Word of mouth just doesn't seem to be an effective means of player-driven advertisement with such a small player base. I know quite a few people feel the current advertisement being done by Corporate Simutronics is not effective enough for their liking. So what can we, as players, do with the blessings of the Powers That Be (ie: Simutronics) to spread the word about GemStone?

I have considered printing bumper stickers and bringing them to Simucon to hand them out, but refrained because A) I had no idea what to put on them, B) I was worried about Simutronics getting quite unhappy about advertising they were involved in for a multitude of reasons.

This same worry has kept me from printing up fliers and leaving them at local comic shops or plastering appropriate places on campus. The worry being Corporate Simutronics would have no control over what was printed on the fliers.

To this end, I have a few propositions I would like to put forth:
1. Simutronics itself should create an official, approved flier for GemStone (heck, each game really) and for Play.Net as a whole. This way players could print out this approved flier and distribute it without concern of "What If Simu..."

2. Create or allow the use of the existing logo for GemStone (and every game again) in a limited context for player-driven advertising of the game.

3. We had a slogan contest a few years back but nothing stuck very well. I'd love to have a short few word slogan to be able to put on a bumper sticker.

4. Update the cafepress.com store with some more recent apparel. Wonderful opportunity for more player created art.

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You search the sea griffin.
It had a wooden arrow, a wooden arrow.
It had a white gryphon's wing shell on it!

Not that I have any say in it, but I like the idea of an official flyer for printing out and distribution. Our players are very passionate folk, and often love to share that passion (no maces!). I think it'd be a smart move to borrow it to advertise the game. :)

GM Scribes

If you have a dedicated customer base willing to foot the (albeit minimal) cost of printing flyers, the best way to keep everything:

A) On brand
B) Correct (misspelled website = useless)
C) Approved by your top brass

is to create the flyer in color , and black and white, and then post the PDF onto a "promotions" section on your website. It is the print-version of offering banners for download and post on their personal fansites.


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Miss Nixxi Dagon
Nymph & Dagger, incorporated
AIM: GS4 Islyia

>A heavily bundled halfling walks by, mumbling. The gist of his sentiment seems to be disapproval of the sea, sea wenches and ocean life in general.

;P


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Yeah. That's why we would need official stances on it. Perhaps even an NDA contract with a select bunch who are allowed to independently advertise for Simutronics.


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>If I print up a bunch of flyers and hand them out at, say, a subway station, how would Simu even know? - Throgg

You'd be surprised how often this happens. The client officially doesn't know this is going on, but behind the scenes, they are providing the materials :D


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Miss Nixxi Dagon
Nymph & Dagger, incorporated
AIM: GS4 Islyia

>A heavily bundled halfling walks by, mumbling. The gist of his sentiment seems to be disapproval of the sea, sea wenches and ocean life in general.

Gift of Adventure: give your sweetheart her favorite GemStone!

We do have at least one person in our player base who is (in her mother's opinion at least) a marketing genius, particularly in event marketing, where she makes her living.

If Simu would like, she's offered to to look at what might be possible. She wouldn't charge, but might put a positive change in Elanthian population on her resume.

However, she has only a few weeks where she could spend time on it, shortly after the first of the year she'll go back to a 90 hour work week at her day job.

If you email hensonh95@aol.com I'll put her in touch with the powers that be.

Bairyn

I have to say, with this basic discussion going on in a few different places for quite some time (i.e. years) it's troubling that there has been no official position or action taken. At least none that I have seen...

I'm no expert on active accounts, but I'd have to assume it's pretty small in comparison to 5-10 years ago. How far does the player base have to decrease before someone becomes proactive?

-the Icemulian Ranger