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Playing Card Chat ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦ => Design & Development => Topic started by: Lukeout on December 18, 2013, 11:51:04 AM

Title: Short KS Campaign?
Post by: Lukeout on December 18, 2013, 11:51:04 AM
Are there any examples of a short (14 day or so) KS campaign for a playing card deck?

All my gaming ones have been 30 days or more, and there is data to support longer campaigns, but I'm curious if anyone has tried a shorter one for playing cards.
Title: Re: Short KS Campaign?
Post by: sprouts1115 on December 18, 2013, 12:26:15 PM
Not that I know of.  I do know in Dec and Jan there are not many Card Kickstarer campaigns.  Might be a reason because of the holidays and such.  If you plan on launching one soon, I would do it for 30-45 days to get pass the holidays.  Now might be a good time with no 100k big dogs out there. 
Title: Re: Short KS Campaign?
Post by: Loop Cuts on December 18, 2013, 12:36:36 PM
I've thought about the concepts and even experimented with it on the Armatura Card Clips for Loop Cuts.  I think it would create an impulse urge to pledge faster if your a big fan but on the other hand, I don't think it would work accordingly for anyone that doesn't have an established brand.  I'd only expect it work work for people Like Jackson Robinson or Encarded.  I believe Paul from Encarded did a short KS for the Aurum but only sold 100 decks

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/encarded/aurum-custom-playing-cards-from-encarded?ref=live

You also have to consider that the longer time lines for the campaigns will always benefit you more because more people will discover you.  I wouldn't recommend doing it for a full 2500 playing card campaign. 
Title: Re: Short KS Campaign?
Post by: Don Boyer on December 18, 2013, 01:10:28 PM
Are there any examples of a short (14 day or so) KS campaign for a playing card deck?

All my gaming ones have been 30 days or more, and there is data to support longer campaigns, but I'm curious if anyone has tried a shorter one for playing cards.

I haven't seen such a short campaign, and that's likely due to the fact that it can take a little time to build up steam.  Imagine if "Name of the Wind" was only a 14-day campaign - it might have made a mere $200,000 instead of $500,000...  :))

Not that I know of.  I do know in Dec and Jan there are not many Card Kickstarer campaigns.  Might be a reason because of the holidays and such.  If you plan on launching one soon, I would do it for 30-45 days to get pass the holidays.  Now might be a good time with no 100k big dogs out there. 

A bigger reason for a lull in that time period has to do with how the major deck companies always plan releases for the holidays, often on Black Friday, sometimes a bit later, and D&D have been making New Year's Day releases in recent years.  With all that attention scattered to the four winds, it's better for some creators to lay low and wait for the holidays to pass before jumping in.

I've thought about the concepts and even experimented with it on the Armatura Card Clips for Loop Cuts.  I think it would create an impulse urge to pledge faster if your a big fan but on the other hand, I don't think it would work accordingly for anyone that doesn't have an established brand.  I'd only expect it work work for people Like Jackson Robinson or Encarded.  I believe Paul from Encarded did a short KS for the Aurum but only sold 100 decks

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/encarded/aurum-custom-playing-cards-from-encarded?ref=live

You also have to consider that the longer time lines for the campaigns will always benefit you more because more people will discover you.  I wouldn't recommend doing it for a full 2500 playing card campaign. 

That's a terrible example, Rob.  That project wasn't to get the deck made, but to allow people to get preorders in advance of the people who ordered on the website, as a sort of "thank you" to his supporters.  It was limited to 100 decks, which went in the first day or so.  Technically, I'm not even certain if it would pass the KS sniff test these days, since they've been getting fussy about projects for projects that are already privately funded - it means the project is more of an attempt to sell your pre-made goods and use KS as the marketplace rather than to raise funds to get your project made in the first place.
Title: Re: Short KS Campaign?
Post by: Loop Cuts on December 18, 2013, 01:25:25 PM
  ::) Just trying to help
Title: Re: Short KS Campaign?
Post by: Jamm Pakd Cards on December 18, 2013, 08:34:49 PM
I know we are discussing the short KS Campaign but it appears that 30 to 40 days is the way to go.  That is my question, I have been debating on when I am able to launch should I go for 30 or 40 days, I am leaning towards 40 days.  Any thoughts on if there is a major difference between the 30 and 40 day campaign?
Title: Re: Short KS Campaign?
Post by: Lukeout on December 19, 2013, 10:16:46 AM
Sounds like 30 day minimum is a solid consensus. I have some zany schedule issues for 2014, but I want to make sure I give my projects every chance of success. Looks like I'll have my 1st deck go live on Jan 1st or 2nd (probably the 2nd) and run through the end of January. Thanks all, very helpful.
Title: Re: Short KS Campaign?
Post by: Paul Carpenter on December 19, 2013, 12:01:40 PM
Having been the one guy to do a 7 day, yes it worked but as Don pointed out that was an oddball. I think that some designers out there that already have a solid backing could easily get their goal in a few days (or hours for folks like Jackson), but giving that 30 days allows for more people to get on board and higher goals to be achieved.

I think that if it's your first time, and you don't already have 1000+ customers waiting to jump on your latest project, that you'd want to do at least a 3 week campaign.

Title: Re: Short KS Campaign?
Post by: BrainVessel on December 20, 2013, 06:59:20 PM
I believe there are several components to look at when deciding the time to reach your goal.  Many have already been mentioned, but, I think it is a combination of your following, the amount of marketing prior to launch, the amount you are trying to raise and the main thing(IMO) the quality and likability of the project. 
I have done a 21 day project (non-card related) and was successful.  If I had to do it again I would probably have chosen to increase to 30 days. 
Reason being: If you are passionate about meeting your goal(usually it is reflected in what you have done to date to launch it) you will take the extra effort to reach higher once some momentum is gained.  By the time you get momentum, you wish you had the extra time to push harder.  With that said, playing cards from a designers viewpoint are very time consuming and intensive just to launch a meaningful project.  Therefore, the extra time is useful to figure out the holes/gaps in your marketing and rallying everyone up to make it successful.
We are getting ready for our kickstarter to launch this weekend and have set it for 36 days.  I still have hesitation about whether it should be 36 or just do 30.
I don't think there is a definitive answer to how long you should run a campaign, however that all I gotta say bout that {forest gump voice}
Title: Re: Short KS Campaign?
Post by: Don Boyer on December 20, 2013, 11:49:24 PM
I believe there are several components to look at when deciding the time to reach your goal.  Many have already been mentioned, but, I think it is a combination of your following, the amount of marketing prior to launch, the amount you are trying to raise and the main thing(IMO) the quality and likability of the project. 
I have done a 21 day project (non-card related) and was successful.  If I had to do it again I would probably have chosen to increase to 30 days. 
Reason being: If you are passionate about meeting your goal(usually it is reflected in what you have done to date to launch it) you will take the extra effort to reach higher once some momentum is gained.  By the time you get momentum, you wish you had the extra time to push harder.  With that said, playing cards from a designers viewpoint are very time consuming and intensive just to launch a meaningful project.  Therefore, the extra time is useful to figure out the holes/gaps in your marketing and rallying everyone up to make it successful.
We are getting ready for our kickstarter to launch this weekend and have set it for 36 days.  I still have hesitation about whether it should be 36 or just do 30.
I don't think there is a definitive answer to how long you should run a campaign, however that all I gotta say bout that {forest gump voice}

If it was my campaign (bearing in mind I've never run a campaign, but I have advised people on their campaigns) I'd go for thirty days.  You want the campaign to have a good head of steam out of the gate, continued momentum through the middle (with a good amount of marketing/hype to stoke that) and a roaring finish toward the final moments.  A campaign that's too long has trouble maintaining that kind of momentum over a longer time frame.  Thirty-six days probably isn't that big of a difference, but I'd certainly go no longer.  OF course, you could always split the difference and go for thirty-three.
Title: Re: Short KS Campaign?
Post by: Rob Wright on December 22, 2013, 12:39:39 AM
I would go with 30- 35 days. Generally if your not funded w/in 30 days. Probably not going to be in 45-60. take a look at the Carbon Fiber project. 59 day project. From day 30th to day 43(now) they have lost 5 backers for almost $500. Yea he's gained more than that, but still not a good sign. Carbon Fiber Kicktraq (http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/slykly/carbon-fiber-playing-cards/#chart-daily)