Marketing Mix of Zynga and 7Ps (Updated 2024)

The Marketing mix of Zynga analyses the 7Ps of Zynga, which includes the Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Physical Evidence, and Process of Zynga. Zynga is an interactive video game-developing company that runs its products across the social media platform. Founded in 2007 by Steve Schoettle, Mark Pincus, Eric Schiermeyer, and Justin Waldron, the company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, USA. It employs about 1600 people to help it serve its worldwide target market.

After being in business for a decade, the company is already raking in billions of dollars in annual revenues. There is no other gaming company that has ever hit the industry with a bang like Zynga.

About Zynga

• Type: Social game developer
• Industry: Interactive entertainment
• Founded: April 2007
• Founders: Mark Pincus, Eric Schiermeyer, Justin Waldron, Michael Luxton, Andrew Trader
• Headquarters: San Mateo, California, United States
• Area served: Worldwide
• Key people: Frank D. Gibeau (Chairman) and Bernard Kim (CEO)
• Number of employees: 3,800

Competitors

• Electronic Arts
• King Digital Entertainment
• Dena Co Ltd
• Nintendo Co Ltd
• Gameloft SE
• DeNa
• Aristocratic Leisure Ltd
• Activision Blizzard

Zynga Product Strategy

Zynga is a leading social game developer with some of the best titles, e.g., FarmVille, Zynga Poker, Words with Friends, etc. Of all its games, none has attained the caliber of FarmVille. The company offers its games to the users for free. However, there is a need to buy goods that will enhance, accelerate, or even extend the gameplay. Will arise goods are bought by using PayPal and credit cards, among other services. Zynga games’ features are designed to work as stand-alone products on mobile phone platforms, including Windows phones, Apple iOS, and Android. The company’s other products include licensed board games, mobile apps, Zynga gaming platforms, social media marketing, and online gambling.

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

1. Diverse Mobile Game Portfolio: Includes popular titles like FarmVille, Zynga Poker, Words with Friends, and Harry Potter: Puzzles and Spells.
2. Console Gaming Expansion: Entered console gaming with Star Wars: Hunters.
3. Focus on Cross-Platform Titles: Developing mobile, PC, and console games.
4. Acquisition Strategy: Enhanced game offerings through acquisitions of companies like Peak and Rollic.

Zynga Pricing Strategy

Zynga’s pricing, product offerings, and marketing strategy are centered around the freemium model, a hallmark of modern mobile gaming. Here’s a breakdown:

1. Freemium Model: Zynga’s games are generally free to download and play, making them accessible to a broad audience.
2. In-Game Purchases: Revenue is primarily generated through in-game purchases where players can buy virtual goods or benefits.
3. Microtransactions: The games often include microtransactions for small amounts, encouraging more frequent purchases.
4. Tiered Pricing: Offers various pricing tiers in in-game purchases to cater to different spending capacities of players.
5. Seasonal Offers and Promotions: Zynga often introduces special offers or limited-time items to spur spending within their games.

Zynga Place Strategy

Zynga offers its games online for free, with its central advertising platform being Facebook. Its products can also easily be accessed from its website, which records about 20 million active daily visits. This translates to about 200 million users per month. Active users are drawn from more than 175 countries in all the continents.

As mentioned earlier, you need an operating system-enabled phone or a Smartphone to purchase and access Zynga products. Alternatively, you can access the games on your PC through the company’s website. Though Facebook is the leading social media platform where the games can be hosted, the games can also be found on Google+ and Tencent QQ.

Here’s a summary of Zynga’s place strategy:

1. Digital Distribution: Zynga distributes its games digitally through app stores like Apple’s App Store and Google Play, making their games easily accessible worldwide.
2. Cross-Platform Availability: The company focuses on offering games across multiple platforms, including mobile devices and PCs, to reach a broader audience.
3. Global Reach: Zynga’s games are available globally, allowing them to tap into various international markets.
4. Cloud-Based Gaming: Zynga leverages cloud technology for some games, providing a seamless gameplay experience across different devices.
5. Social Media Integration: Many of Zynga’s games are integrated with social media platforms, enhancing user engagement and facilitating easy sharing and connectivity among players.

Zynga Promotion Strategy

Zynga’s mission in itself is promotional enough. The company’s mission statement states they are “connecting the world via games.” The company uses its broad customer base to cross-promotion existing products. Its massive audience, more than three hundred million, makes it easy for the company to cross-promote its products. Under this promotion, Zynga runs ads of new games across the top of their existing games, thus making users aware of a brand name release. This doesn’t not only make the audience aware but also increases the audience’s interest in the game.

The Zynga community created for users is a promotion strategy many users like. Regular players are allowed by the Zynga management on message boards to discuss tips and pricing strategies, talk with fellow players, and even share tutorials. This makes the players more immersed in the game and less likely to leave. Such forums also improve Zynga’s exposure in major search engines, thus promoting it even further.

Some Recent Video ads and Print ads for Zynga are:

Zynga People Strategy

When discussing the “People” aspect of Zynga’s Service Marketing Mix, it’s important to consider several key points highlighting how the company manages and leverages its value chain and human resources to maintain its competitive edge in the gaming industry. Here are some crucial points:

1. Talented Workforce: Zynga prides itself on attracting and retaining talented individuals passionate about gaming. Their team comprises skilled game development, graphic design, user experience, and software engineering professionals, contributing to creating engaging and innovative games.
2. Customer Support: Zynga strongly emphasizes customer support to enhance player satisfaction and loyalty. Their customer service team is trained to handle inquiries and issues efficiently, ensuring a positive gaming experience for all players.
3. Employee Development: Zynga invests in employee development programs to foster professional growth and innovation. This includes continuous training, workshops, and seminars that enable employees to stay updated with the latest gaming trends and technologies.
4. Collaborative Culture: The company promotes a collaborative work environment where team members can share ideas and collaborate on projects. This culture of collaboration is crucial for creativity and innovation in game development.
5. Diversity and Inclusion: Zynga is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. They believe team diversity leads to more creative and practical solutions, which is essential in the dynamic and competitive gaming industry.
6. Leadership and Management: Zynga’s leadership plays a critical role in setting the vision and direction for the company. They are responsible for fostering a culture of innovation, setting strategic goals, and ensuring the company remains focused on delivering high-quality gaming experiences.
7. Community Engagement: Employees at Zynga are encouraged to engage with the gaming community through forums, social media, and events. This direct interaction helps the company gather feedback, understand player needs, and foster a loyal community.
8. Recognition and Rewards: Zynga recognizes and rewards employees for their contributions and achievements. This not only motivates employees but also helps in retaining top talent within the company.

Zynga Process Strategy

The “Process” aspect of Zynga’s Service Marketing Mix focuses on the company’s methods and workflows to deliver its gaming products and services efficiently. This encompasses everything from game development cycles to customer interaction and feedback incorporation in direct marketing. Here are several key points that outline the process component for Zynga:

1. Game Development Process: Zynga follows a structured yet flexible game development process that allows for creativity and innovation. This typically includes ideation, prototyping, testing, and iterative development, ensuring that games are engaging and meet the high standards of the target audience.
2. User-Centered Design: A user-centered design approach is central to Zynga’s process, where player feedback and behavior analytics are critical in shaping game development and updates. This ensures that the games evolve based on actual user preferences and trends.
3. Agile Methodology: Zynga employs agile methodologies in its development process, allowing for rapid iteration based on feedback and changing market dynamics. This approach enables Zynga to adapt quickly to player demands and technological advancements.
4. Data Analytics and Feedback Loops: The company heavily relies on data analytics to understand player behavior and preferences. This data informs decision-making processes, from game design adjustments to marketing strategies, ensuring that player engagement remains high.
5. Quality Assurance and Testing: Zynga strongly emphasizes quality assurance (QA) and testing throughout the game development cycle. This includes rigorous testing phases to identify and fix bugs, optimize performance, and ensure a seamless gaming experience across devices.
6. Customer Support and Service: Zynga’s process includes a comprehensive customer support system where players can report issues, provide feedback, or seek assistance. This process is designed to be user-friendly and efficient, ensuring that player concerns are addressed promptly.
7. Continuous Improvement and Updates: Zynga’s process does not end with the game launch. The company continuously monitors game performance and player feedback to roll out updates and improvements. This ongoing process keeps the games fresh and engaging for the players.
8. Community Management: Engaging with the player community through forums, social media, and in-game events is crucial to Zynga’s process. This direct engagement helps build a loyal player base and provides valuable insights and feedback into the game development cycle.
9. Cross-functional Collaboration: Zynga’s process involves collaboration across various teams—including game development, marketing, analytics, and customer service—to ensure a cohesive approach to game delivery and support.
10. Market Analysis and Research: Before initiating game development, Zynga conducts thorough market analysis and research to identify trends, opportunities, and potential player needs. This process helps create games likely to succeed in the competitive market.

Zynga Physical Evidence Strategy

In Zynga’s Service Marketing Mix context, “Physical Evidence” might initially seem less relevant since Zynga operates in the digital gaming space. However, physical evidence in services marketing refers to all the tangible elements that support or encapsulate the service experience, even in the digital realm. For a company like Zynga, this can include various elements that help create and enhance users’ brand experience. Here are several key points that outline the physical evidence component of strategic marketing for Zynga:

1. Website and Game Interfaces: Zynga’s website and game interfaces’ design, functionality, and user experience serve as a primary form of physical evidence. They reflect the company’s commitment to quality and user satisfaction, providing players with a visually appealing and intuitive navigation experience.
2. Branding Elements: Zynga’s logo, color scheme, and graphic design elements used across games and promotional materials create a consistent brand identity. These elements help to make the brand recognizable and provide a sense of reliability to users.
3. Game Graphics and Artwork: The quality of graphics, animations, and artwork within Zynga’s games are tangible aspects that players interact with. High-quality visuals contribute to the overall gaming experience, indicating the company’s investment in creating engaging content.
4. Merchandise: Although primarily a digital company, any physical merchandise created by Zynga, such as apparel, accessories, or collectibles related to its games, can strengthen the brand experience and serve as physical evidence of the brand in the real world.
5. Social Media Presence: The way Zynga presents itself on social media platforms, through its posts, interactions, and community engagement efforts, provides tangible proof of the brand’s personality and values. This presence helps to solidify the company’s image and connect with players on a personal level.
6. Advertising and Promotional Material: Physical or digital advertisements, including banners, posters, or online ads, serve as physical evidence by reinforcing the brand’s presence and promoting its games to a broader audience.
7. User Reviews and Testimonials: Published user reviews, ratings on app stores, and testimonials can be physical evidence of the quality and appeal of Zynga’s games. Positive feedback from the community validates the gaming experience for potential new players.
8. Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives: Zynga’s publicized CSR efforts or charity involvement contribute to the company’s physical evidence by showcasing its commitment to social values and community engagement.
9. Event Presence: Participation in gaming conventions, industry conferences, or online events can offer tangible experiences related to Zynga’s brand and games, allowing players and stakeholders to engage with the brand in a physical or virtual space.
10. Awards and Recognitions: Awards and recognitions received by Zynga for its games or corporate achievements act as physical evidence of the company’s excellence and leadership in the gaming industry.

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