Comments on: Why Publishers Shouldn’t Brand the Brand http://www.thenewsleekness.com/index.php/why-publishers-shouldnt-brand-the-brand/ Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:17:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Sarah Russo http://www.thenewsleekness.com/index.php/why-publishers-shouldnt-brand-the-brand/comment-page-1/#comment-381 Sarah Russo Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:11:39 +0000 http://www.thenewsleekness.com/?p=420#comment-381 It's an interesting point Don. The largest publishers do have brand recognition in the wider world and within the industry. They brand to the industry and to the "author world" with ads in the New Yorker and NYRoB, stories in PubLunch and PW and with placement and square-footage at BEA. Random House is part of the public consciousness. It's been in the movies! But I still don't think that has a trickle down effect as far as making a decision when you're presented with two books to buy. I read the flap copy and frankly the cover design makes a big impression too, and for me as a publicist the quotes from book reviews carry the most weight. Weighing an FSG book against a Scribner book against a Bloomsbury book, they're all great publishers how do I decide which is categorically better with an intimate knowledge of each? I don't think we can expect the average consumer who doesn't have that knowledge to make the distinction. Kate, I love your twitter contests, I thought they were brilliant when you started them up. my assistant won me a copy of FRESH FOOD FOR SMALL SPACES (because I've never won anything by luck in my life) which is a great book! It’s an interesting point Don. The largest publishers do have brand recognition in the wider world and within the industry. They brand to the industry and to the “author world” with ads in the New Yorker and NYRoB, stories in PubLunch and PW and with placement and square-footage at BEA.

Random House is part of the public consciousness. It’s been in the movies! But I still don’t think that has a trickle down effect as far as making a decision when you’re presented with two books to buy. I read the flap copy and frankly the cover design makes a big impression too, and for me as a publicist the quotes from book reviews carry the most weight. Weighing an FSG book against a Scribner book against a Bloomsbury book, they’re all great publishers how do I decide which is categorically better with an intimate knowledge of each? I don’t think we can expect the average consumer who doesn’t have that knowledge to make the distinction.

Kate, I love your twitter contests, I thought they were brilliant when you started them up. my assistant won me a copy of FRESH FOOD FOR SMALL SPACES (because I’ve never won anything by luck in my life) which is a great book!

]]> By: Don Lafferty http://www.thenewsleekness.com/index.php/why-publishers-shouldnt-brand-the-brand/comment-page-1/#comment-379 Don Lafferty Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:58:07 +0000 http://www.thenewsleekness.com/?p=420#comment-379 The larger the publisher, the less brand they can reasonably carry off, in fact, as you point out, there's sort of a logical progression of increased brand loyalty as the focus of the house, the imprint, and the author becomes more sharply defined. Tor Books is a great example of that. A well defined niche that gives me a gut feel for the flavor and quality of the work right off. As a book marketer, the more focused my product, the easier it is to define the brand, and consequently identify and engage the appropriate communities. Branding efforts for the very largest publishers might best be directed at the industry itself, informing agents, authors and other industry insiders about the nature of the projects they do best and the reader communities where their strengths reside. The larger the publisher, the less brand they can reasonably carry off, in fact, as you point out, there’s sort of a logical progression of increased brand loyalty as the focus of the house, the imprint, and the author becomes more sharply defined.

Tor Books is a great example of that. A well defined niche that gives me a gut feel for the flavor and quality of the work right off.

As a book marketer, the more focused my product, the easier it is to define the brand, and consequently identify and engage the appropriate communities.

Branding efforts for the very largest publishers might best be directed at the industry itself, informing agents, authors and other industry insiders about the nature of the projects they do best and the reader communities where their strengths reside.

]]> By: [INSERT PUBLISHER HERE]: Why Branding to Readers Should Matter to Publishers http://www.thenewsleekness.com/index.php/why-publishers-shouldnt-brand-the-brand/comment-page-1/#comment-374 [INSERT PUBLISHER HERE]: Why Branding to Readers Should Matter to Publishers Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:35:50 +0000 http://www.thenewsleekness.com/?p=420#comment-374 [...] On March 18th, in response to the Publishing Perspectives story “Digital Case Study: Publishers’ Online Marketing in Spain,” Editor-in-Chief Ed Nawotka posed a discussion question asking if readers cared about publisher branding. This sparked a flurry of debate among readers on the Publishing Perspectives site and off-line between Publishing Perspectives Business Development Director Erin L. Cox and publishing veteran, Sarah Russo, who happened to be writing a piece on the very subject for the insightful blog, The New Sleekness. In the interest of debate and for the readers of both Publishing Perspectives and The New Sleekness, both Cox and Russo have expanded on their thoughts for and against publisher branding. Below, is Erin Cox’s reasoning for publisher branding. You can read Sarah Russo’s reasoning against trade publisher branding on “The New Sleekness here. [...] [...] On March 18th, in response to the Publishing Perspectives story “Digital Case Study: Publishers’ Online Marketing in Spain,” Editor-in-Chief Ed Nawotka posed a discussion question asking if readers cared about publisher branding. This sparked a flurry of debate among readers on the Publishing Perspectives site and off-line between Publishing Perspectives Business Development Director Erin L. Cox and publishing veteran, Sarah Russo, who happened to be writing a piece on the very subject for the insightful blog, The New Sleekness. In the interest of debate and for the readers of both Publishing Perspectives and The New Sleekness, both Cox and Russo have expanded on their thoughts for and against publisher branding. Below, is Erin Cox’s reasoning for publisher branding. You can read Sarah Russo’s reasoning against trade publisher branding on “The New Sleekness here. [...]

]]> By: Kate Rados http://www.thenewsleekness.com/index.php/why-publishers-shouldnt-brand-the-brand/comment-page-1/#comment-373 Kate Rados Wed, 31 Mar 2010 13:35:14 +0000 http://www.thenewsleekness.com/?p=420#comment-373 It's rare that publishing houses will achieve Kleenex brand status, though I point to Harlequin as a forerunner in that regard. Meanwhile, it's the niche publisher who has the advantage, as they're listening to their communities (yes, communities, not consumers) and actively participating and earning trust. As for Google TV ads, they may pose a cost-effective opportunity. As long as publishers aren't going to follow the 'James Patterson scaring the hell out of the Wheel of Fortune audience while holding his book' model. But I digress... And thanks for the company shout out - we're lucky to have some pretty fabulous and passionate readers! It’s rare that publishing houses will achieve Kleenex brand status, though I point to Harlequin as a forerunner in that regard. Meanwhile, it’s the niche publisher who has the advantage, as they’re listening to their communities (yes, communities, not consumers) and actively participating and earning trust.

As for Google TV ads, they may pose a cost-effective opportunity. As long as publishers aren’t going to follow the ‘James Patterson scaring the hell out of the Wheel of Fortune audience while holding his book’ model. But I digress…

And thanks for the company shout out – we’re lucky to have some pretty fabulous and passionate readers!

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