WHY PLAYTESTING GAMES IS SO IMPORTANT TO THEIR LONG-TERM PROSPECTS

WHY PLAYTESTING GAMES IS SO IMPORTANT TO THEIR LONG-TERM PROSPECTS

Games with good concepts and good marketing can sell well for the first selling year, but they tend to fade away if the gameplay is flawed. The reason for this is that sales of board games are reliant on word of mouth, whether that’s spoken face to face or passed on in some online way. And people don’t tend to recommend games which aren’t fn or which have some kind of gameplay flaw which stops them being compelling.

From a business perspective, it is easy to take the view that most new board game launches don’t stick in the market, therefore why pay too much attention to them when we will have to develop new games again for next year anyway. The point though is that there is nothing more profitable normally than a game which sells year after year without additional development or marketing investment.

The way that you make games compelling to play is by taking time to test and tweak the gameplay in depth beyond just a quick playtest. How much longevity and repeat play value is there in the gameplay mechanism? How likely are people to have such a good time that they choose to recommend to friends, and above all can they get into playing the game quickly and easily?

These questions can all be resolved via repeated playtesting ad nauseum. In the same way as an author is often truly sick of a book by the time they have finished writing and tweaking it, that’s how it should feel to finally send off a game to manufacturing.

Playtesting shouldn’t only occur among your highly board games literate colleagues though, you should seek to play the game with as many different people as you can to enable you to deliver a game which appeals to the broadest possible audience – that’s how you maximise sales over the long term.

We offer a range of Board Games business Consultancy services. If you are struggling to get ahead in the board game biz, maybe one of our services can help you. For more information, please click here: https://www.boardgamebiz.com/game-business-consultancy

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The 5 Stages of a Toy Startup: Navigating Your Path to Success

The 5 Stages of a Board Game Business Start-Up: Navigating Your Path to Success

Starting a Games business is an exciting and challenging venture. From initial concept to a thriving operation, the journey involves several distinct stages. Understanding and navigating these stages can help you turn your vision into a reality. Here’s a breakdown of the five critical stages in launching and growing a successful toy business:

1. Pre-pre Launch: Laying the Groundwork

The Pre-pre Launch stage is where your Games startup dream begins to take shape. At this point, you're focusing on research and ideation. It’s essential to understand the market, identify potential gaps, and refine your product concept.

• Market Research: Investigate current trends in the Board Games market, analyze competitors, and understand your target demographic. Are you catering to toddlers, kids, families, young adults or someone else? This will influence everything from design to marketing.

• Product Development: Begin prototyping your Game/s. Focus on innovation, safety, and the play experience. Engage in play testing, gathering feedback to refine your Game before it hits the market.

• Business Planning: Craft a solid business plan. This includes defining your brand, setting short- and long-term goals, outlining financial projections, and planning your go-to-market strategy.

This stage is all about setting a strong foundation. The more thorough your preparation, the smoother the subsequent stages will be.

2. Pre-Launch: Building Momentum

The Pre-Launch stage is where you transition from planning to action. This phase involves generating buzz and finalizing all details before your official launch.

• Brand Development: Solidify your brand identity, including your logo, packaging, and messaging. Your brand should resonate with your target audience and stand out in a crowded market.

• Marketing Strategy: Develop a comprehensive marketing plan. Utilize social media, influencers, and pre-orders to create anticipation. Early engagement with potential customers can help build a loyal community even before your product is available.

• Logistics and Supply Chain: Ensure your manufacturing process is efficient, and establish relationships with suppliers and distributors. Consider the logistics of packaging, shipping, and handling returns.

The Pre-Launch stage is crucial for building anticipation and ensuring that all operational aspects are ready for the big day.

3. Launch: Hitting the Market

The Launch stage is the culmination of all your hard work. This is when your Game officially enters the market and starts reaching consumers.

• Marketing Execution: Implement your launch marketing campaign. This could involve a combination of online ads, influencer partnerships, PR events, and social media promotions.

• Sales Channels: Whether you're selling online, in physical stores, or both, ensure your sales channels are ready to handle demand. Monitor performance closely and be prepared to make adjustments.

• Customer Engagement: Engage with your customers actively. Encourage reviews, respond to feedback, and create a sense of community around your brand. Positive customer experiences during the launch can drive word-of-mouth and repeat sales.

The Launch stage is exciting but demanding. Stay flexible and responsive to ensure a successful market entry.

4. Growth: Scaling Up

Once your Game business is established, the focus shifts to growth. This stage is about expanding your reach and increasing sales.

• Product Expansion: Consider expanding your product line or introducing variations of your existing toy. This keeps your brand fresh and offers more options to your customers.

• Marketing Optimization: Analyze the performance of your initial marketing efforts and optimize them for better results. Experiment with different strategies, like seasonal promotions or bundling products, to boost sales.

• Partnerships and Distribution: Explore new distribution channels or partnerships to reach a broader audience. Whether it’s entering new retail chains or collaborating with other brands, expanding your presence is key.

Growth is about building on your initial success and pushing your business to the next level.

5. Consolidation & Normalization: Sustaining Success

The final stage, Consolidation & Normalization, is where your business becomes a stable, enduring entity. The focus here is on sustaining success and establishing long-term profitability.

• Operational Efficiency: Streamline your operations to reduce costs and increase efficiency. This might involve automating processes, renegotiating supplier contracts, or improving inventory management.

• Brand Loyalty: Continue to build strong relationships with your customers. Loyalty programs, regular engagement, and excellent customer service can help retain your customer base and attract new ones.

• Financial Management: Monitor your financial health closely. Ensure that your revenue streams are stable, and that you have strategies in place for managing any downturns or challenges.

  
  

This stage is about solidifying your position in the market and ensuring your business is resilient and sustainable.

Conclusion

Starting a Games business is a journey of creativity, strategy, and perseverance. By understanding the five stages—Pre-pre Launch, Pre-Launch, Launch, Growth, and Consolidation & Normalization—you can better navigate the challenges and opportunities that arise. With careful planning and execution, your toy business can grow from a simple idea into a beloved brand that brings joy to children and collectors alike.

If you would like to find out more about how we have worked with more than 200 Toy startups and about our Board Game expert Consultancy services, just click here: https://www.boardgamebiz.com/game-business-consultancy

PS Just one final thing...we have been using AWeber as our automated email software since 2011. We have many tens of thousands of email opens since then, might even be 100k+. We still use AWeber because it is intuitive and easy to use, and offers easily understandable metrics at a minimal price. If you want to check out AWeber for your own email marketing, just check it out here:  https://www.aweber.com/easy-email.htm?id=377817 

Why Successful Amazon Toy Sellers Should Diversify Onto Other Platforms & Into Offline Sales

One of the major trends in the Toy & Game business in the last decade has been the growth of companies coming from outside the Toy & Game business and successfully establishing themselves across multiple markets via Amazon. These companies use their knowledge of tech and algorithms to beat established traditional players who see Amazon as one sales opportunity alongside bricks and mortar retail and the e-commerce sites of major mass market retailers.

Because these companies have no set parameters in terms of their own 'business as usual' they can invest more in advertising than the incumbent companies and they can adapt both their approach, but also their product development around what works best on Amazon's platform alone.

The challenge though for these disruptors in the Toy & Games business is that their eggs are firmly over weighted in one basket. Like all tech driven platforms, Amazon's method of operation, algorithms and trading terms can be changed at any time, and this can cause problems. No prudent business owner should be happy to have one retail platform alone dominate their revenues.

Once a company has established a successful business selling Toys & Games on Amazon, strategically speaking they need to work out how to diversify so that their entire business is not reliant on one platform.

In the last ten years, we have Consulted for a few dozen companies to help them establish 'traditional' Toy market distribution. We have helped them build up sales rep networks in some markets, selling in to book stores, bricks and mortar mass market chains, independent/mom & pop stores and beyond. We have also helped them set up a matrix of international Toy distributors and Board Games Distributors in countries as diverse as India, Korea, Australia, Germany, Canada and beyond.

If you are successful at developing and selling Toys & Games via Amazon, the good news is that your products have already accumulated enough social proof and industry kudos to be attractive to other distribution channels. Some of our clients have hundreds of thousands of positive reviews on Amazon across the product portfolios, and when products have that level of proven sales history and so many positive reviews, retailers and distributors normally want to sell this type of product on other e-commerce platforms and in bricks and mortar retail.

So, if you have asked yourself 'How can we as successful Amazon Toy sellers or Amazon Board Game sellers diversify on to other platforms and into more traditional Toy distribution channels, maybe our Consultancy services can help. For more information, just click here: https://www.kidsbrandinsight.com/services

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Why Successful Amazon Toy Sellers Should Diversify Onto Other Platforms & Into Offline Sales