Re: [Epic] GW Marketing... What they should do to drum up busine ss

From: Thane Morgan <thane_at_...>
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 20:06:14 -0700

Miller, Chris wrote:
>
> > >Now, some of the rumors I've heard on the warhammer newsgroup are
> > near
> > >unbelievable, but if it _is_ true that Arnold Swarzenegger and Robin
> > >Williams play 40K, why doesn't GW get them to do a commercial or
> > >something? That's bound to get people (in America, at least) a
> > little
> > >more tolerant of the "hobby", as well as drive sales up.
> >
> > one reason...
> >
> > cost
> >
> > have you ever noticed that GW almost *never* advertise outside of WD?
> > and
> > if they do it is usually in conjunction with some non-wargaming
> > product. ie
> > an ad in a computer game mag along with a GW computer game...
> >
> > Imagine how expensive it would be to get even one of these guys on an
> > ad...
> >
> > And even then they would end up being labelled as 'weird' for having
> > done
> > the ad...
> >
> >
> ---------> One reason is definitely cost. Another is called "target
> market" - they know who buys their games. They are making quite a bit of
> money without spending much on marketing, so they are naturally going to
> limit changes they make in their strategy. I've seen a few ads in
> Dragon, and a few in computer mags, but I suspect the computer game ads
> are paid for primarily by the computer game co's. Their big marketing
> tool is game shops and other players, and this seems to work real well
> for them. WD is another tool, and it also serves as a catalog , yet
> people pay for it, at least covering the cost. They pay for the
> occasional ad in another magazine, and that's it on this side of the
> pond. I don't think celebrity endorsements ae going to do much for them
> really - how much would you spend just because Arnold says it's cool? I
> think trying to get into the Wal-Marts of the world is probably their
> next move, and a good one. I remember when TSR was in Toys R Us and
> Target and the closeout sales were great...
>
> Chris Miller

Huh, so even after getting in those stores without natioanal advertising
they lost money and got bought out. Seems to me that's a PERFECT example
of why just getting shelf space isn't enough. And putting the materials
on those shelves would cut the legs out from under the gamestore owners,
who do all of the marketting for GW currently.

GW would cut off all gamestores if they didn't need them to get new
players. They would make WAY more money from mail order sales, and sales
from their own stores. So maybe we're better off without a national ad
campaign, forget I mentioned it.

Thane
Received on Wed Mar 25 1998 - 03:06:14 UTC