Toolbox Studios Blog

Generating Buzz the Old-Fashioned Way – Shock and Awe!

I am attending O’Reilly’s Tools of Change conference in New York City from February 22-24 to keep up with the latest innovations in the publishing industry. Also, I’m here supporting one of our clients, LibreDigital. As a sponsor and innovator in the industry, LibreDigital is scheduled to give a presentation on Wednesday about a pilot program completed by LibreDigital, Harlequin, Toolbox Studios and LivingSocial’s Visual Bookshelf community. 

The pilot eGalley program was for a book named Proof by Seduction by debut author Courtney Milan. Part of our assignment in supporting LibreDigital at the trade show was to create buzz about the event. Here’s what the creative minds at Toolbox came up with…

THE PROBLEM: First, we knew that one of the channels we had to use to promote the presentation was the classic “goodie” bag that every attendee receives. But so often, those bags are filled with boring sales sheets, flyers and tchotchkes. The creative team was determined to create something that stood out and delivered results for our client. 

THE SOLUTION: We analyzed the data from the pilot program and realized that many reviewers of the Proof by Seduction eGalley – a Historical Romance book – commented about the book’s racy cover. So we decided to leverage that brand equity and replicate the book cover of Proof by Seduction. We also included a handwritten, entertaining and mildly titillating message on the back, “Digital Handselling gets steamy. Meet me. Zeigfield Room. 10:35 Wed. A.M. Sharp! XXOO –L.D.” 

THE RESULTS: The insert was placed as the first item on the pile of materials in the conference “goodie” bag. It could be a coincidence, but more than likely the staff at Tools of Change found the flyer entertaining and clever, too. If it had been another boring sales sheet or corporate flyer, I think it would have been relegated to the bottom of the bag with the Tic-Tac’s.

Check back later in the week and I’ll share the attendance at the LibreDigital presentation. You can follow the Toolbox Studios' staff at Tools of Change via our Twitter posts at @toolboxstudios.com

XXOO

Rob Simons

President, Toolbox Studios, Inc.

Toolbox tours Dallas Cowboys stadium

While calling on clients and prospects in Dallas, Toolbox was treated to a private tour of the new Dallas Cowboys mega stadium courtesy of our friends at the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association (CBAA). Toolbox president Rob Simons and marcomm director John Navarrete got a behind-the-scenes preview of the Cowboys locker rooms, posh VIP lounges, the CBAA offices, and the mighty flat screen “Jerrytron”—the largest high-def screen in the world, which hangs 90 feet off the ground and is named after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. No question that everything is bigger in Texas.

The 74th AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic will be played at the Cowboys’ new stadium on January 2, 2010.