Why Board Games are making a comeback? A Marketer's Perspective
Dr. Anurag Dugar
Building Learning and Development Capabilities in People and Organizations. Has taught at 10 IIMs, 2 IITs and counting!
Businessmen and marketers keep a close eye on how product categories evolve, die and make a comeback! One category thats making a strong comeback is - Board Games. To the ones who arent paying much attention, this might sound counterintuitive because in an era of screens, who is playing board games (again), - seems like a genuine question!
Sources like, The Economist, Guardian and many others have recently reported the comeback of board games. They have also cited the following reasons behind this phenomena. Marketers can and are using these for making / fine-tuning their strategies, especially STP strategies:
Screen Fatigue - the same reason which adversely affected the growth of e-book readers is now working in favour of board games - too many screens for too much time results in screen fatigue. So since phones, tabs and laptops are primary screens followed by TV, these are difficult to drop so which ones would be sacrificed?
Increasing costs in slow economies - the price of video game console + the price of each game is much higher than the board games (but only this argument would not satisfy the debaters so here is another one --) and moreover many of them have resorted to in-game purchases which makes the overall proposition very costly in comparison to "pay once" model of board games.
Realising the value of family time and investing in it - in last few years, increasing number of people have realised that screens and hectic schedules are eating up their family time. Research studies indicate an interesting thing and that is - families are spending more time together, but not like 'together - together', its 'alone - together'! As this realisation sets in, families look for tools to change this and here, board games come in handy!
Parents constantly try to push kids to use less mobile phones and reduce their screen time and they are ready to sit and play with them. Moreover, in typical video games, one can play either alone or with another member, they dont find a fit in a "family time" scenario.
Good Old Days: The Nostalgia Factor - many Gen X and Gen Y people fondly remember board games whenever they feel nostalgic. Board games have played an important role in the 'entertainment' section of their lives. To re-live that era and those memories they are considering board games.
More importantly, just like every other generation, gen X and Y also consider that they were much better than today's kids who are ruined by the screens. Hence, they are buying board games to share that slice of their life with the kids which they believe would help their kids come out of the screen addiction.
Nostalgia Marketing which has emerged as a domain in itself is also helping in selling board games and many other products and services. Be it vinyl records, books, mopeds, scooters and cars are being sold capitalizing on nostalgia and board games are no different!
Improved Quality - Finally, board game manufacturers have learned a trick or two from the video games' playbook. They are creating products that are more engaging, challenging and immersive. The overall quality has improved drastically.
Youthful Seniors, Counter-culture and Some Interesting Emerging Niches - niches based on simple but profound consumer insights are also contributing in boosting the sales of board games. These niches emanate from the undercurrents in consumer psyche like:
a) Increasing number of "youthful seniors" who do not feel ashamed of pursuing things that they love even though they are considered juvenile are a prime target for board games amongst other things. To add to this niche, there are segments like - people who love to be seen as members of "counter-cultures" or who just want to look "different" are also using board games to achieve their "purpose".
b) Afraid of Technology, Welcome! - senior citizens who are simply "afraid" of technology and hate to "learn so many new things" or those who have surrendered to the rapid pace of technology, love things like board games! They not only give them "peace" or "solace" but also "their own space" where they just feel happy! Interestingly, there is a dedicated term for this niche - "Technophobe" (marketers can use it as "segment descriptor")!
Interestingly, something which was likely to be killed by technology is actually drawing its second life from it!!!
Disclaimer - this is not at all to say that screens in general and video games in particular are losing money or market shares!! For a majority, they are and at least in the foreseeable future, they will continue to do so! Board games which were a main stream earlier are now (re)emerging as a niche!
Board game marketers have learned the truth of segmented marketing, that is, "not everyone is your customer" and that they now need to sell to a different consumer with a different value proposition! Better late than never!!!!!
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5 年In this scenerio, we can say board brings a slice of elderly/experienced people's life to youngsters but, things don't change by time, they are just altered or been modified.Earlier, also people at the age of starting their career,they want only to establish themselves(Here i am taking about their desire)but the thing to be noted is, they are just changing their mode of entertainment. Earlier they are sitting collectively and discussing their home chores but today, they are sharing theough phones. In my opinion, it is a fad which will pass by time because we humans have a tendency to be get bored by a single thing and we always want something new which applies for bad things/products/habits. The excitement factor which the product is giving at it's early stage is not been extracted at the time of it's continous use and at the same time we are not doing our important work. This same theory can be applied to video straming platform (OTT) where the rate of repitition of same video content is very low.
Eagerly Scaling the Mountains of Marketing.
5 年Apt observations Sir. I feel that children these days are encouraging parents to give up phones and play board games with them more, rather than the other way round. Gen X is now more technology savvy than one would expect, and perhaps more dependent on their screens.
Assistant Professor, Alliance University
5 年It was a fresh whiff of air indeed! the write-up made me nostalgic to an old-schooler like me. The reading suavely embraces views from the disciplines of marketing, psychology, and sociology. The early we rise to the conscience of a healthy and meaningful living (which was there and will remain forever), no matter with whatever terminologies we harness it, will be emerging as a niche! The cultural metaphor was too apt in the context of the board games. The building of the 'self' with the others also resonates the interpersonal relationships. Re-living those good old days is a bliss and a blessing. Therefore the limiting of the board-games to its making a second come-back is a boon in disguise. Rightly said it is the lack that creates the excess!
Faculty Economics (UOL LSE) / Education Innovator (Founder E-vidhyaa ) / GCE Educator Level 1 |Career Counsellor Transforming Potential through Education
5 年Wonderfully explained......
Leader - Product Development at Stratemis HR Technologies IIM Shillong || Fudan University
5 年The article was wonderfully put Sir :). Even though I am a gamer myself, I could relate to the points noted. The need for some off-screen time in this age of gadgets is increasing and what's better than a board game to make indoor times fun, bringing people together at the same time? Although I disagree about there not being enough video games for families, because there is a whole category for them on most game consoles, they do come with a higher cost as compared to board games and also do need more hand-eye coordination than what a board game ordinarily needs.