Stephan Brissaud — Industry Leadership, Game Development, and Retail Strategies (#67)
May 29, 2024
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Veteran strategist Stephan Brissaud shares insights on game design, marketing, and retail strategies. He discusses building strong gaming communities, core traits for success, networking in the industry, and embracing curiosity and passion in game development.
Unique selling points are crucial in game design to stand out in the saturated market.
Engaging distributors and retailers effectively is essential amidst market saturation and overwhelming choices.
Tailoring marketing strategies to target groups and integrating tactics from design to launch ensures successful product promotion.
Deep dives
Challenges in the Game Design Industry
Navigating the saturated game design market requires understanding the importance of unique selling points in game design, expandability for ongoing success, and building communities around the product from its inception. Standing out amidst numerous game releases requires strategic design choices that cater to target audiences while embracing trends and building products with expandable features to maintain interest and drive sales.
Distribution Networks and Specialty Retailers
The evolution of distribution networks in the tabletop game industry has shifted due to market saturation and changing trends. Specialty retailers play a crucial role in community building and product visibility, but engaging them effectively has become challenging amid the constant influx of new games. Distributors and retailers face the dilemma of promoting new products amidst overwhelming choices, leading publishers to adapt their communication strategies across various levels to ensure product awareness and success.
Effective Marketing and Communication Strategies
Leveraging a push-pull dynamic in communication involves transmitting information across distribution channels, retailers, and consumers while tailoring messages to each target group. Effective marketing strategies encompass engaging distributors, retailers, and consumers with timely and relevant content to create a buzz around new releases. The skillful integration of marketing tactics from game design stages to product launch is pivotal in capturing the attention of key industry players and ensuring successful product promotion.
Evolution of Gamma Association
Over time, the Gamma Association transitioned from its origin as a structure to run the Origins Game Fair to organizing the Gamma Expo in Las Vegas, becoming more of a trade association focused on industry events.
Importance of Core Traits in Life
The concept of core traits (C-O-R-E) - curiosity, obsession, resilience, and empathy - is highlighted as essential for personal growth and success. Curiosity drives exploration, obsession leads to deep engagement, resilience helps overcome challenges, and empathy fosters positive impact and connection with others.
Stephan Brissaud joins us today to explore his extensive career in navigating the gaming industry. With his roots beginning at Nintendo, Stephan has tackled roles from COO of Iello to President of the Game Manufacturers Association and Senior Director of Games at Funko. He’s not just a veteran; he’s a strategist and consultant who has mastered the art of bringing games from concept to consumer hands, navigating marketing strategies, distribution channels, and retail complexities. In today's episode, Stephan discusses how game design intertwines with marketing and expansion, sharing insights that creatives can't afford to ignore. Tune in to discover the depth of Stephan Brissaud’s impact on the games industry and the lessons from his journey that could redefine your approach to game design and creativity.
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