It's Only A Game

You have to think like a businessperson if you want to stay in business.

F'rinstance, let's say you're the Hasbro Corporation, owners of the Monopoly game.

"You're the Hasbro Corporation, owners of the Monopoly game."

The Classics

Now let's say you realize that the average family got their copy of the game for Christmas in maybe 1962 along with some Tinkertoys and a GI Joe, and the Monopoly set has been gathering dust on the shelves down in the rumpus room ever since.

It represents a unique situation in business: how to get people to buy more of something of which one is more than enough.  It's like becoming a blacksmith. The first thing you're going to buy is a good anvil, and they tend to last forever. You never hear of people saying they need to replace their claw hammer or their ladder or their tire iron.

But, again, pretend you're Hasbro and you want to sell Monopoly games. There's no way you can persuade people to throw their old ones out, so you have to come up with a way to make Monopoly fans just HAVE to get the new set.

First, create interest in it, by making new tokens.  Just four years ago, Hasbro replaced the iron token with a cat.

The candidates

So now, they're holding a vote among all Americans to determine which are the top 8 figurines. There are all sorts of representations of the America in which we find ourselves today...hashtag symbols, a bathtub, a dinosaur...64 all in all among which to choose.

If you care enough to vote, go to votemonopoly.com and let your voice be heard.  

Then run right out later this year and get a new Monopoly game! And fresh Parcheesi, Chutes And Ladders, and Uno while you're at it.

I understand that Clue will be replacing Col. Mustard with Señor Salsa.