3 key lessons from The Binding
POSTED ON: 26/07/19
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by katie

It recently won the BMS Award for Best Adult Fiction campaign and is currently the bestselling hardback novel published in 2019. Here Katy Blott and Sarah Shea of HarperCollins, the masterminds behind the campaign, share their insights into the campaign.
From the moment we acquired The Binding in June 2017 we fell in love with it. The campaign has been a huge team effort and constant work for the past two years! But now with over 80,000 copies sold and having achieved a number 2 Sunday Times bestseller, we’re hugely proud that the hard work paid off. So here are our 3 key takeaways from this magical campaign…
- Finding that one perfect copy line
Right from the start we knew that getting the pitch right would be key – and The Binding was a tricky book to pitch! Testing out different copy lines to find out which messages were favoured by different target audiences was a crucial part of our campaign. We were pleased to discover that one overarching line resonated with all our audiences, and we were then able to use this across everything throughout our campaign: Lose yourself in the most extraordinary debut of 2019.
- Getting the trade to fall in love, and giving something back
The other thing that was incredibly important to the success of The Binding was working closely with Waterstones and independent booksellers. The Binding is a book about books and so we were confident we could find some mega fans amongst the booksellers! We provided them with everything from exclusive proofs, to window kits, to competitions, and it paid off in the form of phenomenal support. When it became clear that readers were really falling in love with The Binding – from influencers, to booksellers, to our colleagues, we made sure to say ‘thank you’ to everyone. From ‘thank you’ cards and gifts to exclusive merchandise, we’ve been able to keep The Binding at the front of readers’ minds for months – and found plenty of reasons to consistently shout about this book on social.
- Making the most of a truly beautiful book
And finally, our design team came up with the most beautiful package for The Binding and knew we had to make the most of this throughout the campaign. We made sure every element of our marketing campaign reflected our unique and unforgettable look, including having brand guidelines, several beautiful editions, and multiple different creatives – all with the same central aesthetic.
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The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.The Book Marketing Society is the representative body of marketing and communications professionals working within the book industry. We oversee a regular Awards programme, and produce a lively programme of member meetings, workshops, and social events, alongside training & development opportunities. Anyone who works for a book publisher, agency, retailer or associated area in communications is eligible to join.
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