Hasbro

Strategy Development

Challenge: Revive the biggest board game maker in the world and make them a preferred entertainment brand.

Board games account for 33% of Hasbro’s total sales, and they are a growing category overall despite the current economy. They own powerhouse brands Milton Bradley, Parker Brothers, and Cranium, on top of original Hasbro brand board games. Some of their top selling games include Monopoly, Life, Clue, Taboo, Scrabble, Battleship and Trivial Pursuit.

Board Game Life Cycle: BIRTH START A FAMILY

25, MARRIED, NO KIDS

6 YEARS OLD

12 YEARS OLD

The category has a life cycle that is used by ALL board game brands when it comes to talking to consumers. Say a boy named Mikey was born today. Board game brands are going to start talking to his parents when he’s 6 years old, encouraging them to buy a new game for their curious son. Then the conversation is going to be geared toward Mikey when he’s about 12, because he’s old enough to understand the rules and always needs something new to keep him entertained.

However, Mikey’s not going to hear from board games again until he’s in his mid- twenties, when he’s looking for something new to play on couples night.

What about that gap in between (18-25)?

There’s no communication because board games that are popular with this age group sell through word of mouth, not advertising. There is a big opportunity for Hasbro to make the conversation go full circle.

Competition: When this audience thinks of what to do for fun, board games are their last resort. They definitely have fun when they play, but they pick movies and video games first. These other home entertainment options are our competition. Why do people pick movies and video games before they pick board games? It’s a game of perception. People pick their entertainment by how fun it SEEMS.

What image comes to mind when you think of watching a movie?

What image comes to mind when you think of playing a video game?

What image comes to mind when you think of playing a board game?

Board games just don’t SEEM as fun. But there are two different types of fun that happen when you do something as a group.

PARALLEL BONDING: The fun we have engaging with a medium together.

INTERPERSONAL BONDING: The fun we have engaging with each other.

Parallel bonding is what we think of when we consider forms of entertainment. But what does the “interpersonal bonding” look like? What do we actually look like when we’re enjoying movies, video games and board games?

Watching a movie.

Playing a video game.

Playing a board game.

Strategy: Other entertainment may SEEM more fun, but with board games people themselves are actually having more fun. With movies, you’re connecting with the screen. With video games you’re connecting with the screen and the controller. With board games, you’re connecting with each other. It’s about the action and funny things that are being said and done, the winning and losing, and the laughing and making fun of each other. This is what people said when we talked to them. They said they turn to board games because it allows them to have fun and be social at the same time. They’re not focusing on the game pieces or the board. It’s all about

THE FUN ABOVE THE BOARD.