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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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

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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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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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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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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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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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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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