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Helen French talks to Mad Catz UK marketing director Rachel Gordon about its Cyborg gaming brand….
Can you give us a brief history of the brand?
Over the last three years Mad Catz has expanded its business to encompass multiple brands within the parent company. Cyborg is our professional gaming brand, existing to serve core and passionate gamers who demand the very best performance from their gaming products. Our Cyborg products are designed to genuinely enhance the gaming experience.
With the introduction of tablets and smart phones, virtually everyone has embraced gaming on a casual level yet there is still a highly knowledgeable, passionate core base of gamers who take gaming very seriously. It is this core group of gamers that we target with the Cyborg brand.
What products are Cyborg’s biggest sellers in the UK?
In 2010 we launched the Cyborg RAT, a new range of professional gaming mice. Introduced at CES, the range instantly caught the imagination of the gaming elite and media alike and, we are pleased to say, quickly went on to become a phenomenon – winning countless honours including IGN’s ‘Hardware of the Year’. The core range consists of four mice, the RAT3, 5, 7 and 9, all of which are best sellers and consistently ranked within the top ten selling mice in the UK.
Are there any other product highlights in the current line-up?
Indeed. Our RAT range continues to breed with special edition models introduced recently. The ‘Contagion’ is a stunning gloss white version of the RAT7 which now boasts full Mac compatibility. We are also now introducing the MMO7, a version of the RAT designed uniquely for MMO gamers and loaded with state of the art engineering and exclusive features.
Why should retailers choose Cyborg over any other brand?
The Cyborg brand resonates with the hardcore professional gamer as the products are well designed and manufactured to install confidence in the brand and longevity in the product. Passionate gamers are extremely knowledgeable about hardware and follow reviews and forum feedback avidly.
We are also able to offer retail a range of products, designed to complement each other, interact effortlessly and look striking in a retail environment.
Pro-gaming peripherals are really beginning to take off at the moment. Why do you think that is?
Consumer expectation as a whole is rising. Gaming is one of the arenas where this is most apparent and visible due to two main reasons: firstly, the technology involved is evolving and developing so quickly, and secondly it’s down to the competitive nature of the environment where the product is being used. A gamer is only as good as his tools, and we believe we make the best in the business.
How important is it to the brand to appear at big shows like CES?
Consumer shows are an integral part of our PR and marketing strategy as they provide a crucial platform to showcase new product. With that in mind, trade shows are only effective if you have an interesting portfolio of products to display. Our investment in R&D is a key focus, whilst our investment into engaging the gaming community allows our product to gain traction with our core demographic.
How do you plan to grow the business going forward? Do you think there’s much more room for innovation in this sector?
There’s always room! New games, new genres, new hardware and new consumer trends mean that we are always discovering new opportunities within this sector. The new FREQ Gaming Headset is just one example of how we are developing and evolving the brand, increasing our product portfolio whilst still delivering premium quality products to our audience.
How should retailers and other interested parties get in touch?
Our distributor Enta Technologies on 0333 101 1000 or www.entaonline.com
