In March of 2018, we launched a membership program called “Stonemaier Champion” for those who wanted to directly support the 100+ crowdfunding/entrepreneurship articles I post on this blog each year and the 100+ game design videos I post on YouTube each year.
Four years later, I’m extremely grateful that 11,000 Champions are choosing to support this content via their $15/year contribution. This support really means a lot to me, as I spend hours each week writing the blog posts, planning and filming the YouTube videos, and replying to comments on both platforms. Of course, I understand that not everyone can contribute financially–if not, I appreciate that you take the time to read, comment, and/or share.
Today I’m going to share how the Champion program has evolved over the years, where it is today, and what it might become in the future.
Past
When the Champion program began, the cost was $12/year, and it included 3 specific perks: Free US shipping, advance delivery on all preorders, and subscription to a monthly digest highlighting the top blog posts and videos for that month, as well as alerts on Stonemaier products and reprints.
Those perks evolved over time, and the price itself also increased to $15/year. We added a $10 shipping discount for non-US orders, and then we changed the concept of free shipping to $10 off each order (for orders over $10). Eventually the discount changed to a percentage on all orders–that’s more scalable from one region to the next and for products of various sizes.
For most of the Champion program, we used a Shopify app called Bold Recurring Memberships that basically just made an annual charge to a member’s credit card or PayPal and maintained a tag on that customer’s Shopify ID so the discount would automatically apply to all orders.
Present
In terms of content, I create more on a weekly basis than when the Champion program started. It’s still 2 blog posts per week (100+ for the year), but I now post between 4 and 8 videos on YouTube every week (the extra 4 are game design videos about expansions and my Rolling Realms liveplays). So your $15 now supports at least 200 videos per year.
Here are the current perks:
- Subscription to a monthly digest highlighting the key points from the top 5 new blog posts and videos, as well as alerts for all incoming Stonemaier products and reprints.
- 20% discount on ALL webstore orders. This discount includes the products and shipping. Just log into our webstore as a user, and the discount will automatically apply at checkout. This discount is not available for retailers and resellers.
- Advance delivery on new product pre-orders through Stonemaier Games (Champion orders within each region ship before other orders in the corresponding region, before any other pre-orders and well before the retail release date). Our annual release schedule generally includes 2 games, several expansions, and a few accessories.
We’ve also changed how people can sign up for the Champion program and the level of visibility for the discount. Instead of using Bold Recurring Memberships, there’s now a Champion “item” you can add to your cart in Shopify (an app called Recurring Billing by Recharge handles the annual payments). Our web designer, Dave Hewer, also implemented a change to let you see the Champion price directly below the standard (or sale) price.
Champion memberships still autorenew, but members now get an automated email before the autorenewal with instructions about how to cancel (I manually sent these emails in the past, so it’s nice to have it automated!). We treat cancellations with anonymity–that is, if you cancel, we don’t know it (i.e., we don’t look, nor do we get a notification).
Stonemaier Games strives to include, not exclude, so we don’t offer exclusive content or deals for Champions (beyond the standard 20% discount on all orders/shipping). But on occasion I’ll offer a special deal on a product or bundle–or create a Champion t-shirt, as we’ve done annually the last few years–and only tell Champions about it, even though anyone could use the deal or buy the shirt.
Future
One aspect of the Champion program that has made me pause for a while is that it doesn’t really feel like a community, which is odd, because the root of the program is in the community of blog readers and YouTube viewers. Yet when I asked Champions if they wished there were a private group or forum for Champions, only 130 people indicated any interest. Perhaps it’s an indication of the diversity among Champions–everyone is there for a different reason or a different game.
Similarly, I’ve noticed that only around 25-30% of Champions preorder our new products, even though it’s typically the best deal in any product’s lifecycle. Part of this is the nature of games–not every game will appeal to every person–but I’m going to do a better job of learning what Champions want and don’t want.
The majority of Champions are in the US, though we have growing numbers in each of the regions where we have fulfillment centers: Canada, Australia/NZ, and Europe. Stonemaier Games’ mission is to bring joy to tabletops worldwide, so I’d like to find more ways to welcome both US and non-US Champions. Our separate webstores have helped.
Last, I’d like to find some way to truly surprise and delight Champions at least once a year. The toughest thing about this is that I like to surprise and delight all of our customers. I could say that some initiatives don’t scale to all customers, but the same pretty much applies given that the Champion program has swelled to 11,000 members.
Why Not Be a Champion?
On our 2021 demographic survey, I asked a question about the Champion program. 54% of respondents were Champions, and the others shared the following:
- 20% of non-Champions said that they only buy 1 product from Stonemaier Games each year (savings typically start at 2 orders)
- 11% of non-Champions said they don’t like subscriptions or memberships
- 5% of non-Champions said they’d never heard of the program
- 4% of non-Champions said they don’t read this blog or watch my YouTube videos
I certainly don’t want to convince anyone to buy or sign up for anything that they’re not excited about, so I appreciate these insights.
Other Creators and Publishers
Stonemaier Games isn’t the only publisher to have a membership program. Button Shy has a subscription service, for example. I think a program like this could work for any publisher that (a) creates some sort of ongoing non-game content and (b) that has some customers who consistently want to buy directly.
What do you think about the Champion program? Are you a member of any such program in any industry? Thank you so much to all 11,000 Stonemaier Champions!
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If you gain value from the 100 articles Jamey publishes on his blog each year, please consider championing this content!
24 Comments on “11,000 Champions: Four Years of Stonemaier Games’ Membership Program”
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I joined at the start for a few reasons, partly to enjoy the discounts. Scythe has been my favorite game, the first game I backed on Kickstarter. Wingspan is in my top 5, Viticulture top 10 and Tapestry top 20. So I appreciate the discount, the early notice, the opportunity to order slightly early if something I’m excited about is being released, and the special emails. But I think I would stay a Champion even without those. We still get to be a community because we have a small opportunity to invest in a company that brings joy, inspiration, creativity, innovation and that itself invests in its audience, its creators and even the non-gaming world. I feel like a small part of something wonderful, something that feels to me, and which is led by you, cares about people, the environment and the positive impact you can have on them.
I’m honored that Scythe was your first Kickstarter (ironically, it was our last as a creator :) ). I hope to continue to build Stonemaier into the company you describe so well in this comment.
A ton of businesses are driving towards a recurring revenue model, and most content we used to own is now a subscription service (music – Spotify, TV – Netflix, video games – Game Pass, even books with Kindle unlimited). There’s often talk about how this model would work with board games but rarely very successfully. I think the Stonemaier Champion program is one of the best examples out there that works well.
I personally signed up because I get value from the content (I read the blog) and your textual reminder about that is spot on. The $15 to 20% discount is such a good deal though that for even an occasional or one-time purchaser it probably makes sense. I would bet that the champions you hear from that want more community are those that support for the reason of category (a) above, and the silent ones are category (b). The champion program seems to appeal broadly to audiences with two different goals then. I’m not sure if there needs to be a solution to this, but targeting those that support because of (a) with things like previews, playtest opportunities feedback etc, and targeting those that support because of (b) with additional products, early launch incentives etc, means everyone is getting the thing they want most.
That’s great feedback, Ben, and I think you’re right about the different reasons people are Champions (and that it’s possible to appeal to different types of Champions in different ways). Thanks for being a Champion!
On my side, the only reason that prevents me from subscribing is that we can order only English version of the games (which is completely expected as localized ones are handled by your partners, so you can’t make an offer or discount for them)
I appreciate you sharing that. The reason you state is correct, and it makes sense that the Champion program isn’t a good fit for you. But you’re always welcome if something changes! :)
I’ve been a Champion since the program’s inception. I originally signed up because I was regularly consuming the backlog of blog posts/videos and wanted to support that work in addition to purchasing the crowdfunding book. The discount was a nice perk and I used it more back then.
Now, given that I don’t read the blog as much and I’ve purchased fewer games from Stonemaier in recent years, I do think about whether or not I get enough value from remaining a Champion. Last year I think I only used the discount to purchase Viticulture for a friend as a gift. Fortunately, I am in a position where the $15/year is not a big deal, so I just keep renewing.
I wonder if it would be possible, or if the company would even be interested, if a Champion that didn’t use the discount in the course of a year could “gift” the discount to a non-champion for a one-time use. Perhaps someone gets an email from Stonemaier indicating that someone gifted a discount and they have 24-48 hours to make a purchase. Might even entice a non-champion to become one in the future.
I would be interested to know how Stonemaier defines and measures the success of the Champion program? Are you just looking for the number of Champions to increase year-over-year, or a certain percentage of Champions making purchases through the store, etc?
Thanks for being a Champion since the beginning, Tim! I appreciate you continuing to renew, though I also completely understand if you decide at some point it isn’t a good fit for you.
That’s an interesting idea about gifting the discount to someone else. That might be possible (logistically, it could be handled manually).
As for measuring the success, I try to measure everything in terms of customer joy. If we’re creating content and games that make people happy–and we’re doing it in such a way that allows us to continue doing it–the numbers and percentages don’t matter to me. I think if the numbers drastically dropped, that might be an indication that we’re not offering value to Champions the way we’d like to, that’s all.
As a non-US champion I really appreciate that you provide affordable prices and shipping for overseas customers. I realise that not every publisher is in a position to do this, but it makes a difference. The Champion discount and good webstore prices mean that I buy most of my Stonemaier games directly from you. I love that there are no exclusive promo items and that everything is available at a reasonable price to gamers around the world. It feels as if the company actually cares about accessibility. and I also know that anything I buy will be incredibly well packaged by Aetherworks.
Thank you, Sarah! Aetherworks has been a great partner for us in Australia for a long time, and I’m glad they’re doing well to deliver our games to you.
I used to be a champion but I really only buy Wingspan stuff. I am subscribed to Buttonshy and if I do the math I actually spend more on Buttonshy than other games. The BGOTM program is $5 per month which ends up being a $60+ game and its really made up of maybe 48 cards?
I am not serious about this next suggestion but, if Stonemaier Champions had access to Wingspan promos (Antarctica maybe?) randomyl throughout the year, I would totally subscribe. There’s FOMO and the random “reward”. I think this would go against SM culture and a lot of people would get upset over exclusivity especially if they lived overseas.
What about exclusive playtesting? Champions could do PnP of a limited portion of some upcoming game and share feedback on a Discord channel. That would foster community, create engagement, and provide some exclusivity.
Alaena: Thanks for sharing these ideas. As for the promos, we’re doing something kind of like that with Rolling Realms, though they’re not random–we will have a lot of them, though, and we’re going to try to make them as affordable as possible, as they’ll quickly eclipse the cost of the game itself.
As for playtesting, Rolling Realms is a good example of that too–the game built its foundation on Facebook liveplays at the beginning of the pandemic (I think I invited Champions to them, though anyone was welcome). Perhaps I’ll try something like that in the future for the right game. :)
I’m in my first year of being a Champion. I decided to subscribe because I appreciate your commitment to inclusion and wanted to add my support. It is such a relief to hear you talk passionately about representation within the games and within your workforce. Too many products and companies still take it for granted that the rich diversity of humanity is content to be represented by a small number of stereotypes. As a solo gamer, I also appreciate the effort you go to with designing the automas. Your design diaries and videos about components give real insight into the complexity of the process and really enhance my enjoyment of the games. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to receiving my copy of Libertalia.
Thank you, Lesley–I’m trying to back up all of that passionate talk with action, one step at a time, and I appreciate you joining us for this journey (and I’m glad you like the design diaries–I have fun writing them!).
I‘m thoroughly impressed with how your interest in customer statistics isn’t as a marketing leverage, but clearly deeply rooted in your genuine interest in your community and how to provide a better experience with your overall product / Stonemaier. It‘s just so positively refreshing to witness, especially when you spent all day with marketing and product managers for whom Numbers and User/Customer Experience are mutely exclusive and latter is purely a ways-to for higher Conversion Rates and/or AOV.
So: 👏👏👏 you are cool.
Thank you, Boris. I find it’s really helpful to build everything around the customer–good things happen when we do that. :)
I just entered my second year of being a Champion. I have only been in the hobby for just over 2 years and one of the first games I bought was Wingspan. I loved the solo game (Automa Factory is amazing) and so I decided to try another Stonemaier Game so I bought Scythe and now I own 8 SM base games, multiple expansions and I have pre-ordered Libertalia. I obviously am a fan, but I also enjoy your weekly Youtube videos and the fact that you try to be as inclusive as possible, you show a willingness to learn and change as you discover more about the world and people’s views which made me want to support your ability to put out all that content (even if I only watch a small percentage of them). Keep up the good work and I can’t wait to see what you design next!
I’m honored that you spent most of your first 2 years as a gamer also as a Champion–thanks, Brenda! Your comment really struck a chord with me; I really can’t express how much it means to read, “you show a willingness to learn and change as you discover more about the world and people’s views.” That is very much true, even with some stumbles along the way, and I appreciate you being a Champion during the process.
I became a Champion sometime aroung August or September of 2020. I am very happy with the program. I enjoy your youtube content and you have such a track record of great games that I’m usually going to get in on a pre-order of any new content you put out. I just got Libertalia yesterday and have managed a solo play and a 2 player play already!
I’ve just about got all of the old stuff you have out (except My Little Schythe, but since my child is older now, I don’t feel a need for that game) but with the amount of content you release each year, I feel like I’m getting a great bargain, and helping to support your efforts as well.
I do love the 2 champion T-Shirts I’ve been able to get, which does make me feel a special connection to the company.
Keep up the great work, as a publisher, designer and content creator!!
Thanks, John–I’m happy to hear that, and I’m glad that you feel like you’re getting a bargain (and that you like the shirts). :)
Neat insights!
I’ve been a Champion for a couple years I think. I only occasionally watch or read the online content, but I’m just really into the kinds of games you make and the thought that goes into them, and I want to be a part of that. I came via Wingspan when it was first released, and then got much deeper into the Stonemaier catalog from there.
I admit I did not preorder Libertaila, the first one in a while. I even pre-ordered Red Rising entirely on spec (still haven’t made time to read them, but still love the game.) I decided against Libertalia only because of how much I was not into the original, and while I intellectually know it’s re-done and I’d probably like it, I couldn’t muster the enthusiasm to try it again. The other piece is that pandemic increased my game buying and playing such that I’m now at game-saturation.
I do like getting the summary Championship emails. The content I do read, I’m almost certainly doing so by clicking through those emails.
I’m pretty sure I also said I was uninterested in a Champions community group, largely because I’m not sure what I’d talk about there that I don’t here or BGG or in the game-specific Facebook groups.
I don’t think there’s anything I would want more. For me, I’m in it to feel like a part of a thing that makes me really excited, and that’s pretty good for me.
Thanks for sharing this, Claudia, and I appreciate you being a long-time Champion. I’m feeling a bit of game saturation myself. :) I particularly like this: “I’m in it to feel like a part of a thing that makes me really excited”.
I like it. It’s well priced, has great benifits, and gives players and insite to the world of game development. I did the Button Shy subscription for about a year. I got so many awesome games, I had too many to play regularly, so I paused it for now!
Thanks Justin!