STEELSERIES MOMENTS LAUNCH CAMPAIGN
GAMING SOFTWARE, CONTENT CREATION, SOCIAL MEDIA
SteelSeries Moments is a desktop app that makes it quick and easy for gamers to capture, edit and share highlights from their games.
As 20 year veterans in the gaming hardware industry, SteelSeries' entry into creating apps is an exciting new venture - one which I had the pleasure of leading the launch of.
The entire software business was treated as an internal startup and I was the only marketer on the team to start. I could only consult my colleagues on the hardware team on occasion, and although we were recruiting for a new marketing team, they wouldn’t be in place in time for launch.
So not only were we about to launch a new product in a new product category that nobody associated with the brand, but we also didn’t have a team to do it. Whoah!
With mentorship from the executive team, and pulling from my experience in developing marketing programs and creative from zero to one, I sourced, briefed and managed a roster of agencies, freelancers and select in-house service teams to succesfully introduce Moments to the world.
Outcome
30M clips captured just 6 months after launch. I led the charge on all marketing aspects from go-to-market planning to landing page design, custom 3D character development and various product videos.
As 20 year veterans in the gaming hardware industry, SteelSeries' entry into creating apps is an exciting new venture - one which I had the pleasure of leading the launch of.
The entire software business was treated as an internal startup and I was the only marketer on the team to start. I could only consult my colleagues on the hardware team on occasion, and although we were recruiting for a new marketing team, they wouldn’t be in place in time for launch.
So not only were we about to launch a new product in a new product category that nobody associated with the brand, but we also didn’t have a team to do it. Whoah!
With mentorship from the executive team, and pulling from my experience in developing marketing programs and creative from zero to one, I sourced, briefed and managed a roster of agencies, freelancers and select in-house service teams to succesfully introduce Moments to the world.
Challenge
Clarify the ideal user for Moments and develop marketing assets to succesfully launch the app and evolve SteelSeries’ image from maker of high quality hardware to now also include software.Outcome
30M clips captured just 6 months after launch. I led the charge on all marketing aspects from go-to-market planning to landing page design, custom 3D character development and various product videos. 
Finding the ideal user
Prior to any strategy or creative work, I decided to leverage the highly engaged audience around SteelSeries’ brand to acquire beta testers of the app that both our product and marketing could learn from.
We sent out private invitations that required each user to fill out a long survey in order to get access to the app. These surveys gave us rich insights into who our ideal user was from the start.
One such insight was that the ideal user was much younger than a typical SteelSeries hardware owner and that the social aspects of gaming - playing with friends and being in the community - mattered much more to them than the competition.
With all this information in hand, we set out to develop the go-to-market plan and supporting marketing assets.
We sent out private invitations that required each user to fill out a long survey in order to get access to the app. These surveys gave us rich insights into who our ideal user was from the start.
One such insight was that the ideal user was much younger than a typical SteelSeries hardware owner and that the social aspects of gaming - playing with friends and being in the community - mattered much more to them than the competition.
With all this information in hand, we set out to develop the go-to-market plan and supporting marketing assets.
Go-to-market plan
Based on a few key insights
3D Characters
Official game artwork is heavily restricted by publishers which obviously makes it tough to advertise any kind of product that’s used for gaming.
One of the ways SteelSeries has worked around this is to create original illustrations and entire 3D worlds that closely resemble the most popular games, and in some cases done by actual game artists themselves to ensure an authentic look.
I knew we had to do the same for Moments. But we couldn’t pull on SteelSeries’ existing 3D work since it was too mature for our ideal user. And I also needed a style better suited to our budget and production timeline.
So I set out to expand the brand’s 3D universe together with the talented designers from PES Lab. Together we developed 7 new characters, 3 pets, and a bunch of objects and scenes that all serve as building blocks of the visual design system.
The expression is youthful and fun with visual cues that are recognizable to different gaming communities, while also maintaining a style that’s uniquely SteelSeries.
One of the ways SteelSeries has worked around this is to create original illustrations and entire 3D worlds that closely resemble the most popular games, and in some cases done by actual game artists themselves to ensure an authentic look.
I knew we had to do the same for Moments. But we couldn’t pull on SteelSeries’ existing 3D work since it was too mature for our ideal user. And I also needed a style better suited to our budget and production timeline.
So I set out to expand the brand’s 3D universe together with the talented designers from PES Lab. Together we developed 7 new characters, 3 pets, and a bunch of objects and scenes that all serve as building blocks of the visual design system.
The expression is youthful and fun with visual cues that are recognizable to different gaming communities, while also maintaining a style that’s uniquely SteelSeries.
Landing pages
* Work in progress *
Explainer film
In order to increase landing page conversions, we created a short educational video to showcase each key feature of the app.
This film was designed to serve as a short, educational look at each key feature of the app.
Its main purpose was to help increase conversions on the landing page, but it was also leveraged in short clips used across social media.
This film was designed to serve as a short, educational look at each key feature of the app.
Its main purpose was to help increase conversions on the landing page, but it was also leveraged in short clips used across social media.
Ad film
The ad film was a more lighthearted look at the app, showcasing how it could be used in different gaming situations.
It was designed to be used across social media and gaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube.
It was designed to be used across social media and gaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube.
Results
* Work in progress *It took a banger team
SteelSeries
- Jacob Bolvig Marketing & Creative Director
- Jeremiah Andrick Head of Marketing
- Jeff Mahlmeister VP Software Services
- Kathryn Martinez CMO
- Ehtisham Rabbani CEO
- Liam Newhouse Marketing Manager
- Emily Boysza Designer
- Jackson Mills Front End Developer
- Angel Alferez Sr. Front End Developer
- Toni Au Product Manager
- Tony Trubridge Esports & Influencers, Director
- Andrew Trulli Esports & Influencers Manager
PES Lab
ELA
- Pedro Estanga Creative Director
- Paula Chapela Executive Producer
- Guadalupe Gomis Art Director
- Laura Luna Producer
ELA
- Carlos Musquez Executive Creative Director
- Andre Filip, CEO
- Michael Graham Creative Director
- Marla Steinwald Account Director
- Leah Drosehn Account Director
OneNet
ettrics
- Nicole Sorochan Creative Director
- Brianne Dromey Copywriter
- Katie Morrish Producer
- Jaiden Leach Art Director
ettrics
- Jesse Parenteau Creative Director
- * Work in progress *
