The marketing for a product starts as soon as the idea is conceived and it never ends. It touches every aspect of bringing the product to life and helping it flourish. Too often I think marketing is distilled down to running a few digital ads, but that’s just a sliver of marketing’s full potential.
So on the rare occasions I hear about a company that offers marketing services well beyond digital advertising, I want to know more. That’s the case with Off Duty Ninja. I’ve been aware of their work for a while, but I didn’t realize how robust their services were until I saw an article about the recent Kickstarter campaign for Ascending Empires in which Zev said, “I decided to hire a group that has done a lot of crowdfunding campaigns, Off Duty Ninja. They would handle the creation and running of the campaign.”
I reached out to Kira at Off Duty Ninja (ODN) to learn more, and she and her COO, Jondi, were very kind to provide detailed answers. I’m hoping this may help other creators decide the right mix of handling marketing internally and externally. For reference, I handle the marketing for Stonemaier Games, but everyone on our team has an impact on marketing, and I also loop in independent contractor Andrew Cook for occasional social media ads.
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- Can you share a few examples of how you’ve worked with creators and publishers?
OffDutyNinja works primarily with publishers to support their marketing efforts—from day to day marketing tasks to preparing for a product launch—both for retail and crowdfunding. Examples of a few different tiers of involvement are as follows:
- (a) a minimal-involvement, very specific role (work changes based on client’s current needs)
- For Underdog Games, we are brought on for specific projects to coordinate media
- For Elestrals, we were brought on as Kickstarter consultants
- For companies like Smirk & Dagger, Capstone, and Fireside Games, we are on a small retainer and determine what those hours need to go to each month, based on their immediate needs.
- For Lautepelit, we were brought on specifically to help with the Agemonia Kickstarter campaign, ongoing support, and social media.
- (b) the average level of involvement (clients where there are some set functions and some variable functions based on priorities)
- For Roxley, depending on the current priorities, we support crowdfunding and release plans and graphics, email marketing needs, daily social media management, and partner management. Partners include advertisers, videographers, and media/content creators.
- Indie Boards & Cards and Stronghold Games support is similar to Roxley’s, but we may also support marketing graphics work for Amazon and print advertising, as well as light photography for social and sales needs.
- (c) a high level of involvement in which you cover significant responsibilities that a creator/publisher would normally handle (clients where we are doing the same functions consistently)
- For Devir North America, we manage and support most of the region’s marketing efforts, including social media, email marketing for B2B, photography, media/content creator coordination, and general consulting. Since Devir has offices worldwide, we work with them to ensure the NA market is aligned with global initiatives.
- For Allplay they wanted to build an in-house team, so we took on the role of marketing support while the team decided what that role needed to look like and helped manage things until they found that perfect fit. Once they did, we helped onboard them and supported them until they were ready to work without us.
- Do you more commonly work with a creator on a specific project (i.e., crowdfunding), or do you provide ongoing support for some companies (instead of that company having internal marketing or customer service personnel)?
At ODN, we cater to ongoing retainer and project-based clients. We prefer to establish ongoing relationships with retainer clients, as this allows us to integrate seamlessly into their team and provide continuous support as well as ramp up with them as we prepare for a launch. A notable example is Fireside, where we initially started with a project and transitioned recently into a retainer-client relationship.
For retainer clients, we act as an extension of their marketing team, providing comprehensive services such as ongoing social media management, media relations, and general marketing support. This involves not only executing specific projects but also continuously contributing to strategic planning and implementation.
On the other hand, with project-based clients, our approach is highly focused on delivering results for the particular project at hand. We tend to treat these as a short-term retainer and ask for at least a 3 – 6 month lead time. This can range from providing consultation services to full-scale project management, including design, media management, campaign execution, and support services like pledge manager setup and back-end support.
Overall, our work with retainer clients involves a deeper integration into their operations, providing ongoing support and strategic input, whereas our work with project-based clients is more tailored to the specific objectives of the project, offering a comprehensive range of services to ensure successful outcomes.
- In general when a game designer asks me if they could hire someone else to run a crowdfunding campaign for them, I advise against it, as it’s a sign that they’d like to focus on game design (and thus might be better off submitting the game to a publisher) instead of all the risks and responsibilities that come with running a business. Also, I think it’s hard to replicate a creator’s passion for a product, which can be delightfully infectious for backers. And yet I’ve heard great things about OffDutyNinja creating and running projects on behalf of designers (like Ascending Empires). Is it time for me to revisit this advice? If so, feel free to elaborate–I’d love to learn more and offer the best answer to serve creators in 2024.
In the case of Ascending Empires, they function as a new publisher rather than a designer. We typically advise against working with us for designers or those just starting out to help manage their budget effectively. However, we are always happy to offer consultation. Our process usually begins with a brief consultation call to grasp the scope of a project. For self-publishing designers, we often suggest allocating their budget toward advertising support to enhance visibility. While we have assisted self-publishing designers, as seen with Elestrals, we generally discourage it. Publishing a game entails more than just running a successful Kickstarter campaign. Most designers would benefit more from working with an experienced publisher who can provide comprehensive support throughout the entire publishing process or from a specialized firm that can guide them through manufacturing, distribution, fulfillment, and other crucial steps.
- Is there an example of a huge success (crowdfunding or otherwise) for which you feel OffDutyNinja made a significant impact?
Our impact primarily lies in providing support. We see ourselves as integral members of a larger team, contributing to the success of highly acclaimed projects. While our expertise lies in various areas, such as getting the games in front of media, crafting compelling campaign pages, managing effective communication with backers, and generating engaging social media content, we understand these efforts are just a piece of the puzzle. Ultimately, the success of a project relies on its inherent quality and appeal. We aim to kickstart the buzz and momentum, but the game must have its own merit to sustain it.
An example of OffDutyNinja playing a significant role is our partnership with Devir and their expansion into the U.S. market. Since we began working with them in 2020, we’ve been proud to be involved in building their brand and presence in the US. They have seen incredible and deserved growth in awareness of their brand and their fantastic line of games.
- What’s a mistake or lesson learned the hard way by OffDutyNinja that other creators can learn from?
The key lesson is: Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Begin with a solid foundation of your goals and gradually build upon them, ensuring you understand the associated costs and plan accordingly.
Specifically in the realm of crowdfunding: Even with meticulous planning and a great product, a crowdfunding campaign can still fail. It’s crucial to acknowledge the unpredictability of crowdfunding and be prepared for unexpected outcomes. Don’t hesitate to explore new strategies or marketing angles, but know their success isn’t guaranteed. However, this shouldn’t deter creators from trying, as experimentation is essential in this process.
Some examples:
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- Product Viability for Crowdfunding: There are a couple of projects we can look back on and say we should have pushed back harder on. Either the product was not built for crowdfunding (more of a retail product, no stretch goals) or the game type doesn’t typically do well on crowdfunding (such as party games).
- For The Paradox Initiative Kickstarter, we revealed daily artwork by top industry artists, hoping to boost excitement and visibility. However, despite our efforts, the campaign didn’t meet expectations, teaching us the importance of balancing art and game promotion.
- In the Cindr Kickstarter, we sent physical “valentines” to content creators and launched on Valentine’s Day, which tied into the dating app theme. Despite a slow start, the campaign eventually met expectations, but we learned not to launch at the end of the week.
- Party Games: Just because they are super fun and even memey doesn’t mean they will take off. They generally make mild sales overall, regardless of crowdfunding or direct-to-retail – EVEN if you have a name behind them. We can’t all be The Oatmeal.
- IPs: Realistic expectations. You can have a stellar game and IP attached to it, but when it comes to sales, you need to be sure you have the audience and that the product fits that audience. Especially on crowdfunding, making sure the offer is good enough to keep backers from waiting for retail can really have an impact, as well as making sure the fan service is addressed. Lastly, you can put an IP on anything, but if the gameplay isn’t strong and doesn’t fit the theme, you will likely not get the reception you hoped for.
- Designer Klout: This can only go so far. People generally don’t know the designer’s name outside the avid hobby market. Counting on this to carry your marketing is NOT a viable strategy.
- Are you working on any active or recent projects you’d like to highlight?
Absolutely! Here are some that have us VERY excited right now:
- Neon Reign from Manny Trembly’s new venture Neon Knight Games – just launched on KS
- Skyrise from Roxley Games – delivering to backers now and releasing May 15th to retail
- Boom Patrol from Smirk and Dagger – This is an upcoming project from Smirk & Dagger – one that is extra special because one of the designers lost his battle with cancer before the game was completely finished in development. It will be hitting Kickstarter in July.
- Agemonia from Lautapelit – a labor of love that we were very involved in and continue to be, currently rated 9.2 on BGG!
- What excites you the most about the future of OffDutyNinja? Is there anything else you’d like creators and publishers to know about you?
We’re a passionate team deeply invested in our work and its impact on the industry. Over the past 5+ years, we’ve worked tirelessly to forge unique partnerships with our clients. We’re not just an agency; we become integral parts of the teams we work with, and we truly believe this is the key to our success.
One of the most rewarding aspects of our work is helping clients achieve their goals. This involves executing campaigns, training new team members, and assisting in long-term hiring. Our aim is to elevate our client’s marketing efforts to new heights and beyond.
In addition to our core marketing services, we provide various support functions that may not be immediately obvious but are crucially important. These include hiring, training, and post-campaign support, from setting up pledge managers to managing data and providing backer support. While backer support may seem like standard customer service, it significantly impacts brand marketing.
We’re excited to announce the expansion of our services to include customer service support for day-to-day needs beyond crowdfunding. We recognize the industry’s pain points and aim to make our assistance accessible through flexible pricing. Our goal is to provide valuable support to those who genuinely need it in this area.
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Thank you, Kira and Jondi, for providing these detailed answers! You’re doing amazing work for creators and publishers at Off Duty Ninja.
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