IndieBound - Much More Than a Fad

Renée Lang, writer for The Read talks to two independent bookshops about the new IndieBound campaign.

One word sums up how Nevena Nikolic, responsible for marketing and book buying at Auckland’s Time Out, responds to questions about IndieBound, Booksellers New Zealand’s new initiative that ‘recognises that local booksellers are a key asset in ensuring the success of a new book or novel’. That word is enthusiasm.

Actually, make that two words: boundless enthusiasm, which has been bubbling up since Nevena, who describes herself as an ‘upstairs dweller’ in that she’s not actually on the floor selling books, but does ‘a lot of behind the scenes stuff’ learned about IndieBound.

IMAGE: Right from the moment they enter the shop, Time Out's customers get the IndieBound message.

She was first referred to it by the store manager, who asked for her opinion about the campaign and after looking at all the marketing material on the relevant website Nevena was hooked.

‘It really appeals to our “indie aesthetic”,’ she says, ‘especially being a strong community bookstore like we are. It is all about local community; customers supporting us, but also us supporting them with events, our great customer service, that sort of thing. It appeals to our philosophy and how we see what we do at Time Out.’

IMAGE: Time Out Bookstore

She loves the name. ‘I wasn’t really sure what it meant at the start but when you think about it, IndieBound says it all; it’s saying “choose your indie above other stores". I think it’s perfect.’

As for the potential to take the philosophy outside the bookstore, ‘it’s definitely there,’ she says. However, the shop hasn’t yet extended it beyond the immediate retail environment: ‘We tend to keep a lot of our events store-based’, although they deliberately chose the COFFEE CAKES BOOKS poster along with the EAT SLEEP READ one because of the synergy they share with Frasers, the popular next-door café.

‘We’ve thought about exploring a joint marketing initiative [with Frasers], but we’ve never taken it further.’ They’d be keen to see what could come of working with another independent retail business and, as Nevena says, ‘it might be an effective time to start thinking about doing it, now that things have slowed down a wee bit in the book trade.

For us [our independent ownership] is our point of difference; we’re small and we just do what we do and we have a lot more freedom.’

The staff at Time Out are also ‘huge readers’, giving it another strong point of difference.

Will the IndieBound philosophy grow? ‘Oh, I’d like to think so’, observes Nevena. ‘It would be nice to see more bookstores get on board. I think one of the challenges – and we’re not unique in this – is that bookstores are really, really, really busy.

There are a lot of things that need to happen to make a successful bookshop work and finding the time to market and take on board a concept like IndieBound – and do things with it – is one more thing.

We’re lucky in that here [at Time Out] I’m dedicated to marketing, whereas I’m not sure how many other indies have that kind of structure. I think it’s fantastic that booksellers are doing it, though.’
 
And how would Nevena sum up the shop’s feelings about IndieBound? ‘Maybe it’s even as big as a zeitgeist, because I think there is a bit of a backlash to the anonymous experience of shopping in a mall, particularly for our customers who are loyal. 

They come because we’re not a chain or the kind of store where everything is exactly the same, no matter which one of the chain you go into.’

The next step for Time Out is likely to be the introduction of bookmarks and possibly some T-shirts. ‘A lot of it is budget; it all comes off the bottom line.’

Asked if the philosophy could expand beyond what it currently offers, Nevena says, ‘I think it’s up to the owners/operators to really embrace it and run away with it.’

Megan Landon, co-owner with husband James of Napier’s Beattie & Forbes bookshop, is equally enthusiastic about the campaign. ‘We first heard about it ages ago. I contemplated joining the American Booksellers Association to get hold of it!’

It fits in very well with what the Landons have been talking about with their customers in terms of a ‘buying local’ philosophy. This is supported by their location, too, in that Beattie and Forbes recently moved to Tennyson Street where most – if not all – of the other retailers (including clothes, jewellery, flowers, etc) are also independently owned.

The Landons plan to persuade the other retailers into pushing the fact that they’re all independents and as such can offer ‘quirky and interesting’ stock. Most importantly, notes Megan, ‘independent retailers know what they’re talking about – they care about what they’re talking about’.

For the older and more established bookshops around the country, she sees the IndieBound campaign as ‘a nice chance to have a bit of a refresh and get those younger people in’. She also sees advantages in various independent bookshops around the country using similar branding so that the customer will recognise what kind of shop they’re in.

It all bodes well for the indies, not least because, notes Megan, ‘IndieBound will allow those of us who want to use it to access to some excellent branding for very little cost.

COMPETITION: Sign-up to IndieBound by emailing Megan Dunn at megan.dunn@booksellers.co.nz and go in the draw to win two free Christmas banners.

Only one store can win! This competition is open from Thursday 24th November to  Monday 28th.  The winner will be announced next Thursday in The Read and your banners will be winging their way to your store…

REMINDER IndieBound stores are able to add their own colour palette and logos to the IndieBound marketing campaign merchandise.