![]() ![]() Keep in mind that the D&D brand is a small part of a small division of Hasbro. Compared to the sales (and marketing budgets) of big national brands (even computer game brands), D&D is tiny. And, despite many of us perceiving that D&D is a "big brand" with a big budget - that "big" is relative D&D is the big fish in a very, very tiny pond. That way, you're getting far less "slop" in your spend, by focusing on consumers who already likely have a predisposition to being gamers, because they have "allied interests" (i.e., nerdy hobbies).īut, even a straightforward TV ad on SciFi would probably break D&D's ad budget - it's really that expensive. What would be more efficient would be to place such ads in more targeted media - the comic books and computer game magazines you mention, or on cable channels like SciFi or G4. Spending marketing dollars that way is incredibly inefficient. You'll never see a TV ad for D&D on a network TV show, or a D&D print ad in a general-interest magazine, because 99+% of the people who'd see the ad are not only non-gamers, but they never will be gamers, and a simple ad isn't going to do anything to change that. )Īs WizarDru notes, advertising in "general media" is prohibitively expensive. (Disclaimer: I work in advertising I do this stuff for a living. There needs to be some trial similar to GURPS Lite or WoW's 14-day free trial to hook people in.or some very convincing gatekeepers need to be won over. Even the basic game requires a significant investment of money. No, the problem is there's no easy way to just TRY the game. They even have someone who's very popular with that demographic mentioning how much he enjoyed the game. I mean, D&D doesn't need Brand Awareness. Will it work? Is it a wise move? No idea. The DDI IS an attempt to broaden the market, using a Web 2.0 type of social website and creating their own online community. Some of this stuff was poorly executed, but they did try. They maintained a retail chain that pushed their stuff. They've released board games, basic sets, video games and other stuff. WotC HAS had TV ads in the past and has certainly had print ads in non-gaming magazines.but it hasn't had much of an effect. TV ads are expensive, and not necessarily as effective. If the interface sucks or it's a pain to use, navigate, and sign-up for, they blew their chance. The problem with that is they really only get one chance. I also think WotC stands a better chance of attracting new players with the online features of Gleemax/DDI. I spent a lot of time playing MMO's last year and I was fairly surprised how little people were even aware of the PnP RPG hobby, even on DDO. This is done with effective targeted advertising. First and foremost, they need to make the demographic aware of the hobby. The problem I see is that a new edition with Dragonblooded and Tieflings aren't going to bring new players to the hobby. With the announcement of 4E and the style changes associated with it, I think WotC has answered that question with a "no". If that's true, the real question are do the legacy players - the ones that play RPG's now and will continue to do so - enough to sustain the hobby. In its current state, I don't think D&D, or the PnP RPG industry in general, is bringing new players, kids or otherwise, to the hobby.
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