcity helps make it more attractive to its players; thus, the game never loses its attraction and welcome.

Getting started is relatively easy as its rules are simple, and players learn quickly. There is a reward system while playing it, and it provides due motivation to the player. Various pieces explode once a level is completed, creating a frenzy of excitement. In between games, a good move will result in a voice generating appreciation like Delicious or Sweet. Sometimes, a player earns a unique piece by playing a good move, which helps him win that level.

The new Product Mix of Candy Crush in 2024 is as follows (Source).

1. Core Game Modes: Candy Crush Saga: The original game featuring match-three puzzle gameplay where players complete levels by swapping colored pieces of candy on a game board to make a match of three or more of the same color; Candy Crush Soda Saga: A variation introducing soda bottles and new challenging game modes; Candy Crush Jelly Saga: Focuses on spreading jelly across the board and includes boss fights against the Jelly Queen; Candy Crush Friends Saga: Adds a new dimension with characters that assist the player with special powers, emphasizing a more character-driven narrative.

2. Product Lines: Levels: Thousands of levels across the various games, each with unique challenges and objectives; Boosters and Power-ups: Special items can be earned or purchased to help players complete challenging levels; Lives: A time-based or purchase-based system that controls how often players can attempt levels.

3. Extensions and Features: Events: Special, time-limited events that offer unique challenges and rewards; Social Features: Integration with social networks for sharing progress, competing with friends, and giving or receiving help; In-Game Currency: Gold bars and other currencies can be bought with real money and used for various in-game advantages.

4. Merchandise and Collaborations: Although not a direct part of the game, Candy Crush has expanded its brand through merchandise like candies, apparel, and accessories and collaborations with other brands for limited-time events or exceptional levels.

5. Digital and Physical Presence: Beyond the mobile and web platforms, Candy Crush has extended its presence through marketing campaigns, interactive installations, and partnerships that bridge the digital game with real-world experiences.

6. Subscription Services: Some versions of the game offer subscription services that provide benefits such as unlimited lives, extra moves, or unique boosters regularly.

Candy Crush Place Strategy

Candy Crush was launched on King.com, and it started becoming popular as it was innovative and family-friendly. Developers realized its potential and eventually launched it on a mobile platform. Candy Crush is a free game and has occupied a hefty market share. It has one hundred percent visibility, and almost every person on Facebook knows about this game. As it is a quick and fun game, people tend to try it at least once, and hence, it has become one of the top games to be played and downloaded daily.

Besides Facebook, it can be played on other platforms like iOS, Linux, Microsoft Windows, Windows Phone, and Android. Candy Crush has become a top grosser on Android’s Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store as it is easily accessible and straightforward to play.

Here’s Candy Crush’s place strategy.

1. Digital Distribution Platforms: Candy Crush games are primarily distributed through app stores such as Apple’s App Store, Google Play, and Windows Store, ensuring easy accessibility for users across different devices and operating systems.
2. Social Media Integration: The games are integrated with social media platforms, particularly Facebook, allowing users to connect with friends, share progress, and invite others to play, leveraging social networks as a place for community and engagement.
3. Cross-Platform Synchronization: Candy Crush can synchronize game progress across multiple devices through King.com or Facebook accounts, ensuring players can access their game from anywhere, enhancing the game’s mobility and convenience.
4. In-Game Advertising and Partnerships: Strategic placement within the game for advertisements and collaborations with other brands extends its presence beyond traditional gaming platforms, creating a diverse ecosystem where players engage with the game.
5. Event and Pop-Up Experiences: Occasionally, Candy Crush creates real-world experiences through events and pop-up stores in select cities, offering a physical place for fans to engage with the brand, further enhancing its market presence and user engagement.

Candy Crush Pricing Strategy

Free is a word that human beings love and has an influential effect on our brains. As Candy Crush is free to download and play, it seems like zero risk to players playing it for the first time. Many players never pay for this game, but their number is smaller. Most are willing to pay in a small capacity to resume their game or overcome any hurdle. This price generates revenues for the company as millions play it, and even a small amount leads to a hefty turnover at the end of the day.

Candy Crush is one of the most popular games of recent times and generates sales of nearly million dollars every day for its developer and publisher, King.

Candy Crush employs a sophisticated pricing strategy that leverages the freemium model as its core. It is complemented by various monetization tactics to maximize revenue while maintaining a broad and engaged player base. Here’s a breakdown of this business strategy.

1. Freemium Model with In-App Purchases: At its core, Candy Crush is free to download and play, lowering the entry barrier and attracting a vast user base. The game monetizes engaged users through in-app purchases (IAPs) for extra lives, special moves, and other advantages. This model capitalizes on player investment and the desire for progression, encouraging spending without alienating those who choose not to pay.
2. Microtransaction Strategy: The game features microtransactions, allowing players to buy game currency and unique items. Pricing tiers are strategically designed to cater to a wide range of spending abilities and habits, from small impulse buys to larger, value-packed purchases. This tiered approach maximizes revenue opportunities across different player segments.
3. Psychological Pricing Techniques: Candy Crush uses psychological pricing tactics, such as offering bundles of items or currency at a perceived discount, to encourage larger purchases. Timed offers and scarcity tactics also create urgency, prompting quicker purchasing decisions.
4. Dynamic Pricing and Personalized Offers: The game occasionally employs dynamic pricing and personalized offers, where prices and available items might vary based on the player’s behavior, spending history, and progression in the game. This targeted approach ensures that offers are more relevant and appealing to individual players, increasing the likelihood of purchases.
5. Ad-Supported Revenue: For players not inclined to make purchases, Candy Crush still generates revenue through ad-based models, offering players the option to watch ads in exchange for rewards or benefits within the game. This approach ensures that the game remains profitable even from non-paying users, diversifying the revenue streams and maximizing the overall monetization of the player base.

Candy Crush Promotion Strategy

Developers of Candy Crush realized that promotion is a vital aspect of their game if they want to maintain awareness amongst the gaming community. It adopted a marketing mix with several promotional policies like PR, cross-promotion, word-of-mouth, advertising, featured placement, and Facebook referrals. It is a single-player game, and players constantly discuss it with others to improve their game, resulting in free publicity for the product. The Sweetest Game Around is the slogan of Candy Crush, and it is apt as it is self-defining.

The company has been experimenting with new ideas to maintain its charm, and various offers and incentives during the game have helped it maintain and increase its consumer base. Players can view their friends’ progress when logged on to Facebook, creating healthy competition that encourages them to improve. Candy Crush received free publicity through video Gentlemen as it showed its artist and skills while playing this game.

Some Recent Video ads and Print ads for Candy Crush are:

Candy Crush People Strategy

In the Service Marketing Mix context, “People” refers to all human actors who play a role in service delivery and influence customer perceptions, including the company’s staff and customers. For Candy Crush, understanding the “People” aspect involves recognizing the roles of the game’s developers, customer service teams, and the player community itself. Here’s how the “People” element is integral to the success of Candy Crush’s service marketing mix.

1. Development Team and Creatives: The talent behind Candy Crush, including game developers, designers, and content creators, is pivotal in crafting the engaging and visually appealing experiences that keep players returning. Their expertise in creating compelling gameplay, introducing new levels, and ensuring a seamless user experience is crucial for maintaining the game’s popularity and relevance.
2. Customer Support and Service Teams: Candy Crush’s customer service teams play a vital role in managing player feedback, troubleshooting issues, and ensuring a positive user experience. Responsive and helpful customer support enhances player satisfaction and loyalty, essential for retaining players in a competitive market.
3. Community Managers and Social Media Teams: The people responsible for managing Candy Crush’s online communities and social media platforms are key to fostering a vibrant player community. They engage with players through regular updates, contests, and feedback solicitation, creating a sense of belonging among players and encouraging an active community.
4. Marketing and Promotional Staff: The marketing team behind Candy Crush works to promote the game through various channels, crafting messages that resonate with target audiences and planning promotional campaigns. Their efforts in understanding player demographics and preferences are crucial for tailoring marketing strategies that attract and retain players.
5. The Players Themselves: In service marketing, the customers (in this case, the players) also play a part in influencing the service experience. The interactions between players, such as sharing strategies, competing, or collaborating, enrich the game’s social experience. Player feedback and community involvement are invaluable for continuous improvement and innovation within the game.

Candy Crush Process Strategy

In the Service Marketing Mix context, “Process” refers to the procedures, mechanisms, and flow of activities consumed by services. For Candy Crush, this encompasses how players interact with the game, from initial download to ongoing engagement. Understanding the “Process” element is crucial for highlighting how Candy Crush delivers its service marketing more efficiently and effectively, ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty. Here’s a detailed look at the “Process” aspect of Candy Crush’s service marketing mix.

1. Ease of Access and Onboarding: The process begins with a straightforward download and installation procedure from app stores on various platforms, ensuring ease of access for new users. The onboarding experience is carefully designed to introduce new players to the game mechanics through simple, early levels that gradually increase in difficulty. This seamless entry point is crucial for capturing and retaining interest.
2. Level Progression and Difficulty Scaling: Candy Crush’s level design and progression system are core to its service delivery process. The game features thousands of levels, with new ones added regularly, ensuring long-term engagement. Difficulty scaling presents players with increasing challenges, balanced with the satisfaction of achievement. This encourages players to continue engaging with the service over time.
3. Customer Support and Feedback Loops: Customer support processes, including in-app support, community forums, and social media channels, are readily accessible, allowing players to report issues, seek help, and provide feedback. This feedback loop is integral to continuous improvement, ensuring that player concerns and suggestions are addressed, enhancing the overall service quality.
4. In-Game Purchases and Transactions: Making in-game purchases is designed to be as frictionless as possible. Secure and straightforward payment methods are integrated into the game, allowing players to buy in-game currency, boosters, and additional lives. This process is critical for monetization while maintaining a positive user experience.
5. Updates and Maintenance: Regular updates are part of the service process, ensuring the game remains fresh, engaging, and accessible from technical issues. The update process often includes new features, levels, and special events, keeping the game dynamic and preventing the user experience from becoming stale.
6. Social Sharing and Interaction: Candy Crush facilitates a process for social interaction, including sharing achievements on social media, competing with friends on leaderboards, and assisting friends by sending in-game gifts. This social aspect is crucial for enhancing player engagement and promoting community within the game.
7. Data Management and Privacy: The process also includes managing player data securely and ensuring privacy. Compliance with data protection regulations and transparent communication about data use are essential for building and maintaining trust with players.

Candy Crush Physical Evidence Strategy

In the Service Marketing Mix context, “Physical Evidence” encompasses the tangible or visible aspects of a service that help make the service real or tangible to consumers. Physical evidence, such as a physical location or tangible goods, may not be traditional for a digital product like Candy Crush. However, it still plays a crucial role in shaping the user’s perception and experience of the service. Here are crucial elements of physical evidence for the marketing mix of Candy Crush,

1. Brand Identity and Visual Design: Candy Crush’s vibrant colors, distinctive candy pieces, and recognizable logo are solid evidence of the brand. These visual elements create an instantly recognizable, memorable aesthetic, contributing to the game’s branding and user experience.
2. User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) Design: The game’s interface, including the layout of levels, menus, and game mechanics, is physical evidence of its quality and the thought put into user engagement and satisfaction. A seamless, intuitive UX/UI design enhances the game’s perceived value and positively influences player satisfaction.
3. In-Game Screenshots and Video Previews: Screenshots and video previews available on app stores or promotional materials provide potential players with a glimpse of the game’s environment and gameplay. This visual content acts as physical evidence, helping to set expectations and attract new users.
4. Merchandising and Collaborative Products: Although primarily a digital product, Candy Crush’s brand extends into the physical world through merchandise such as toys, clothing, and even themed candies. These items reinforce the game’s presence in the physical world, offering fans a tangible connection to the game.
5. Social Media Presence and Digital Footprint: The game’s social media pages, official website, and online advertisements serve as digital “physical evidence.” This online presence provides information and updates about the game and helps build a community around it. User testimonials, ratings, and reviews on app stores and social platforms further contribute to this, offering social proof and influencing the perception of potential players.
6. Event Activations and Pop-Up Experiences: Occasionally, Candy Crush may engage in event activations or create pop-up experiences in physical spaces, offering an immersive experience that brings the game to life beyond digital screens. These events can provide a unique form of physical evidence, making the digital service feel more tangible and real.
7. Customer Support and Service Channels: The availability of customer support and service channels, including FAQs, support forums, and direct contact methods, provide physical evidence of the game’s reliability and the company’s commitment to player satisfaction. The professionalism and accessibility of these services reinforce trust and credibility among users.

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