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Backgammon Advertising

Posted By: Phil Simborg
Date: Sunday, 14 August 2011, at 3:20 p.m.

In Response To: Backgammon Advertising (Sebastiaan Kuijs)

I have been running weekly ads in The Chicago Reader for over 10 years. I know, for a fact, that there are more people playing backgammon in Chicago now because of these ads...people call, learn there is a vibrant backgammon community, and some come to our weekly tournaments. A few have taken lessons from me and now continue to play with their friends, on line, or in tournaments. Many have just taken one free lesson and I never heard from them again...but maybe they are still playing at home and with friends...no way to tell.

The point is, that this kind of advertising and marketing might help, and certainly can't hurt, and I encourage others around the world to do the same. If nothing else, even if nobody responds, the word "backgammon" gets out there and people realize the game still exists.

As for the wording of my current ad, OF COURSE it is bizzare. It is meant to be. One needs to have a sense of humor, and I know that is very subjective and doesn't always translate well into other languages and cultures, but the goal is to have something that will grab people's attention and maybe make them laugh or make them smile, but at least make them read it and remember it.

Whether this approach is getting more calls or not I cannot prove, as there is no "controlled long-term study." But I think it is funny, and I think it is fun, and some people who have called said they might not have read or noticed the ad if it just said "free backgammon lessons."

But again, whether you like my style or not, whether you agree it is funny or effective or not, and certainly you are entitled to your opinion and you are entitled to tell me I am inappropriate or not funny or not doing something right...but my goal is to suggest that if you think you have a better way to promote the game, or if you think this is a good idea, then do the same thing yourself wherever you happen to live.

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