Unboxed: A Board Game Industry Discussion

Episode 14: Connecting with Your Fans

How do you start building a new community - and where? AJ Porifio, founder of Van Ryder Games, joins Danni and Jen to share his innovative ways of building, broadening, and enriching Van Ryder's community of fans.
Special thanks to our episode contributors:
AJ Porifio / Van Ryder Games
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Bonus Round with Rodney Smith

How does a positive learning experience impact support of a product? Expert Rodney Smith, founder of Watch It Played, reflects on what success looks like while teaching a game, and how publishers and industry members can step up players’ learning experiences.
Special thanks to our episode contributors:
Rodney Smith
Watch It Played
If you liked this episode, support us further by treating us to a Ko-fi and following us on Twitter!

Episode 13: Board Game Art Form Versus Function

The board game industry is the Wild West when it comes to visual standards in our products. We’re a far cry from the mid-century Milton Bradley graphic design template that graces the nostalgic place we have in our hearts for the games that got us into gaming. But is that to the benefit of our products and players? Jen and Danni debate the future of art in modern board game product design!
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Bonus Round with Jillian Ross

Do rising tides really raise all ships? Brotherwise Games thought so when they created a free, fan-focused, publisher-driven magazine called Turn Order for Gen Con 2023. Danni and Jen ask Brotherwise Marketing Designer, Jillian Ross, to share their lessons learned from this creative marketing endeavor.
Special thanks to our episode contributors:
Jillian Ross
Brotherwise Games
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Episode 12: Omnichannel Sales & Marketing

Your game is designed, manufactured, and shipped. Now it's time to sell it, but where?! Matt Aiken, co-owner of Keymaster Games, joins Danni and Jen to share his experience diving into the world of omnichannel sales & marketing (OSM). Is omnichannel strategy right for you? Matt parses through the opportunities and challenges of selling your product across multiple platforms.
Special thanks to our episode contributors:
Matt Aiken
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Bonus Round with Joe Wiggins

Box sizes: Who knew they could have such a powerful impact on product and sales strategy? The team at Allplay sure does! Danni and Jen tap Allplay COO, Joe Wiggins' knowledge bank about limiting the Allplay board game product catalog to two box sizes and the impact this decision has had on development and their relationship with customers.
Special thanks to our episode contributors:
Joe Wiggins
Allplay
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Episode 11: So You Wanna Start a Cult?

Community building shares a common foundation with starting a cult. At least, that's what Danni and Jen think. They share insights on how to build a sustainable community around your games and brand by reflecting on your mission, onboarding new members, organizing outreach, establishing boundaries, and having a consistent schedule.
Special thanks to our episode contributors:
Scott Almes
Elizabeth Hargrave
Travis D. Hill
Cole Werhle
Audio transcription available here!
Episode timestamps:
0:00 - Experience at Tabletop Network
7:33 - Remember the M.O.O.N.S.
12:25 - M = Mission
19:04 - O = Onboard
24:10 - O = Outreach
32:38 - N = No-Gos
38:14 - S = Schedule
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Episode 10: Create Lasting Media Partnerships

When was the last time you evaluated how your publisher/media relationships are going? Danni and Jen connect with some of their longest running media partnerships to see what's working, and how we can continue to grow those relationships long into the future. Investment here is about way more than money!
Special thanks to our episode contributors:
Suzanne Sheldon
Danielle Standring
Grant Lyons
Audio transcription available here!
Episode timestamps:
0:00 - Publisher-creator relationships in the board game industry
5:31 - Media categories and their roles
14:57 - Publisher goals for successful game marketing
19:37 - Content creator goals and approaches
27:30 - Best practices for publishers and creators
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Episode 9: Build Content to Drive Demand

How do we effectively use content to drive demand for our products? Danni and Jen share some observations from major campaigns both outside and inside the board game industry to inspire your own content marketing strategies.
Special thanks to our episode contributors:
Van Ryder Games
Wyrmwood Gaming
Audio transcription available here.
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Episode 8: Marketing Green

How do we work greener in gaming? Guest T. Caires joins Danni and Jen to talk about the Green Games Guide and the future of making and marketing games greener.
Audio transcription available here.
Episode timestamps:
0:00 - Introducing T. Caires
1:41 - What is the Green Games Guide
3:23 - What does it mean to be green?
7:49 - How to be more green in your life?
12:38 - Thoughtful and intentional production
17:52 - Hidden costs of replacements
21:53 - Is paper marketing green?
30:00 - Small changes to existing products
33:16 - Think like the end-user
If you liked this episode, support us further by treating us to a Ko-fi and following us on Twitter!