What About Us?

[dasbif]

What things are available to US players that aren't available to others?

 

Is it just sponsor games and stuff like that? I don't understand at all.... I'm from the US, so I don't know what I'm getting that others aren't.

[Buffy Freak]

Got to agree with you here...I think it's stupid how US users get special advantages even if they're only minor things.

[Masaryk]

Almost all of the "US only" stuff on Neopets is sponsor events. Personally, I don't mind being subjected to less advertising on the site. I can live without the extra 200 np per day (or valueless prizes) during these site events. The only thing I get a bit irritable about is the Daily Dare and GMC when US citizens get to play some really easy sponsor games and the rest of us have to play something hard. I don't want to get to play the sponsor games, but TNT should pick games or scores that are equally easy for the rest of us.

[Mimii]

Mmm, there was an item I really wanted a while back that was Canada only and I was SO bummed! As for the sponsor thing, it's not TNT's choice, it's the sponsor. They pay for a demographic regional ad and if there aren't many people from Canada (for example) they aren't going to waste hundreds of thousands of dollars for a small margin.

 

And considering the amount of negative advertisment they got in the UK over that I'm surprised that they're not paying for advertising in the UK.

 

I think it makes more sense that they AREN'T advertising there, they are laying low until the negative press shrugs off.

[June]

What bugs me is that here (Canada) neopets advertises, sells NC cards and merchandise, etc. AND we have mostly the same companies as the US. And yet I can't participate in events sponsored by companies that also exist here. Uhhg. <_<

[Gaia]

Well, the sponsor games thing is something TNT can't really control. The sponsors decide what areas they want to pay to brodcast in.

[maxwerx]

Oh I like this topic. Here are my thoughts:

 

I think these US-only things are US-only because the sponsor or business partner in charge of the promo campaign is only willing to pay for a US campaign.

 

It's the same economics that affect TV shows. For example, even if there are many international fans of a TV show, the show will still get canceled if it loses its US fans who are aged 18 to 49, and that's because US advertisers believe that the demographic group that spends the most amount of money is US consumers aged 18 to 49. US advertisers believe that there's really no other market as lucrative (in terms of advertising-to-consumption) as this US 18 to 49 market. So US advertisers are willing to pay gazillions of US dollars to reach US consumers.

 

Now, let's think about the non-US setting. Are French advertisers willing to pay the same gazillions to reach French consumers? Do French consumers buy as many products as US consumers?

 

I mention the French because my address is French, so I'd like to have many France-only promos as well. However, is this a realistic demand? Does Neopets have a large eurozone office? Does Neopets have a big sales and marketing team in the eurozone? Does Neopets have many lawyers who can navigate through the Byzantine rules of international commerce?

 

Do you see how difficult it is for a US-dedicated team to work on non-US promos? :yes:

 

Next, does Neopets have a large Brazil office? A Brazilian marketing team? Brazilian lawyers? Permits from the Brazil department of trade? A team who makes sure Brazilian taxes/fees are paid for running a Brazilian advertising campaign? A large Brazilian support staff?

 

Next, does Neopets have the same setup in Japan? In Mexico? In Moscow?

 

Finally, if Neopets invests in all of this, are there enough local advertisers who can justify all this localized infrastructure? Again, do French advertisers love the French markets as much as US advertisers love the US markets? Can French advertisers pay as much as US advertisers can for the same number of promo impressions?

 

Of course, Neopets can outsource all this work to local agencies, and those local agencies can then be in charge of the local promotions. However, this could mean giving up control, and that may even mean changing the internal policies and advertising philosophy of Neopets, and these are complications that Neopets may not be willing to get into right now.

[Seliphra]

I think that it's unfair yes, but life isn't. I think it is a bit silly though that Canadian's at least can't have it. When it come's to internet policies, Canada's laws are actually a lot laxer than the American ones.

[Meagan]

I agree, it is very unfair for these things to be available only to US players. I think TNT should have some nice perks once in a while for the rest of us! :D