WotC radio ad

[kengar]

I heard an ad for the WOTC stores this morning on the radio ("Holiday Shopping" etc.). What was weird was that I don't think they mentioned a single WOTC product. I remember:

-Age of Mythology board game
-Apples to Apples
-Some movie trivia DVD game

No D&D, no M:TG, no D&D Miniatures, nothing.

Kinda sad, really.

 

[Greatwyrm]

Sad, yes. Surprising, not really. The retail stores have always had some kind of love-hate relationship with rpgs. You'd think that would be one of their main strengths, especially since the other products you mentioned have a farily similar target market.

 

[Wombat]

My local WotC store recently (last summer?) downgraded from a large storefront to a very small one, more or less a classic "shotgun shack", very narrow, but fairly long.

If you look very, very carefully on one shelf near the back you will find rpgs.

Other than that...

 

[jasamcarl]

The purpose of advertising is to build a brand amongst a large base of customers. The purpose of the brand is to build up on possible choice in a market relative to its competitors.

There are not a large base of customers who buy rpgs, making advertising undesirable.

In addition, while there are multiple alternative retail outlets for popular board games that offer competition that advertising is suppossed to mitigate, rpg customers have much less local competition. If they did, being the fanboys they are, they are probably already know their options and have chose a local, making advertising ineffectual.

 

[Greatwyrm]

The purpose of advertising is to build a brand amongst a large base of customers. The purpose of the brand is to build up on possible choice in a market relative to its competitors.

There are not a large base of customers who buy rpgs, making advertising undesirable.

Branding is not essential to advertising at all. How many "Got Milk?" or "Beef -- It's what's for dinner." ads have you seen?

More importantly, advertising can draw new consumers into the market. I would have to think that anyone who would buy an Age of Mythology boardgame would have half a chance to at least give D&D a look if properly motivated.

If advertising can even create demand for a product that doesn't exist, I don't think it's out of line to suggest there are people out there who might enjoy D&D but don't know what it is or how to find it. Even in my hometown, there are people I still have to help find the FLGS (if they even know it exists).

 

[Impeesa]

My local WotC store recently (last summer?) downgraded from a large storefront to a very small one, more or less a classic "shotgun shack", very narrow, but fairly long.

If you look very, very carefully on one shelf near the back you will find rpgs.

Other than that...

That sounds a lot like my FLGS. They recently moved from the "shotgun shack" to... basically the same thing, but twice as long. :/ And waay in the back is a bookshelf of rpg stuff and a small display of new releases.