Introduction
The majority of the issues that arose during the promotion of the Microsoft Xbox were mostly caused by Microsoft Corporation. They arose primarily as a result of the Xbox equipment’s design and structure, as well as its needs and operational practices. The pandemic has formed new habits, and the abundance of free time forced PC and console owners to buy new games. Those who did not have computers and who did not want to spend money switched to mobile gaming. Suppose the growth of consoles and PCs was abrupt and returned to average values shortly after removing all restrictions. In that case, mobile gaming has been steadily gaining popularity over the past few years.
Mobile games are more accessible, there is more choice, a smartphone is always at hand, and most importantly, it is almost always free or much cheaper than games on consoles. Especially after gaming experience on PCs and consoles, people are more willing to switch to mobile analogs of their favorite games (Park, 2020). Thus, Xbox faces a significant marketing challenge. Given the problems associated with previous versions of the game console and the limited number of games available, Microsoft needs to look for alternative solutions. This is also due to the growing competition for more convenient and affordable mobile games.
Three Sources of Secondary Information
Internal sales and marketing operations data may be supplied to the MIS and transformed into valuable reports. Microsoft may also link an MIS to a company intranet, or internal communications network, allowing users to access data from various business divisions, departments, and even workers. Smart intelligence systems that monitor rivals’ websites, industry trade magazines, and marketplace observations by employees and managers provide Microsoft with information about the target market environment. Trade conferences, meeting with consumers and prospective customers, conversing with distributors, product testing and comparison, and mystery shopping are all ways to get market knowledge (Burns & Bush, 2012). All of this information may be entered into the marketing data system.
- Data on sales. The Marketing and Sales section keeps track of crucial details about the company. Forecasting relies heavily on sales statistics from several financial periods (Indeed Editorial Team, 2021). Market segmentation, product type, and policies applied are all used to classify the data.
- Reports on market research. Inferences are drawn from reports generated by researchers during their operations and maintained in the information system (Burns & Bush, 2012). The data that is provided is essential for making decisions.
- Information about the competitors. The Information System also summarizes and stores publicly available information about its rivals. This aids in making decisions on which policies to employ in the course of business.
Two Types of Proprietary Corporate Information
One of the options is to obtain private commercial information. This is reflected in information about enterprises and organizations, the directions of their work and products, prices, financial conditions, business relationships, transactions, and other factors. Commercial information is data that carries material value, which can characterize the current situation in the market of goods and services. Thus, commercial information can contain versatile information about the production of some products, the exchange, and distribution of material goods, and economic assessments (Indeed Editorial Team, 2021). However, a significant problem is the source of this information, which should be taken into special attention. It can be provided by market participants themselves either in the form of electronic databases or periodically updated printed publications. Other important information can be obtained from alternative sources of information. They demonstrate indicators calculated for a set of companies, banks, and other organizations, for certain markets, and geographical and administrative territories. This information is provided by the State statistical services in the form of various statistical collections, both in printed and electronic form.
The Marketing Information System Helps Solve the Marketing Problem
It is reasonable to do a primary data search in addition to secondary data that may be accessible on the Microsoft Information system in the Xbox situation. Because they will be able to acquire consumers’ viewpoints through interviews, questionnaires, and other data-collecting techniques, primary data is more suited for decision-making. In comparison to previous records, which are likely to be irrelevant to the present condition of affairs, first-hand knowledge is more credible (Park, 2020). The company must overcome the obstacles it has encountered while promoting the product. To provide practical recommendations during the program, the decision-making process should depend on both primary and secondary data sources.
A management information system (MIS) may be used to keep a company’s internal personnel informed and on track. It may also make connecting with a third-party market research company more accessible and more reliable (Indeed Editorial Team, 2021). Furthermore, because the data is saved in the system, the company may utilize it in the future to make strategic growth decisions (Burns & Bush, 2012). The more systems an organization has in place, the more efficient it will be. Using an MIS gives accurate and timely information to the marketing and sales departments, allowing the company’s personnel to make intelligent and lucrative decisions.
References
Burns, A. C., & Bush, R. F. (2012). Basic marketing research: Using Microsoft Excel data analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson College Division. Web.
Indeed Editorial Team. (2021). Guide to marketing information systems and why they matter. Indeed Career Guide. Web.
Park, G. (2020). How Xbox learned to sell its consoles like smart phones. Washington Post. Web.