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the_logos · 11-07-2004, 02:35 PM

Recently, IRE ran ads on and . Both are online comics sites aimed at gamers. We did a campaign on 8-bit theatre a couple years ago and it went quite well. This time, however, it did only 'ok' while the Gucomics ads did horribly. There could be many reasons for this: Perhaps the ads sucked, perhaps the demographic of the sites has changed such that the audience will no longer give text the time of day, etc. I don't really have an answer there.

It's gotten me thinking about the need to continually try to bring people into text MUDs who don't play them or who aren't even aware they exist. Unfortunately, no one in Iron Realms is really a marketer. I handle all our marketing but I'm certainly no expert. I don't have existing relationships with sites, much less paper publications, we don't have a dedicated person to produce creatives (ads) and I don't really spend the time on it that I should.

So, we're going to look for outside help. Yesterday, at the at Stanford, I met with the to talk about promoting our games outside the standard text mud sites. During the conversation, I had the idea that perhaps what we need to do is promote the entire realm of text MUDs rather than specific games. Or rather, promote the entire realm of text MUDs along with specific text MUDs. A rising tide raises all ships and all that.

I don't have any firm arrangement in mind so this is all subject to coming to an agreement suitable to all parties, but is there any interest out there in some sort of joint marketing program aimed at people who do not currently play text MUDs? Practically speaking, I don't see it working without contributions of some sort (probably financial) from all participants, but I'm open to suggestions.

Roughly, and with the caveat that since we're hiring outside marketing experts they would have a much better idea of the best way to go about this than I do, I'm imagining creating some sort of web page or web site that would break down participating text MUDs into various categories (hack n' slash, PvP, roleplaying, whatever) as well as provide some information on text MUDs aimed at people who have no idea what a text MUD is and they text MUDs rock. We'd give the 'alliance' some sort of name and then advertise that alliance, with ads leading people to that page.

So, thoughts from those in a position to participate?

--matt

11-07-2004, 02:35 PM	#1
the_logos Legend Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Mill Valley, California Posts: 2,305	Recently, IRE ran ads on and . Both are online comics sites aimed at gamers. We did a campaign on 8-bit theatre a couple years ago and it went quite well. This time, however, it did only 'ok' while the Gucomics ads did horribly. There could be many reasons for this: Perhaps the ads sucked, perhaps the demographic of the sites has changed such that the audience will no longer give text the time of day, etc. I don't really have an answer there. It's gotten me thinking about the need to continually try to bring people into text MUDs who don't play them or who aren't even aware they exist. Unfortunately, no one in Iron Realms is really a marketer. I handle all our marketing but I'm certainly no expert. I don't have existing relationships with sites, much less paper publications, we don't have a dedicated person to produce creatives (ads) and I don't really spend the time on it that I should. So, we're going to look for outside help. Yesterday, at the at Stanford, I met with the to talk about promoting our games outside the standard text mud sites. During the conversation, I had the idea that perhaps what we need to do is promote the entire realm of text MUDs rather than specific games. Or rather, promote the entire realm of text MUDs along with specific text MUDs. A rising tide raises all ships and all that. I don't have any firm arrangement in mind so this is all subject to coming to an agreement suitable to all parties, but is there any interest out there in some sort of joint marketing program aimed at people who do not currently play text MUDs? Practically speaking, I don't see it working without contributions of some sort (probably financial) from all participants, but I'm open to suggestions. Roughly, and with the caveat that since we're hiring outside marketing experts they would have a much better idea of the best way to go about this than I do, I'm imagining creating some sort of web page or web site that would break down participating text MUDs into various categories (hack n' slash, PvP, roleplaying, whatever) as well as provide some information on text MUDs aimed at people who have no idea what a text MUD is and they text MUDs rock. We'd give the 'alliance' some sort of name and then advertise that alliance, with ads leading people to that page. So, thoughts from those in a position to participate? --matt