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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Leviatham" data-source="post: 5872550" data-attributes="member: 50740">Your tone comes actually a lot softer than mine, so I shan't complain! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />I am not trying to be rude or anything. I do have a rather harsh style of writing. Partly that English is not my mother tongue, partly that I am a rather blunt man and partly because I am used to use the tone of my voice to convey the emotion of what I write, rather than the selection of words.So I'd say if I sound like a dickhead (I know I do sometimes), just add a smile to the words and you probably are close to the tone I had in my mind when I typed.It was sincere and meant. I only added the explanation as I didn't want you to think I was just being patronising. Misguided and undeserving, I did have my reasons say what I said and I thought appropriate to explain myself rather than just let it hang.I don't really do insincerity... takes too much time and I am appalling at it!And that is where I went wrong in the first place. I didn't give them credit where they deserve it.I think it has been covered, but it is one of the issues that I think could be worked in their shops and I really mean just the product they license, as in the gaming products that carry their brand and are under their influence.Are you calling the GW miniatures product for children? <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />OK, when I go to a convention like, say Salute (wargame convention in the UK . I am assuming you're in the USA, sorry if I am getting that wrong) the people there are not all that young. There is a lot of young people, but there is also a TON of guys in their 40s and 50s into wargames.Last time I went to the GW shop in Brighton, some 5 years ago, there were three older guys playing, probably late 40s or early 50's.That is the kind of audience they could build up upon directly.Then there are the people who are into the boardgames and RPGs who could be directly targeted by the companies that produce the games (FFC). I'll elaborate on that one a bit lower down in this post.Interesting that, unrelated to this post, someone in my office made a similar comment while we laughed at the office today. Again, add a smile to that and that's closer to how I meant it. I really didn't mean to be offensive.It's not really an "either/or" situation for me. The way they use their space in their shops is not particularly efficient.I think it'd help their business by attracting a different, if related, clientèle. And yes, I truly believe it would help them. For starters it would attract me! I have, easily, £500 in GW boardgames and RPGs.Actually, make it closer to £1000 since I have a couple of limited editions. I had to buy that in Amazon (a lot less margin for them) or directly from FFG (eye-watering postage costs, I can tell you!). That is £1000 they could have got in their shop. I can't be the only one.Please don't get me started on their advertising. In there I downright thing they are utter <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />The thing is that I don't think they would have to advertise too much. FFG already advertises, they'd just have to say "also available in GW stores" and people would know.A little addition to their newsletter to let people know that they can now get other GW products in their shops would also do some of the work for them.Shop windows are an incredible asset. I took a diploma in shop-window design years ago and I can tell you that the use they make of their shop windows is absolutely appalling. If they used just a 25% of that space to show the gorgeous illustrations in the boxes or their games, they would get, easily, 75% more attention from passing people.Damn you blew my cover! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Ah my friend.. if anything I am indeed an idealist. I just let my cynicism gets the better of me. <Cynic>My friend, I have worked for corporations in the past. Also, I work on a daily basis with some of the biggest companies in the UK. Corporations that make billions. Trust me, competence comes in VERY short supply!</cynic>Your position is probably wiser than mine!And, to be honest, I truly hope I never see them. I absolutely ADORE these debates and I admit that slacking GW is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />And, quite frankly... what fun would it be? Not a lot.That's the job for audits, accountants and lawyers. I am just an art director and psychotherapist... with dyslexia and discalculia... it would take me a lifetime to sieve those documents anyway!Certainly, and the fact that we make different assumptions derives in conversation, which, I am really pleased to say, we are managing to keep to civil levels. Not something that can be said of everyone, so gentle tap in our backs! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />There is a parallel. They were photos. GW would still sell games. Different games, but games nonetheless.As for the advertising, I really think GW is <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> at it, but also that they wouldn't have to change much.You are right, it's a matter of taking the risk. That's where I disagree. I think that not taking that risk makes it less good. And I say so because I believe the risk would be small and the benefits would be worth it.Maybe this is a bit simplistic, but wouldn't it be easy if the product from FFG is sent to GW's distribution centre and the boxes are shipped with the miniatures? That's why I think they already have the infrastructure there.That would probably be the easiest bit, in fairness. Getting knowledge on their RPGs and boardgames takes a lot less than getting to grips with their line of miniatures, which is quite extensive.But it is "their" product to a great extent. If the customers I deal with are anything to go by, GW will have to have a sign off on everything everyone else does, from RPGs to official t-shirts. That's why they are so hot on not letting fan created content out there if they can help it.I can understand the wanting to keep to the product they know and does well for them, but I also think what they could win in terms of new customers, extra trade and reputation would be worth it.The gain is in what I mentioned earlier. New customers, trade and reputation. The new customers would be people who now find reasons (or excuses) to complain about them and stay away from their shops. I can tell you, if they stocked the boardgames and RPGs, it is likely I would end up buying miniatures. I would probably end up writing reviews about their products and talking about them in my podcast.I know not everyone does that sort of thing (I am very freaky!) but there would be a lot of people who would end up in their stores.This sort of marketing, with parallel products, works well  in other areas. When you find a collectors edition video game that is exclusive to one retailer, that retailer is selling that product for a lot less margin. Sometimes for next to none. What they gain is the presence, the reputation and the public's attention.Not an easy thing to quantify, but it is something very, very valuable.To give another example, take a look at Barnes & Noble with boardgames. Traditionally, it is not their market, yet, they give up floor space to sell something that looks completely unrelated. The first time someone suggested having a Starbucks in their premises probably a lot of people thought they were mad. Nowadays, it is a pretty common sight.Can you see why I think they could do a lot better? It might be very different and it might look loopy, but if it works for others, why not for them?</blockquote>

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