Our Direct to Retail Plan

I believe a key to the long-term success of our games, beyond a single crowdfunding event, is buy in from and representation in local game stores. So, I’ve spent a decent amount of time thinking and researching what it takes to successfully market and deliver a Kickstarter into retail.

Since Nut Hunt is our first game whether or not we successfully bridge the gap into retail remains to be seen - if you’re a retailer, or have successfully fostered relationships into retail, please comment or reach out with thoughts, critiques, and ideas.

What Retailers Want

Dave Salisbury who runs Fan Boy Three in Manchester UK and writes The Quantum Retailer blog had a great post on Facebook from 2019 where he broke down what he looks for in a Kickstarter. Most of these bullets are from his take – which you can find a screencap of here.

Dave Salisbury scrutinizing your Kickstarter

 Dave’s list:

• 50% off MSRP

• Free demo copy

• Free shipping

• Minimal upfront pledge

• Good communication

• Delivery alongside backers

• Exclusivity ahead of regular distribution

• A release date

• A launch promo exclusive to retail

• A retail locator on your website

• An MSRP that is close to the Kickstarter price

• No late pledge window (at a reduced rate)

• No deals to supply CSI or other deep discounters with more than a case

• No functional difference between retail and Kickstarter copies

Other asks I’ve heard from retailers:

• Quick teach materials

• Promotional materials

• A standing display

• Invoice details inside packaging

• Attention to detail (i.e. no shrink wrap seam on the bottom of the box)

• Promotion (a marketing campaign or review campaign) when the Kickstarter fulfills

What We Can Offer

We want to fulfill as many of the asks as possible. Some, like communication, we need to prove out, and some we need to workshop to make sure we can deliver an economically viable solution (i.e. standing displays aren’t cheap without scale).

One of my LGSs - and a great place for a date night - Hex & Co

Things might shift a little as we re-RFQ ahead of the Kickstarter, but here is what we’re currently planning through our retail pledge:

• Low initial pledge

• 50% off MSRP

• Free shipping if you order 1 case

• Free demo copy if you order 2 cases

• Quick teach material

• Fulfillment alongside regular backers

• Fulfillment before distributors

• A retail locator on our website

• All Kickstarter exclusive content

• A limited late-pledge window

Until we achieve scale in other geographies, this is all limited to the lower 48 US & Canada.

There are also some less-tangible items we have in the works, that we don’t plan on advertising, but that we do plan on delivering:

• Good communication

• Attention to detail

• Transparency

• A second review campaign and a social media marketing campaign concurrent with fulfillment

• A practice of never undercutting our retail partners through our direct-to-consumer offerings

• Valuing our retail partners as partners

Plus, some areas that we’re hard at work brainstorming, but we haven’t found a solution for (yet):

• Retail exclusive promos that regular backers can get by visiting a participating LGS

• Some way to tie our retailers into our monthly LGS gift card giveaway (we’re giving away $200 this month in gift cards where the winner of each drawing gets store credit to their LGS)

How We Plan to Market the Campaign

Aside from just running a solid Kickstarter campaign, we have a couple of marketing plans that I’ll be hard at work on over the next few weeks:

• A retailer landing page

• Retail targeted media

• A direct mailer to retail stores

How can we improve our direct to retail efforts?