Presentation by Sony Online Entertaiment showcasing how Sonamine Predictive Player Platform scores are used for targeted ingame promotions in an MMO.

1. How Sony Online Entertainment
Optimizes Player Relationship
Management (PRM) with Predictive
Analytics
Lisa Nicklin
Senior Director, Global CRM and eCommerce
Sony Online Entertainment
Nick Lim
CEO
Sonamine

2. Agenda
•Introduction to SOE and Sonamine
•Market forces
•What is Player Relationship Management?
•SOE PRM program plan
•SOE PRM program execution

3. Gamers dedicated to creating the best
online worlds for players of all ages.
• Operate under the notion that every opinion
matters and strives to build lasting relationships
with its global community through meaningful
feedback and two-way conversations.

4. SOE Believes…
•Everyone is a gamer at heart.
•A game is more than just a game.
•Our players are our extended family.
•Creativity is the cornerstone of development.
•Innovation is driven by experimentation.
•Diversity drives success.

5. Sonamine offerings
•Advisory services to implement CRM
• Workshops to build awareness and momentum.
• Gap analysis and performance measurement
• 12-18 month planning and oversight to achieve successful
organization adoption
•Technical services with advanced player
scoring
• ConvertSoon, ChurnSoon, PurchaseMoreSoon,
InfluenceSoon player segments
• Building custom prediction models and operationalizing
them
© 2009-11 Sonamine LLC.

6. More games and platforms for players
to choose from

7. Free-to-Play Revolution

8. Free-to-Play Power law: 20% of
payers convert after 20 days
For illustrative purposes only, not actual player data

9. What do these trends mean for
developers and publishers?
•Many platforms competing for same slice
of player attention
•Many players monetize slowly over time
•More than just focusing on game
development, you must become good at
managing your player relationship.

10. Elements of the player
relationship
•Time
•Understanding/knowledge
•Communication
•Giveand take
•FUN!!

11. Ecommerce Pillars
Nudge
Need Buy
The ecosystem of the play
experience – does it
effectively promote what to
The game design – does it buy at the right time? The purchase experience –
effectively weave in a need does it effectively convert in
to buy in all the relevant a non-intrusive way?
places?

12. Key Goal – Monetization through
Engagement
•Players should be entertained and want to
stick around
•Those who want to have an easy path to find
and pay for what they want

13. What is PRM?
•Detailed understanding of and relevant
communication with players
•Use of business intelligence and advanced
analytics to segment users.
•Appropriate/relevant interaction with different
user groups
•Continually improve relevance by using
performance feedback loop

14. Applied player relationship
management
•Findusers still learning •Findusers ready to
the game & give them the commit and convert,
appropriate tips show relevant first time
buyer offers
•Find •Find
payers ready to buy
users likely to
churn, give goodies to more, show upsell offer
keep them around

15. A user segment is
•A group who share similar characteristics
• Readiness to commit, life cycle stage,
knowledge of game, next likely action etc
•Distinct from other user segments

16. Sonamine scores,categorizes and
ranks players into segments
High “Churnsoon” scores require
Retention Action
View of all players Players grouped and ranke
Illustrative segments High
“Purchase
High MoreSoon”
“ConvertSoon” scores
scores good for used for
first time buyer upsell
promotions action

17. PRM Communication Channels

18. A journey of a thousand miles
begins with a single step!
•Phase 1 Goals – 6 Months
• Internal PRM awareness and education
• Create data pipeline for segmentation and
reporting
• Create targeted in-game communication
delivery system
• Define end-to-end PRM campaigns
• Document process flow

19. Start cranking the flywheel… it’s a
journey…
•Phase 2 Goals – 4 Months
• Increase efficiency of PRM campaigns
• Improve effectiveness via predictive scoring
• Decrease campaign turnaround time
• Onboard additional games
• Add communication channels

20. PRM task force and teams
•Project team
• Project manager
• Sonamine Advisory
• CRM Manager
• BI director
• Game producers
• Game brand managers
•Governance
• SVP Sales and Marketing
• Senior Director, eCommerce and CRM
• Sonamine Advisory

21. Data gathering and tools
•Game instrumentation and logs
•Data warehousing
• Centralized storage and access
•Business intelligence tool
• Segmentation
• Reporting
•Sonamine predictive player scoring

22. Player Segmentation Criteria
•Payer status
•Membership status
•Engagement levels
•Station Cash balance
•Sonamine ConvertSoon™ scores
•Sonamine PurchaseMoreSoon™ scores

23. Development of in-game messaging
•User segment list management tool
•Messaging system with pop ups and click
actions
•Scheduling system to manage which
messages are active and enabled
•Matching messages to different user
segments
•Event tracking for reporting

24. Customer Service/Community
•Complete visibility for front line support
•Complete empowerment – they can grant
offers
•Community messaging
•Number of customer support calls related
to PRM offers : 0

25. Think Big, But Start Small
•Setfinal vision, but break into achievable
short term projects.
•Harmonizearchitecture of various
components early (involve your architects
early on)

26. Communicate to players
•Vocal community are committed players
•Posted notice to entire forum group early
on.
•Test waters with segments that are less
vocal such as low engagement and non-
payers.

27. PRM Campaign Example
•Goal – test ability to drive 1st time purchase
through awareness vs offer
•User Segment : longer term players who are not
yet payers
•Offer : Additional Character Slot
•Channel : In Game Popup
•Duration : One week
•16% CTR, 7.3% Purchase rate
•Unexpected: awareness message worked better
than discount offer

28. PRM Campaign Example
•Goal: Test ability to drive upsell incremental
purchase
•User Segment : longer term players, payers
•Offer : Additional Character Slot
•Channel : In Game Popup
•Duration : One week
•16% CTR, 37% Purchase rate

29. Key Learnings
•Communicate to players early
•Think big but start small
•Do not under-estimate amount and type of
resources needed
•A journey, not a final destination

30. Contact
nick@sonamine.com