Random House to Launch 'Books=Gifts' Campaign

Against a backdrop of a significant economic downturn -- and recent projections of flat to falling holiday retail sales -- Random House, Inc., has developed a new promotional campaign to help spur both in-store and online book sales.

Launching on November 24, the campaign will trumpet that "Books=Gifts." The initiative about the value of books as holiday gifts will not be Random House-title specific in its message to consumers, and it will include print ads, online video, online outreach from Random House, and a number of marketing tools for booksellers. From participation by such bestselling authors as Dan Brown, Dean Koontz, and Maya Angelou to "Books=Gifts" e-mail signatures, the new initiative is "about books as gifts -- whether it's frontlist, backlist, hardcovers, trade, or mass-market paperbacks, audio books, e-book downloads -- they're all great gifts," explained Ruth Liebmann, Random House vice president, director of field sales and merchandising.

Discussing the new marketing tools for booksellers, Liebmann noted that "we've created lots of great stuff for accounts to use, including banners for e-mail newsletters, and terrific short video clips from some of our booksellers' favorite authors. Everything will be posted on our website, and we hope people will use it and share it." All the materials will convey the books-as-gifts message, including the new videos. One will feature Koontz saying, "Books make great gifts because your friends and family need something thrilling to read other than their 401(k) report," and, in another, Angelou will note that "books make great gifts because they're a celebration of family and friendship."

Random House's campaign will also include advertising in the New York Times, The New Yorker, and National Geographic; "highly targeted online campaigns" on Google, Yahoo, and MySpace; Facebook and YouTube ads; a "Books=Gifts" Guide mini-site on the Random House website; and additional campaign content on other Random House website pages. The Random House mini-site will feature the campaign's logo, a find a local bookstore Google search, and an online buying option that will include IndieBound and other online choices.

"It's no secret that we all face significant challenges this year. Here at Random House, inspired by our CEO Markus Dohle to do something motivational to drive traffic into the stores, we have been brainstorming together nonstop with our publishers about new ways to partner with our booksellers," said Liebmann. "This "Books=Gifts" campaign our marketing colleagues developed with us in sales is fun and easy -- and everyone needs a new e-mail signature now that the election is over!"

The "Books=Gifts" campaign is in synch with the recently launched IndieBound special holiday marketing materials, designed to show customers the value of the book and of shopping local and independent. Available to ABA members in the Booksellers DIY section on BookWeb.org, there are more than 40 different designs for posters, gift labels, bookmarks, ad slicks, postcards, palm cards, newsletters, bag stuffers, and more. The materials have been created to draw customers into the store; to motivate them to buy once they're there; and to remind them after they leave of all that your store has to offer and of the importance of shopping locally. --Dan Cullen