The Campaign
Video game publisher and developer Ubisoft created an innovative digital campaign around its tentpole action game release Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction. The engagement initiative is one of the first interactive campaigns to use mobile as
a means of giving away free in-game content to players.

The campaign started two weeks before the game was released, and asked gamers to text WEAPON to 44144 to receive exclusive content. When players texted in to the short code, they received a text back with a code to unlock a secret weapon within the game.

By making the exclusive content easy to receive and redeem, Ubisoft hoped to engage its users, build its mobile subscriber list and determine if this type of mobile campaign is a viable way to engage with its core audience of gamers.

Campaign Objectives:
• Increase number of mobile subscribers
• Keep gamers engaged and encourage them to text in for free in-game content
• Test how well this mobile method works and determine its viability for use in future Ubisoft games

“Our internal CRM team wanted to utilize our new unique key
system that unlocks in game content,” explains Ubisoft’s Dan
Morrill, who managed the program. “We use the keys across
various mediums, including in-pack and web registration
incentives. But we wanted to test to see what kind of response we
could get if we offered it via SMS.”

The Technology Solution
Ubisoft selected Waterfall Mobile’s Msgme platform to power the mobile campaign for Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction, of the latest installment in Ubisoft’s best-selling saga.

The Msgme platform empowers carriers, brands, agencies and technology companies to manage digital messaging and subscribers across mobile and social channels, including SMS, MMS, mobile apps, voice, Facebook and Twitter. Msgme enhances these channels by coupling seamless integration of mobile web, video, coupons and QR codes, with direct targeting tools such as location, demographic and user preferences.

With help from Waterfall Mobile, Ubisoft leveraged the power of Msgme to engage its audience and push out free content to Splinter Cell players.

Ubisoft also let its gamer community know about the game code by sending out messaging to its email list, mobile subscribers, Facebook, and Twitter accounts (including its Splinter Cell and Frag Dolls Twitter accounts).

“Our social network channels played a big part in getting the word
out about this promotion,” said Dan Morrill, Manager, Loyalty
and CRM, Ubisoft. “Using both our Splinter Cell and Frag Dolls
twitter accounts we were able to get the message out to over 1.4MM followers. Facebook was also a great platform to spread the word to the Splinter Cell community and provide a great offer to our loyal Facebook fans.”

When gamers read the message on the social outlets and texted in to the short code (WEAPON to 44144), they received a code to unlock a secret weapon in the game.

“An exclusive in-game weapon just for texting in is something you don’t
see every day in the video game marketplace.”
– Dan Morrill, Manager, Loyalty and CRM, Ubisoft

The Results
On the first day of the program, the company nearly doubled its mobile subscriber list by just pushing out the information to its social media lists and gamer community. 34 percent of Ubisoft’s total new subscribers joined the mobile list on the first day after the company reached out to its community. Within the next few days the list more than tripled in subscriber numbers.

From that point the game’s mobile campaign continued to receive a remarkable conversion rate. In fact, the campaign was so successful that Ubisoft decided to allow more people than originally planned to get codes to unlock the content.

80 percent of those that opted-in to the mobile list have remained on the list for future updates and promotions and the company can now reach out to those gamers any time they have compelling news.

Two weeks after the launch of the game the mobile subscriber list was up more than 400 percent, and Ubisoft has experienced an excellent redemption rate for the in-game weapon.

This is another testament to what compelling messaging and offerings can do in terms of user engagement. Ubisoft gave gamers what they wanted, and the gamers responded.
Some notable press coverage helped the Splinter Cell campaign continue to snowball. After it appeared on Mashable the story went viral. From Mashable’s site alone the storey has been tweeted more than 500 times, and was also shared on Facebook and Google Buzz.

Once the results were in, Ubisoft decided to run similar campaigns for future games. The company’s next mobile outing will be with video game franchise Prince of Persia. The company will once again utilize Waterfall Mobile’s Msgme for the campaign. In Prince of Persia, Ubisoft will offer exclusive in-game skins and keys on PS3,
Xbox 360 and PC games.

All goals set for the Splinter Cell: Conviction campaign were successfully achieved.

Companies:
Ubisoft (http://www.ubi.com/)
Waterfall Mobile (http://www.waterfallmobile.com/)

Solution:
Waterfall Mobile’s Msgme (www.msgme.com)

Key Impacts:
• Ubisoft increased its number of mobile subscribers by 400 percent
• The company rewarded loyal gamers with free in-game content and experienced a high level of engagement from the core Splinter Cell audience
• Using SMS to engage with the video game audience was determined to be a viable way to reach gamers

Contact:
[email protected]

About Waterfall Mobile
Waterfall Mobile is the leader in digital messaging and CRM for enterprises. The company’s products, Msgme and AlertU, have revolutionized the way companies manage communications with their end users. The Msgme platform empowers carriers, brands,
agencies and technology companies to manage digital messaging and subscribers across mobile and social channels, including SMS, MMS, mobile apps, voice, Facebook and Twitter. Msgme enhances these channels by coupling seamless integration of
mobile web, video, coupons and QR codes, with direct targeting tools such as location, demographic and user preferences. Waterfall’s emergency alert notification platform, AlertU, is the industry’s first two-way, multichannel notification system serving as a critical component of the emergency communications infrastructure for over 2 million individuals.

Waterfall’s customers include Anheuser-Busch, Nokia, Ubisoft, Constant Contact, Guthy-Renker, PETA, Roc Nation, WPP, Publicis, Participant Media, and the California Community College system. Backed by Vista Equity Partners, Waterfall is
headquartered in San Francisco with offices in New York, Los Angeles and Austin. For more information, please visit www.waterfallmobile.com.

About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 28 countries and sales in 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering
high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. Ubisoft generated sales of €1.058 billion for the 2008-09 fiscal year. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com