Asking My Audience About a Partnership Program

As all my long-time readers know, being an author and TTRPG creator isn't exactly a rock star gig when it comes to cashing checks. The per-word rate of pay in RPGs is one of the lowest in the whole publishing industry, and you need to sell hundreds, if not thousands, of any given supplement, game, etc., just to stay one step ahead of your rent. The Azukail Games YouTube channel isn't monetized yet, and I even went so far as to strip ads off this blog years ago because it just wasn't worth the time, energy, and hassle.

I mention all of that to put this week's question into context... because I've recently come across Dubby energy drinks, and I'm examining their partnership program. My question for you all is whether you think this is something I should jump into, or if you feel it's too far off-brand for me as a TTRPG creator? Or just not relevant enough to you as my readers?

I don't mind rolling the dice... but I like to know the odds, first.

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Dubby Energy, Gamers, and Marketing

All right, so, if you're not terminally online for either work or pleasure then you may not have seen Dubby, and its campaign to recruit gamers of all shapes and sizes to its brand. For those who haven't come across the company or its product before, be patient with me while I go through the exposition here.

This requires a bit of background.

So, first things first, we've all seen sponsorship deals for creators we like. Generally speaking the way it works is that when a creator gets big enough, and they have a dedicated audience who watches their videos, reads their blogs, and so on, companies come to them, offer them a payment, free product, or usually both, in order for the creator to promote the company. If you're on YouTube you've seen the ads for Raid: Shadow Legends, Raycon earbuds, Better Help Counseling, Nord VPN, and gods above and below only know how many other companies and products.

Well, Dubby is a powdered energy drink company that has a product most of us are familiar with, at least in style. You buy a packet (or a can) of drink mix, and then when you want some fast energy (typically as a result of a rush of caffeine along with other parts of their in-house formula) you scoop out the powder, add in some cold water, stir or shake it up, and boom, you're good to go.

What they're doing differently (on the marketing front) is that instead of only cutting checks to big streamers, video channels, etc., is that they're purposefully seeking out people with a modest following in order to give them a chance to get their hands on some cash. However, the Dubby partnership program isn't a sponsorship, in the sense that they cut you a check to promote them... it's basically an affiliate sales program.

I talked about affiliate sales programs back in Tabletop Mercenary, Episode 5, but for those who didn't watch it, these programs are pretty straightforward. The way they work is that you, as a member of the program, create a special link to promote the products. When someone buys the product, you get a percentage of the sale as your commission. So if, for example, someone bought a copy of my World's Oldest Profession: 100 Courtesans and Concubines supplement from this link, I would receive about $0.30 as a royalty for the sale (because I'm the creator), but I'd also receive an additional $0.07 as an affiliate fee because I made the sale through one of my links.

Dubby's program works the same way. I wasn't mailed any free product to review or tell you about, and I'm not getting paid a fee to tell my audience about them. But if folks do choose to check it out via a link of mine (such as through this link to Dubby's product collection, or the links later in this blog), and you make a purchase, then I would get an affiliate fee for that sale.

If nobody buys anything, though, I get nothing. No free merch, no advertising fee from the company, etc.

From a business perspective, this is a smart move by the company. They're hoping to get smaller creators, channels, etc., to help advertise their product, and market them to their followings. By lowering the bar for entry, and getting a larger number of smaller creators instead of just focusing on those with big followings, and then only paying them when they make a sale instead of a blanket, up-front check, that means there's more people overall boosting the signal and shining a light onto Dubby as a company.

The Question, Of Course, Is Whether It Works For You?

I explained all of that to ask a simple question... is that something you all care about?

Because on the one hand, I would like to make money with this partnership program. As I outlined above, I don't make a lot as a professional writer, and the constant shifts and changes to social media and search algorithms makes it harder and harder every day. I even had an idea for a tongue-in-cheek, Pentex-style commercial for some of their products that I'd love to work into a video essay about this World of Darkness version of capitalism, if that's something folks might get a kick out of?

On the other hand, I'm aware of the marketing demographics of products like this. It primarily trends younger, and toward those looking to keep their fast-twitch reflexes going, rather than those who are looking to keep their eyes open while sitting around a table with friends and rolling click clack math rocks. Not that tabletop gamers (or TTRPG creators, for that matter) are averse to highly caffeinated concoctions made to circumvent the laws of our bodies like some kind of dark alchemy, but still, we aren't usually the market for stuff like this.

Seriously, though? Doesn't "Dubsludge" sound like something Pentex would make?

So if this is something you'd like to see me talk about/put on my blogs and videos in the future, and you want to actually get my thoughts on these products (along with video evidence of my consuming them and totally not turning into a fomori), then consider going to the main page and telling me which flavors I should get, and what you want to see me try out before making a pitch to you all. And if you've already tried this particular product, and you have recommendations of your own, then leave those in the comments, too!

However, if you don't want to see this kind of product placement, you're not interested in this brand, or you just don't think it's a good match for what you've come to expect from me, put that in the comments as well! I don't want to waste time dropping links to products people aren't interested in or my audience won't buy, because that's a waste of my time, as well as your time.

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That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

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Who Are The Famous Brand Names and Merchants in Your Setting?

Polyhurdis hefted the steel, getting the balance of it. He held the blade up, looking down the edge and the flat to see how straight it was. He swung it, forehand and backhand, his wrist rolling and making the steel whistle through the air.

 

"And as you can see, Sir, it still has the mark of the Berthas forge there on the blade," the merchant said, smiling a wide, obsequious smile. "A fine weapon to sit on the hip of a warrior as skilled as yourself."

 

Polyhurdis thumped the blade with his finger, and held it to his ear. He sneered, and tossed the sword at the steel merchant, who fumbled to try to catch it.

 

"Polishing pig iron doesn't make it crucible steel, fool," Polyhurdis said, turning his back on the sword seller. "Save your lies for someone who can't tell the difference between a sword and a plowshare."

 

Try to cheat me again, and I'll split your skull with that dolled-up prybar.

Brand Names, Maker's Marks, Guilds, and Companies

World building is not an easy thing to do, and all too often we will just overlook or ignore parts of it that we don't find fun, useful, or immediate. However, if you're looking for a unique twist to put on your setting that will affect both the players' experience of your world, as well as how they think about everything from their weapons and armor to the brew they order down at the tavern, it really helps to consider merchants, guilds, and the idea of brand name products or services in your setting; because everyone is looking to protect their methods, their secrets, and their good name.

Yep, looks like this is genuine Arisban steel. That changes things.

 

Consider some of the following examples

 

- When your dwarven sellsword bellies up to the bar, does she just order an ale? Or does she ask if the keep has Red Mountain, bottled and sold by the Rolling Hill clan?

 

- When your swordsman is looking to upgrade to a masterwork blade, do they just want a +1 to hit, or do you give them a choice between weapons forged by the artisans at Garrus Foundry and the Crimson Mark Forge, each of which are considered some of the finest in weapon craft?

 

- If the wizard comes across a potent protective medallion in a dungeon is it just a magic item, or is there a mark on the inside lip bearing the sigil of the Averdius Acadamae, a school so famous for its craftsmanship that though it's a thousand years in the dust it is still considered the standard to which enchanters should aspire?

Brand names, company reputations, or even items that are manufactured only with a guild seal-of-approval can all add to your setting. Whether it's just a cool background detail, something used as a signifier of status, or a clue as to the origin of a particular piece of treasure, these make your game's world feel more organic.

 

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You Can Make It As Important As You Want

The thing with notable manufacturers, companies, brands, guilds, etc. is that you can make them as big of a deal (or not) as you want them to be. For example, in my post "Secrets of The Viking Sword" is a Documentary About How To Make a Masterwork Weapon, I talk about the Ulfbehrt swords. These were some of the highest quality swords ever wielded by Norsemen during the Viking age, and when compared to iron age blades they would have been seen as just this side of magical. As such they were a huge symbol of both status and prowess, and someone who carried an Ulfbehrt sword was, generally speaking, not someone you wanted to screw with.

I'm just saying... maybe we should try Diplomacy...

If all you want for your famous manufacturers and trusted brands to do is act as signs of quality while sitting in the background, you can leave it at that. However, you can take it a step further and use these brands as plot points, or even a way to outfit your party if you so desire.

As far as plot goes, let's return to the example of the Ulfbehrt sword. Only a select number of sword smiths knew the secret to making them, but there were a lot of individuals who were making knock-off blades that were average quality, but had a faux maker's mark on them. The Viking equivalent of that $10 Rolex you got from a guy selling stuff off a blanket in the Bronx. If there's a plague of knock-offs being sold and traded in the city, it could be eroding confidence in a particular foundry's name and product. As such, they'd make an ideal client for a party of investigators tasked with finding out who is creating this flood of substandard steel so they can be stopped.

And as for outfitting your party? Well, as Factinate points out, ancient gladiators often endorsed products the same way that professional athletes do today. So if your party did a great service, or achieved celebrity in some way, then you could probably skip giving them gold in lieu of giving them gifts from noted brands, merchants, or guilds. If the PCs accomplished something very publicly, such as winning a tournament, or defending an important member of the gentry, they might even receive a uniquely commissioned gift from said guild, merchant house, etc. Or even if you were doing something smaller, such as taking on freelance jobs for a guild, part of the reward for service might be that they provide the party with an operating budget, giving them access to an armory, transportation, places to stay, access to guild facilities, etc.

This approach helps remove all the coin counting and hauling around huge amounts of gold, but without cutting into your adventuring budget. Additionally, for those who are looking for some premade additions to their game they can slot into the background, you may wish to check out the following supplements by yours truly:

- 100 Merchants to Encounter: This one is Electrum verging on Gold at time of writing, and while there are a lot of independent merchants and caravan drovers, there are more than a few franchise holders and larger businesses in here as well.

- 100 Fantasy Guilds: A Silver seller that was quite popular when it first dropped, these guilds cover a wide range of trades and manufacturing that might crop up in your game. From arms and armor, to spells, bookbinding, spices, mining, and more, it will save you a lot of work in plotting your setting's corporate influences!

 

Also, consider checking out an old favorite from Dungeon Keeper Radio... Vanguard Tower Shields!

 

 

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat thriller Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my recent short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!