My Experience of 4e Marketing Failing

[CleverNickName]

I can't say much about WotC's marketing that's good, but Pelor bless those kids for showing up with a genuine interest. And money.

 

[JDJblatherings]

I've not played or read the current basic game but I can't imagine it wouldn't serve as a good intro to 4e. Both 4e and the basic game are simplified versions of 3e, right? Different races and classes? So what. We did fine going from BD&D, where elf was a class, to 1e.

The 3e basic game is pretty much crap. You did fine with BD&D because it wasn't crap (unless it was one of the later 90's versions). That being said it sure isn't an "epic fail"

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

The 3e basic game is pretty much crap. You did fine with BD&D because it wasn't crap (unless it was one of the later 90's versions).

'Tis truth.

Plus BD&D was directly built upon by later boxed sets in the series. The 3e basic game boxed sets were a dead end game requiring gamers to start completely over with the Core Rules if they wished to game beyond 2nd level.

Plus, there were actual published conversion systems between BECMI and AD&D. Not so between 3e and 4e.

 

[portermj]

Epic Fail by WotC marketing, I think; not by the Borders clerk.

I think you are overestimating the power of WotC's marketing dept. if you expect them to get a Border's employee to know D&D specific products anything.

It'd be nice to imagine a world where all minimum wage earners put out more than minimum effort, but I don't think it is realistic.

I don't know that any company that makes anything sold in a chain book store has a marketing effort focused on educated the clerks about thier product.

Mostly the clerks just know about the most popular books and the books that fit whatever interests they specifically have. If you have an RPG question and you ask "Manga" guy or "Historical Fiction" girl you're out of luck.

 

[FalcWP]

It isn't all that logical to expect WotC to train every employee that might sell their product. On the other hand, it wouldn't hurt to include a little memo to the retailers carrying your product that says, 'This is what we'd like your sales people/cashiers to recommend to customers looking for our product. It will mean better sales, fewer returns, and more satisfied customers, which is best for everyone involved.'

Unfortunately, in my experience working retail, companies don't tend to do that. They send out product and figure the sales people at those stores will be able to figure it out. Interestingly enough, its much easier to sell a product when the company producing it takes the time to send out even a basic little note about it to sales people.

 

[Greylock]

What an odd story. As it happens I was in my local Borders today, and they've pulled all non-4th Edition related D&D books off the shelves. Most of them are also gone at Barnes & Nobles and Bookstar. The only non-4th Edition books I saw were at Hastings and the FLGS. And Borders, B&N and Bookstar all had more White Wolf books on the shelves than WotC.

 

[Felix]

I think you are overestimating the power of WotC's marketing dept. if you expect them to get a Border's employee to know D&D specific products anything.

It is not, however, unrealistic for a marketing department to realize that having prior edition's introductory merchandise compete with your shiny new edition is a bad stupid thing. This has nothing to do with the clerk, dude; the Basic Box shouldn't have been on the shelf to begin with.

 

[CleverNickName]

It is not, however, unrealistic for a marketing department to realize that having prior edition's introductory merchandise compete with your shiny new edition is a bad stupid thing. This has nothing to do with the clerk, dude; the Basic Box shouldn't have been on the shelf to begin with.

Oh, it's not so bad. At Powell's City of Books here in Portland, they have the 4E books on sale on the same shelf as all of the other (new and used) D&D books...3E, 2E, AD&D, you name it, along with other non-D&D RPGs. It doesn't seem to be affecting 4E sales very much, at least from my "shopper's eye view."

It's actually kind of nice, being able to have all of the RPG products, from lots of publishers, all in one place. It's like shopping in a library!

Besides, ask any of the 4E fans in this forum and they will tell you: prior merchandise really can't compete with the shiny newness of 4E. Look how it sparkles!

 

[Wik]

Case in point. I work in a deli. One of the cheeses we carry won an award at some cheese festival. They sent us a note. We read the note. When people ask for brie, I always mention "hey, this one won an award a few months ago."

That cheese outsells everything else, simply because those guys sent us a note telling us about their product.

Really, when you're marketing a game, you should do the same. Companies never do, but it does pay off. Hell, they should at least ship signage - a little cardstock thing that says "this is the new fourth edition D&D!" to put on the bookshelves. I know I see it at my FLGS.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

It isn't all that logical to expect WotC to train every employee that might sell their product. On the other hand, it wouldn't hurt to include a little memo to the retailers carrying your product that says, 'This is what we'd like your sales people/cashiers to recommend to customers looking for our product. It will mean better sales, fewer returns, and more satisfied customers, which is best for everyone involved.'

Unfortunately, in my experience working retail, companies don't tend to do that. They send out product and figure the sales people at those stores will be able to figure it out. Interestingly enough, its much easier to sell a product when the company producing it takes the time to send out even a basic little note about it to sales people.

Whoa there buddy! Lets not go bringing logic into a messageboard thread. The entire fabric of the universe will be torn apart!

On a more serious note, you think that WotC would have at least told retailers to take things like the Basic Set off the shelves, just to avoid confusion, if nothing else.

Olaf the Stout