D&D 5E So you're in charge of Wizards marketing department

[Lord Vangarel]

Ok, this has come from the other thread about the B&N 5E announcement and how poorly it's been received.

For the sake of argument you're in charge of marketing and product planning at WotC. You're 3 to 4 months from the launch. What do you do? How do you plan to make it a success? What supplemental products do you plan for say the immediate 18 months after launch?

For me I'd want to be announcing it first not let some third party steal my thunder. I'd have something on the website detailing the initial launch with approx page counts, artists, etc.

Next I'd have a weekly preview column for the rules and artwork. I'd also use this to show the immediate supporting products following on from the initial release.

I'd tell existing fans what's happening with Dragon and Dungeon. What online support will be available and be realistic about it. Whether an OGL or something similar will be available and if any other companies will have products available at launch.

Finally as the launch date got nearer I'd start to focus on products after the initial launch. Say a campaign setting (FR again!) and other settings that are planned. Which adventures are in the pipeline and brief summaries of them and whether an adventure path is coming. Finally I'd detail the first additional rule books, what they will cover and how many are planned over the first 18 months.

Given it's only 4 months away I'd say if Wizards can't do this at this stage then they are failing.

What would you do?

 

[Obryn]

For the sake of argument you're in charge of marketing and product planning at WotC. You're 3 to 4 months from the launch. What do you do? How do you plan to make it a success?

I start putting my resume out in preparation of the inevitable layoffs.

 

[Jester David]

Let's try this again and see if ENWorld lets me add spaces.

Judging from what we've seen from the marketing department, it doesn't have much of a budget for ads. So anything done has to be small and cheap.

I'd treat the playtesters like Kickstarter backers. In addition to the previews and hype I'd provide weekly updates on the progress, with status reports on goals are being met and what is on schedule, ahead of schedule, and behind. While they shouldn't make promises, they can keep interested parties in the loop regarding what's being worked on.
I'd also have weekly surveys on minor mechanics. Get public opinion on various small issues and new ideas.

I'd also get the staff interacting with the fans more. I'd push for half-an-hour each day being spent on the forums, answering questions and reading comments.
There should be an "Ask Mearls" thread on the WotC site.

Four months prior to release, I'd release the PDFs of the book. Basically a month before the game is sent to the printers, digital copies become available for $20-30. A premium price that will be lowered when the final product is released.
I'd also set-up a simple form fillable part of the website to take feedback, letting the fans have the last editing pass. 10,000 players will catch broken combos better than 20 developers. I'd also release the new System Licence at that time, with the restriction that content cannot be sold until the game is released (GenCon) but can be given away. So fans spend the next three months building their own content and hyping the game. Or form small 3rd Party companies to generate content.
The community could also submit blogs and sites with good content, with fan creations featured weekly on the WotC site. Every couple weeks there'd be a theme. Something like "a keep" or "a dungeon" or "dragon' lair". The best fan content for the theme wins a prize: a free set of the core rulebooks when released. Maybe subscriptions to the magazines as lesser prizes.

 

[Lord Vangarel]

I start putting my resume out in preparation of the inevitable layoffs.

That's kind of sad but true based on their previous operating practices.

 

[delericho]

Marketing is one of those fields where I don't even pretend to know anything.

The one thing I do know is that WotC's big announcement of the two key products and their likely price points has now been spoiled. That sucks for them, but it's now a fact. That suggests to me that they really need to accelerate their own announcement, because there are two possibilities:

- Either the B&N details are incorrect, in which case WotC should issue a correction because they're currently suffering a backlash. (Actually, a double backlash, because the $50 PHB is being seen as "too much" by a vocal minority, and the $20 Starter Set is ironically being seen as "too little" by another, overlapping, vocal minority.)

- Or the B&N details are correct, in which case WotC should try to capture as much hype as they can. Fortunately, in this case, they have the advantage that the B&N details are incomplete, so they can profitably put some meat on the bones.

I am reasonably sure that saying nothing is the worst thing they can do at this stage. But, as I said, I don't claim to know anything about marketing, so it's entirely possible that I'm completely wrong on that one.

 

[Blackwarder]

Woot? I work at WotC? OMG OMG OMG!!!

First thing first, I'll calm myself down... And than I'll freak out again!

The most important thing that I'll do will be taking a picture of myself riding a Dragon, preferably with me being naked.

Every time an an author will come around I'll poke him and run away giggling like a little girl.

I will search the office for every old D&D book and then I will sell it on eBay to fuel my drinking problem.

Being that I am the head of the department I will use my minions to reenact scenes from my favorite D&D books because it's good to be the boss.

I will also worm on my way into one of MM or RD or CP games in the office because those are probably awesome.

Warder

 

[delericho]

You know, that does explain a great deal...

 

[Shadowsoul]

You would think working for Wizards would be great, but I have a feeling it's not as a great as I want it to be.

 

[mhensley]

Compared to the rollouts of all the previous editions, they are failing badly. Apparently they are under the mistaken impression that the playtest was all that they needed to do marketing-wise. And if their future products aren't ready to be talked about at this point, they have more serious problems than just the marketing.

 

[Lord Vangarel]

Woot? I work at WotC? OMG OMG OMG!!!

First thing first, I'll calm myself down... And than I'll freak out again!

The most important thing that I'll do will be taking a picture of myself riding a Dragon, preferably with me being naked.

Every time an an author will come around I'll poke him and run away giggling like a little girl.

I will search the office for every old D&D book and then I will sell it on eBay to fuel my drinking problem.

Being that I am the head of the department I will use my minions to reenact scenes from my favorite D&D books because it's good to be the boss.

I will also worm on my way into one of MM or RD or CP games in the office because those are probably awesome.

Warder

That's so funny and much better than my plan