Just checking public opinion before launch completely changed our marketing strategy.
Just checking public opinion before launch completely changed our marketing strategy.
When launching a new service in the global market, you may have thought about this at least once.“They say each country reacts differently, so which market should we compete first now?”
The schedule and budget are already set, but the market atmosphere is often based on intuition. In fact, in the global market, even for the same service, the direction of public opinion is different in each country.
In some markets, expectations are formed first, and in others, specific issues are mentioned first.However, there are many cases where campaigns are prepared with a single strategy without being able to organize these differences with data.
Company K, a global game company that is the protagonist of this case, also had similar concerns.We were preparing for a global launch on a quarterly basis, but there was no data organizing the market atmosphere by country into one standard.
Internally, there was talk that each market reacted differently, but there was insufficient evidence to explain the actual trend.
In the end, Company K made the decision, “Let’s organize global public opinion with data before launch.”
This case is a project that redesigned the strategy and message direction for each country through public opinion diagnosis before launch, and the decision-making process at the time was summarized through an interview with Junho, an actual digital marketer.
📌 Case Preview
- The strategy was sophisticated, but market reactions varied from country to country
- Global market reaction before launch, relying on intuition without data
- Identifying community public opinion considering the characteristics of the gaming industry
- ‘Public opinion direction diagnosis’ is more important than negative public opinion.
The strategy was sophisticated, but market reactions varied from country to country
The strategy was sophisticated, but market reactions varied from country to country
Hello, Junho! First, please briefly introduce yourself and the job you are currently responsible for.
Junho: Hello. My name is Junho Lee, and I am in charge of digital marketing at K Company, a global gaming company. I am mainly responsible for establishing marketing strategies based on campaigns related to launching overseas markets, collaborating with influencers, and monitoring community reactions.
nice to meet you. Junho! I am curious about the background to starting this ‘Overseas Public Opinion Monitoring’ project. What concerns did you have ahead of the release, and for what reason did you decide, ‘I need to check public opinion separately before the release’?
Junho: I knew that reactions would vary from country to country, but I never confirmed that with actual data. Since the schedule was already set and the marketing budget was allocated, we were preparing the entire strategy at once. However, when I looked at the communities individually from within, I got the feeling that while some countries had high expectations, others had a negative image that was becoming entrenched.
Junho: The problem is that it was a judgment based on intuition. Channels such as Discord and Reddit were looked at separately by outsourced personnel, and the report format and standards were different for each country, so it was difficult to check the overall flow at a glance. There was concern that if we launched it in this state, we would be pushing the same strategy into both markets that were doing well and markets that were not doing well, and that we wouldn't be able to make a profit.
The most common risk in launching a global service is a situation where the schedule and budget are confirmed, but the marketing campaign begins without accurate market response.
Especially in markets characterized by strong community influence, such as those in Southeast Asia and South Asia, the atmosphere created just before launch often determines initial performance.
The problem is that the channel structure through which public opinion is formed varies from country to country. In some countries, App Store ratings determine performance, in others, streamer reactions are key, and in still other countries, the atmosphere of a specific community determines overall public opinion.
If the same strategy is applied without understanding this structure, uneven situations will occur, such as heightened expectations in some markets and widespread negative public opinion in others.
Company K asked an important question at this point.
“Aren’t we seeing all markets at the same temperature?”
This question was the starting point for the pre-launch public opinion diagnosis project.
Global market reaction before launch, relying on intuition without data
Global market reaction before launch, relying on intuition without data
What was the first thing you wanted to check ahead of launch? In particular, I am curious about what you felt most anxious or lacking in judgment criteria in situations where the marketing budget or campaign schedule was already set.
Junho: To be honest, I first wanted to know if the atmosphere was safe to start advertising.
Junho: The budget was already set and the schedule was set, but no one had a clear idea of how the market was viewing our game. Even internal team members. (laugh)
Junho: There was talk that expectations were high in some countries, and in some places it was said that company-related issues were circulating first, but no one could explain exactly how widespread it actually was or what channel it started from. If I started advertising in this situation, I would have to use the same message in markets that didn't respond well, and it would feel like the budget was just wasted.
In many new service launch projects, the marketing budget is spent first. However, executing a marketing campaign without confirming the market response results in inefficiency as the same strategy is applied to countries with low response.
Especially in the gaming industry, the initial reaction has a cascading effect on the following factors:
- Initial rating formation
- Recommendation algorithm exposure
- Streamer participation
- Community Spread Rate
- Secondary content creation volume
If any of these negative images are formed, marketing costs will increase exponentially while performance will not be very good.
Conversely, if you check the direction of public opinion before launch, you can preemptively and strategically adjust the campaign message and budget allocation for each country.
In other words, diagnosing public opinion before launch can be seen as a preliminary strategic design stage that determines marketing efficiency and the success or failure of service distribution, rather than simple monitoring.
Identifying community public opinion considering the characteristics of the gaming industry
Identifying community public opinion considering the characteristics of the gaming industry
While conducting this ‘Global Market Public Opinion Analysis’, were there any areas where there were differences between the market atmosphere that was previously understood internally and the actual data? In particular, please let us know if you have discovered anything new about which channel the issue is originating from.
Junho: I think the biggest thing was that the external atmosphere was quite different from the actual community atmosphere. It didn't seem like a big problem in news articles or social media, but on Reddit and communities, a specific issue was already being mentioned repeatedly.
Junho: Especially in the community where core users gathered, a kind of negative atmosphere was forming as stories about the company were repeated. I felt that if I had launched it without knowing about this trend, I would have continued to run the campaign without knowing why the response was not so good.
In the gaming industry, the point at which issues arise is very different from that of general brands. Many companies judge market sentiment based on the amount of mentions in the news or social media, but actual public opinion is often formed at an earlier stage.
Especially in user-centered industries such as games, which are community-driven, opinions are first formed in spaces where core users gather, and then the flow spreads externally.
Especially for global services, the community space has the following characteristics:
- High proportion of core users
- Direct opinion expression structure
- fast rate of spread
- Possibility of frame fixation
In this structure, even a small issue can easily spread quickly. In particular, when core users first raise issues and begin to form a consensus, the trend solidifies as an ‘atmosphere’ within the community.
Afterwards, as the content spreads to external channels such as YouTube, SNS, and articles, there are many cases where it is accepted as if it were the public opinion of the entire market.
The problem is that companies can easily miss this point. In most cases, we first become aware of the situation through media articles or reactions on social media, but in reality, the direction of public opinion within the community is often determined long before then.
If you add a marketing campaign in this situation, you are pouring water into a bottomless pot, making it difficult to determine the exact cause of why the response is not as expected.
Conversely, if you check community-centered public opinion at least once before launch, you can understand in advance which issues are forming first and in which direction awareness is flowing.
Ultimately, the key to analyzing public opinion before launch is not simply checking the amount of mentions. Where does public opinion originate and how does it spread?It's about understanding.
Just checking this starting point in advance can make a big difference in marketing performance and strategic direction after launch.
‘Public opinion direction diagnosis’ is more important than negative public opinion.
‘Public opinion direction diagnosis’ is more important than negative public opinion.
When you first received the data, what was the first thing that caught your eye? In particular, I am curious about whether there were parts that were different from expectations in terms of actual content or context, rather than just the simple denial rate.
Junho: When I first looked at the numbers, I felt it was more stable than I thought. However, when I looked at the content, there was more to say about the company than complaints about the game. Things like decision-making and past issues were constantly being mentioned, and it felt like it was solidifying into a single atmosphere within the community. If it's feedback about the game itself, it can be resolved with an update, but when it comes to company image issues, the approach is completely different. I think it was most important to confirm this before release.
The key in this case is not the percentage of fraudulent posts,What issues are the negative issues facing?It was.
The numbers that appeared on the surface were relatively stable, but when you look at the actual content, the negative data was leading to a story that was connected not to the game, but to the company's decision-making and image. In this case, the nature of the risk itself changes.
Issues related to games have a relatively clear direction for resolution. Factors such as bugs, balance issues, or lack of content can be directly improved through patches or updates.
In fact, many games go through the process of regaining their ratings through operation and updates after release. These problems are areas that can be resolved through technical response and content improvement.
On the other hand, issues related to corporate trust require a completely different approach. This is because issues related to the company’s image, such as decision-making or past history, cannot be resolved with a simple update.
In these cases, a longer-term response is needed, such as adjusting messaging strategies or conducting formal communications. In particular, these issues can easily become solidified into a single frame within the community, so no matter what content is released in the future, a situation may arise where it is interpreted from the same perspective.
Because response methods vary depending on the nature of the fraud, simply looking at the percentage of fraudulent data is not enough when checking public opinion before launch.
It is important to take a look at the context in which the denial is being formed and where it is heading. Just understanding this difference in advance can make a big difference in your subsequent message strategy and marketing direction.
Change in strategic decision-making structure through public opinion diagnosis before launch
After this project, what, if anything, changed in the actual decision-making or marketing preparation process?
Junho: The biggest thing was being able to see the reactions of each country and share strategies. In the past, we would have prepared the entire campaign at once according to the schedule, but now we could prioritize different markets. There are now standards for where to put out the message first and where to place content that builds anticipation first. Just gathering public opinion before launch made internal decisions much clearer.
The core value of pre-launch polling is not just finding problems. The point is that by checking the atmosphere and direction of response in each market, we can discover opportunities and priorities that can be exploited strategically.
In fact, in this case, corporate issues were mentioned first in some markets, but expectations for the game itself were maintained in other markets.
- Distinguish between markets that require response to issues and markets with high expectations
- Separate message strategies by country
- Re-prioritize your marketing budget
- Adjust campaign execution order and schedule
- Proactive design of issue response timing
Dividing strategies based on the response of each market like this makes it possible to run a much more efficient campaign with the same budget, and it also becomes possible to make strategic choices that focus on markets with expected results while reducing unnecessary risk response costs.
Ultimately, diagnosing public opinion before launch goes beyond simple monitoring.A starting point that organizes market-specific strategic priorities and organizational decision-making criteriaThis happens.
Have you checked the market reaction before launching a new service?
Have you checked the market reaction before launching a new service?
In the process of preparing to launch a new service or product, many companies first establish an advertising schedule and campaign plan.
However, one of the factors that determines actual performance depends on how accurately you understand the direction of market public opinion that is being formed at an earlier stage.
In particular, in the case of the global market, the channels through which public opinion is formed and the response structure are different for each country, so it is sometimes difficult to grasp the entire trend at once through monitoring of a single standard. For this reason, the process of organizing the market atmosphere before launch often serves as an important standard in designing future strategies.
Considering this situation, White Me provides a distribution confirmation service specialized in diagnosing public opinion before launching a new service.
Main features of White Me Global Distribution Confirmation Service
- Global data collection without country restrictions, including Japan, Greater China, and the Anglo-American region
- Collect key community and platform-driven data
- AI-based sentiment analysis and issue structure diagnosis
- Provides data analysis comparison report by country
Strategic decision making through public opinion diagnosis
- Separate message strategies by country
- Adjust your marketing budget priorities
- Redesign of campaign execution sequence
- Pre-design issue response timing
Diagnosing public opinion before launch goes beyond simple data collection.Pre-decision-making stage to organize strategic direction and investment priorities for each marketIt can be used as.
In the global market, even for the same service, reactions and expectations vary from country to country. If you gather public opinion before launch, you will have a standard for where to start the campaign first.
If there is a new launch service currently being prepared,Check the market reaction first with the White Me global distribution confirmation service.
※ This case image was created with AI to protect customers. White Me protects customer information in accordance with NDA.
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