Zumba Fitness 2 will receive a big post-release push to ensure the title sells strongly in the New Year.
The Wii fitness game from 505 has already received a splash of marketing activity. An X Factor TV ad in late October announced the sequel’s release, while TV spots have been running since around Xtra Factor on ITV2.
Publisher 505 is following this up with support during the semi-final of The X Factor on ITV, which airs this weekend. This will be backed by further ads on satellite and terrestrial TV channels.
Zumba 2 will also appear in must-have Christmas lists in women’s and mainstream publications such as Zest, Look and Woman, and online sites including What Culture and Stick Fingers.
“The high saturation of female programming at this time means the UK’s biggest show [X?Factor] will perfectly complement Zumba’s target audience,” 505’s senior product manager Juliette Green told MCV.
“Social media will also support PR efforts across some of the biggest online sites to further communicate that this video game really is the perfect Christmas stocking present.”
505 will hope Zumba 2 emulates the success of the original game, with a fresh marketing push running into 2012. Zumba Fitness became the top-selling Wii title in the UK this year after topping the weekly GfK Chart-Track Top 40 on 13 occasions.
“We’ve taken key learnings into Zumba 2 and are confident of similar success second time around,” Green added. “The perceived need to get fit after Christmas will also be an important element for our ongoing campaign for Zumba 2, with additional promotional, PR, online and TV support in the New Year and beyond.”