Anonymous
Unregistered
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 posted on 4/8/2003 at 04:36 PM |
Could someone explain the marketing of stuff that's "down the road a bit"?
Like WOTC has their new miniature line coming out.
They don't have any pictures of the minis on the site, they don't have any preview articles in Dragon, they don't have any ads. They don't talk about it except for a press release witha big typo.
But they let pictures of alot of the minis get taken at GAMA, and those of us on the internet can see them and get excited about them, but with no WOTC marketing directed campaign to sell them to us.
Is this a strategy, or an accident? I suppose this could be to generate buzz and give people who are dedicated fans a nice sneak peak of coming attractions.
But wouldn't a sneak peak coming from the official channels have the same buzz generatign effect? Why nothing "official" then?
I can see why no adds would be plastered in comic books, because its too early and people would be thwarted trying to buy them in stores.
Any answers?
P Duggan
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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posted on 4/8/2003 at 05:41 PM |
It is mostly because the products do not release until the fall. Or, because they will not market it just like they did not market Chainmail, and then they can layoff more people. 
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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posted on 4/8/2003 at 05:41 PM |
It is mostly because the products do not release until the fall. Or, because they will not market it just like they did not market Chainmail, and then they can layoff more people.
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ryand
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posted on 4/8/2003 at 07:22 PM |
quote:
Could someone explain the marketing of stuff that's "down the road a bit"?
Typically, the marketing for WotC RPG products is driven by the book channel marketing cycle.
WotC's book channel partner uses a trimester system, meaning that new product is solicited to retail stores three times each year.
Each solicitation cycle includes a detailed catalog of materials. That catalog is usually the first "public" disclosure of future products. Due to the production cycles involved, the catalog usually show products that will be on sale six to nine months in the future.
In addition to the catalog, the marketing team creates print advertising, web site content, and public relations materials (press releases) which are timed to be shown to the public two months prior to the release of the product up to the day of the release of the product.
Because GAMA Trade Show only comes once a year, WotC occasionally shows products "in public" at that show in advance of this marketing cycle, so that retailers can see them up close. As a result, information is released out of synch with the rest of the marketing cycle.
The fact that WotC doesn't have a detailed web site supporting the "unannounced" products they showed at GAMA is a tactical error, but may have a strategic rationale. They need to get in front of the marketing cycle, not lag it, but their priorities are probably not ordered in such a way that the necessary work could be done in time. So, taking the lesser of two evils, they have sacrificed a good "synch" to all their releases for the benefit of giving retailer and distributor buyers and eyeful.
Ryan
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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posted on 4/10/2003 at 12:02 PM |
Thanks. That made sense.
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freebfrost
Member   Posts: 154 Registered: 2/10/2002 Status: Offline
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posted on 4/10/2003 at 07:52 PM |
quote:
quote:
Could someone explain the marketing of stuff that's "down the road a bit"?
Typically, the marketing for WotC RPG products is driven by the book channel marketing cycle.
Ryan,
Does WotC then consider all RPG products in the same cycle?
The problem that I see with this is that the new plastic minis are not competing in books or even RPG books, but against similar products, i.e. WizKids.
Now WizKids markets their new lines way ahead of time to generate good "buzz" and this works to great success (every release I've seen at the major cons sells out in about a day and a half).
Offhand, I would say that this is more than a tactical error. I have doubts that this product, while designed to work hand-in-hand with D&D; 3.5, will be bought only by D&D; 3.5 players for use in their game. In fact, I would suggest that WotC is hoping to compete with WizKids on the collectible miniature level. Given this assumption, they should be promoting these miniatures hot and heavy, but as the first poster said, nothing is being shown.
Do you see the situation differently? ____________________
-- Mark W. Bruce
Dungeon Master sounds *much* cooler than Game Master...
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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posted on 4/20/2003 at 06:44 AM |
Some similarities between the new miniatures line and Chainmail has been suggested, and I agree, for some different reasons. I don’t think WOTC is looking for a reason to lay people off; that’s just plain dumb. The similarity I see is almost as dumb. Why does WOTC keep trying to tell us what we want? I thought that this marketing strategy is what killed TSR?
Example – Chainmail
What everyone really wanted was a cool mass combat system for D&D.; WOTC delivers a skirmish level game. Why not just play D&D;? If the idea was to compete with Games Workshop, then WOTC needed to beat them at the one thing everyone hates Games Workshop for, the price.
Now we have the new miniatures line, pre-painted plastic minis for D&D.; “Very cool,” I think to myself. Saves me time, and I can get the minis of the things I need. No, wait, WOTC wants to compete with Mage Knight. Sorry, I will not but a box of random minis. I want the minis for D&D; I won’t buy a ton of boosters just to get the minis I need. I’m betting, neither will a lot of people.
If WOTC needs to start a new product line to make money, here’s two suggestions. One, go with what works, D&D.; Two, if you really want something innovative, innovate, and stop copying other games.
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ryand
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posted on 4/23/2003 at 12:57 AM |
quote:
Does WotC then consider all RPG products in the same cycle?
They do, in the sense that there's one group of people (about 4-6 managers) who are responsible for the business of RPGs, novels, and miniatures. It's just easier for that group to work on everything under one set of schedules, even if logically the businesses are driven by different market forces and different schedules. Kind of a "least common denomenator" situation (i.e., the longest, and most complex schedule is the book trade catalog schedule, so it sets the various priorities).
Ryan
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