I will create a full colour poster for each event - usually A4 - and take it into the shop and ask if I can display it. Just recently I did this for the upcoming Horned Rat V (Fantasy) and Fields of Blood (40k).
Over the weekend I dropped into the local Games Workshop Hobby Centre and saw that the two posters that I had had printed and had put on their noticeboard a fortnight ago were no longer there. Curious I sent the shop an email and got the following response:
Due to the new layout of the store and the increased shelving area we have had to adjust the space left and prioritise any additional display material accordingly.
We currently have no room to put up event
posters or club information in store but as always, are more than happy to
direct customers interested to appropriate activity and venues to take part in
the greater hobby experience. The first point of contact for this information
is the White Dwarf magazine and the Community and Events section of the Main
Games Workshop website.
I would suggest getting in contact with the White Dwarf or webservice team and getting the events advertised in both of
these locations, as they will have a much wider coverage than just the store.
I thought other NZ TOs might be interested in the change of priorities and the need to to plan further in advance to get details into White Dwarf or up on the GW website. I'm a little bit surprised with the change but understand that they have to prioritise their resource. I had thought that displaying events was a win-win as not only did it potentially generate sales but it also demonstrated to customers that there was a wider community.
But the noticeboards were still there, just without your posters. No room is a weak excuse
ReplyDeleteTbh that reply seems like its specific to that store rather than a sweeping change to GW policy that they won't advertise external tournaments (i.e all tournaments since they don't support them). I suspect they would still be ok with smaller stuff like fliers since they can just sit on the front desk. I guess I need to check if this is the case with the Auckland GW's.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing this is mostly the fault of the new paint range, the paint displays already take up a huge chunk of wall space, and the size of the range just doubled, so the small NZ GW's struggle to fit everything in.
Robert,
DeleteMy own view is 99% certain that this will be a shop specific ruling. The local shop goes through various phases of supporting the "community" and local clubs.
Who knows? It could all be different in a couple of months.
That said, GW have made it clear repeatedly that veteran and tournament gamers are not a target market. And prior to the GW embargo I guess veteran/tournament gamers made it clear by their actions that the local Hobby Centre wasn't the priority supplier.
However we are all forced to buy "local" now so I would have thought it was a relationship that had some legs.
Pete
No, the same noticeboards are there that have always been there. They just need to prioritise what goes on them.
ReplyDeleteYea, must be local, or at least dependent on your relationship with the local manager. Up here, they seem happy to let us have some pamphlets out.
ReplyDeleteManager waxes and wanes in his support of events. At times there is enthusiastic support, other times not so much.
DeleteNow at least I'm aware that the current rationale is prioritisation of noticeboard space :-)
This is just another reason why we should all support Local Game Stores rather than the local GW.
ReplyDeleteMark 1 Games in Hamilton is a most excellent supporter of the Hamilton Immortals, and after experiencing their support I'm going to be getting stuff mailed up from there to Whangarei rather than use GW. As a company, they'll still get my money (I can't stop buying plastic crack), but retail GW stores will never see me again.
Given that I have to head into Sylvia Park tomorrow anyway, I might as well pop in and see what Craig has up on the GW noticeboard there. Frankly I will never buy anything local GW retail again either - or at least until they stop being so arrogant (company wise) and adopt something similar to Battlefront's international pricing policies. Perhaps it requires a change "at the top"... Tom Kirby must surely be due to kick the bucket soon? Please?
ReplyDelete