Transformational Gaming: Zynga's Social Strategy (B)

The B case of this three-case series outlines how Mark Pincus, with help from his sister Laura Hartman, began to implement his new brand of social strategy. Initial steps included two partnerships: (1) Zynga’s YoVille and the San Francisco SPCA; and (2) Mafia Wars and the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. A new program within Zynga was created: Zynga.org, which would focus on global problems and ways to address them. Its first project, in partnership with Zynga’s wildly popular FarmVille, was a strategy in which users could purchase “Sweet Seeds for Haiti.” Through FarmVille, Zynga would contribute 50% of all proceeds from the sale of these seeds to two Haiti-based causes: Fonkoze and FATEM (a microfinance initiative and an educational and school-meals program, respectively). In 2010, Zynga.org continued to evolve, with periodic bumps along the way when Zynga encountered bad press and unfavorable attention.