Chapter 866: Riding On the Popularity Wave
April 24th, Saturday, marked a pivotal day for Tokyo Animation Studios in Elffire City. The studio’s head director, Ryoko, had convened a meeting with the marketing department to discuss an intriguing proposal from the Chrome Channel. The goal was clear: to elevate the popularity of the SAO anime to the elusive "S-class" status. An S-class anime, as defined by Chrome Channel, was one that rivaled the productions of the industry’s heavyweights.
And as the Head Director of the studio, Ryoko had to take care of things like this.
"I’m sure everyone here has read the Chrome Channel’s proposal about partnering to increase the SAO anime’s popularity to reach what they call an S-class anime. According to them, an S-class anime is as famous as animes from the big studios." Ryoko started the reunion like this.
Ally Riddle, the Marketing Department Head, replied, "Yes, boss. I read the Chrome Channel’s proposal, and I have a few ideas."
"Feel free to speak," Ryoko said calmly.
"Thank you, boss," Ally replied, tapping a pen against her notepad. "Collaborations are key. Think about partnerships with anime websites and publications – we could secure sponsored articles, reviews, and even exclusive in-production content for their readers and viewers. Imagine a limited-edition action figure or merchandise only available to those who engage with our campaign through a specific partner site."
Ryoko leaned forward, a thoughtful expression on her face. "That’s a strong approach. We should also consider the timing of our campaign. The launch of the new Chrome Channel content is crucial. We need a pre-launch buzz to build anticipation and then a sustained campaign to keep the momentum going after the initial release. Perhaps a staggered rollout across different platforms, starting with a social media teaser campaign, followed by influencer reveals, and then the major push at launch."
"Good point," Ally agreed. "And we need strong, engaging visuals. High-quality trailers, short clips showcasing the anime’s best features, and behind-the-scenes content – all optimized for each platform. We need to make sure everything is visually stunning and instantly captures the essence of SAO’s appeal."
Ryoko nodded. "I’ll speak with the animation departments to produce this content. And the metrics, Ally. We need to define key performance indicators (KPIs) from the outset. Website traffic, social media engagement, conversion rates – we need to track everything carefully to measure the success of each element of our campaign. Regular reporting will be essential to adapt our strategy as we go."
Ally smiled. "Absolutely. A robust analytics dashboard will be crucial. This isn’t just about getting eyeballs; it’s about converting those eyeballs into engaged players and loyal fans. We’ll need to allocate resources for ongoing monitoring and optimization. I’ll put together a preliminary budget proposal outlining the costs associated with each element of the multi-platform campaign."
Just like that, they continued their meeting for another hour as they discussed how to coordinate with the Chrome Channel to push the SAO anime to the S-class.
An hour later, after the meeting ended, Ryoko was back in her office as she had another issue to take care of.
This new wave of advertisements for the SAO anime gave the Kuramaroll streaming service a golden opportunity.
During the past 3 weeks, since Kuramaroll has been online, it has already managed to gain over two million new subscribers in the Sakura Abode Country alone. If the number of subscribers from other countries were counted as well, this number would increase to almost 6 million subscribers.
What an amazing number!
Almost purely on word of mouth, the Kuramaroll streaming service managed to gain millions of new subscribers.
For a new streaming service, this was an incredible achievement.
But that was still far from the Kuramaroll’s true potential. That was because if the Kuramaroll streaming service managed to get even a fraction of the whole audience of the anime industry, they could achieve even hundreds of millions of subscribers in the whole world.
But what they needed was an opportunity to gain even more traction and popularity among the anime industry to become a powerhouse in the streaming service.
And Ryoko identified that the SAO anime becoming an S-class anime was that opportunity, so as soon as she arrived at her office, she called her boss, Samantha, to talk about this issue.
If a person missed the Chrome Channel broadcasting of the SAO anime, the only platform they could watch the missed episode was the Kuramaroll streaming service. On the platform, all the episodes already broadcast were available for the public to watch. So the public could even rewatch the 1st, 2nd, and other episodes. That’s why Ryoko deemed that this was a great opportunity for Kuramaroll to attract even more subscribers.
Sam was the person who managed all of Theo’s companies, and Theo owned the Tokyo Studios, so Sam was indeed Ryoko’s boss. And Sam was temporarily taking care of the Kuramaroll company for Theo, so Ryoko had to talk with Sam about this issue.
"Look who it is." Sam said as she answered the call, "Our little blue sprite!" She laughed.
"Come on, sempai." Ryoko protested, "Stop teasing me."
The two of them were friends, so two of them chatted for a while before Sam asked why Ryoko was calling her.
Ryoko explained to her Chrome Channel’s proposal and the other details.
Ryoko and Sam’s conversation was a lively one, filled with excitement and the occasional burst of laughter. "So, Sam, I have a proposition for you," Ryoko began, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. "With the SAO anime gaining traction and our efforts to push it to S-class status, we have a golden opportunity to boost Kuramaroll’s popularity even further." She quickly filled Sam in on the details of her meeting with the marketing department and their plans for a multi-platform campaign. "Just imagine, with Chrome Channel’s support and our strategic partnerships, we can create a buzz that will have anime fans flocking to Kuramaroll!"
Sam, always the pragmatic one, listened intently, her eyes sparkling with amusement at Ryoko’s enthusiasm. "My little sprite, you never cease to amaze me with your big ideas," she said, her voice warm and encouraging. "But tell me, what exactly do you propose we do to capitalize on this opportunity? How can we ensure that Kuramaroll rides the wave of SAO’s success?" she asked, leaning back in her chair, a thoughtful look on her face.
Ryoko grinned, already several steps ahead. "Well, my brilliant friend, here’s what we’re going to do. We’ll coordinate our efforts with Chrome Channel and use their platform to direct viewers to Kuramaroll. We can offer exclusive behind-the-scenes content, director’s commentary, and even host a fan art contest with SAO-themed prizes. With our marketing might, we can create a synergy that will have anime enthusiasts talking and subscribing!"
"This could work. How about..." Sam replied as they continued their discussion for a while longer before they combined their teams to work together on this issue.
Just like that, the Tokyo Studios and Kuramaroll would ride on the increasing popularity of the SAO anime.