i I BRANDING THE BORZOI: IMPRINT BRANDING AND THE KNOPF CANADA LIST Maureen C. Gillis B.A., English Literature, University of British Columbia, 1999 A PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF PUBLISHING In the Faculty of Arts Publishing Program O Maureen C. Gillis 2003 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY December 2003 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL I Name: Maureen C. Gillis Degree: Master of Publishing Title of Project: Branding the Borzoi: Imprint Branding and the Knopf Canada List Examining Committee: Rowland Lorimer Senior Supervisor Director, Master of Publishing Pygram Ralph ad ox Supervisor Adjunct Professor, Master of Publishing Program Diane Martin Industry Supervisor Publisher, Knopf Canada, Toronto, Canada Date Approved: PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENCE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend my thesis, project or extended essay (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. I further agree that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Title of ThesislProjectlExtended Essay: Branding the Borzoi: Imprint Branding and the Knopf Canada List Author: v I- - - ,I- (sig&ture) / Maureen C. Gillis (Date Signed) J ABSTRACT Branding is an important consideration for any business. Within the publishing industry, most branding activities have centred on the creation of strong author brands, rather than strong imprint brands, because imprint branding is not thought to play a role in consumers' book-buying decisions. By investing almost exclusively in the development of brands for their authors rather than their imprints, however, publishers risk losing their investment if they lose their brand-name authors. Furthermore, it is unclear whether the perceived consumer disregard for imprint brands is a fait accompli or something that could be changed by introducing stronger consumer brand awareness into the marketplace. If the latter is the case, publishers may wish to consider focussing some of their branding activities on branding the imprint in the eyes of the consumer. One publisher who advocated such an approach was Alfred A. Knopf, founder of the highly esteemed eponymous imprint. The imprint's Canadian counterpart, Knopf Canada, has established itself as one of the strongest imprint brands in the country in just over a decade of operations. In addition to offering discussion of the role of branding in publishing and the potential for stronger imprint branding initiatives, this report undertakes an examination of the Knopf Canada brand, its influence in areas such as design and marketing, and an analysis of the Knopf Canada list itself, to determine the role the brand plays in corporate decisions. Finally, some conclusions are offered regarding the opportunity for imprints such as Knopf Canada to leverage their existing brands and use them to create brand preference among consumers. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This report was made possible by the cooperation, support, and encouragement of the gracious and talented employees of Knopf Canada, who gave me the enviable opportunity to work in their midst for three months in the summer of 2003. The skill and insight of Louise Dennys, Diane Martin, Michael Schellenberg, Deirdre Molina, and Angelika Glover enriched both my internship experience and this report. Thanks also to the Random House of Canada employees who assisted in my research and put up with my questions: Brad Martin, Tracey Turriff, Marion Garner, Kendall Anderson, and Scott Richardson. I am very grateful to Rowland Lorimer and Ralph Hancox for their instruction in this program and for their supervision of this report. My greatest debt of gratitude goes to my parents, Derek and Brigid Gillis, for their unflagging support of my education and career, and to Luke Pigeon, for believing in me every step of the way. TABLE OF CONTENTS .. Approval ......................................................................................................................................... 11 ... Abstract ............................................................ ...................................................................... IU Acknowledgments .................... ... ................................................................................................... iv ..................................................................... Table of Contents ..................................................................... v List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ vi CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ...................................... ..............,. ............... 1- ......... CHAPTER I1 . BRANDING ................................ ...... ......... -3 . What Is a Brand? ......................................................................................................................... -3 The Argument For Branding ........................................................................................................ 7 Appropriateness of Branding to Trade Book Publishmg ............................................................ 10 Branding the Book ...................................................................................................................... 13 Branding the Author ................................................................................................................... 14 Branding the Imprint .................................................................................................................. 19 CHAPTER 111 . THE KNOPF BRAND ...................................................... ................... 26 Knopf U.S. .................................................................................................................................. 26 Knopf Canada ......................,. ................................................................................................... 32 The Knop f Canada Brand .......................................................................................................... -34 The Role of the Knopf Brand in Book Design ...........................................................................38 The Role of the Knopf Brand in Sales and Marketing ...............................................................41 CHAPTER IV . THE KNOPF LIST............................................................ .......... 45 Factors Influencing List Development ....................................................................................... 47 The Knopf List. 1992-2003: An Analysis ..................................................................................57 List Size................................................................................................................................ -57 Book Format ........................................................................................................................... 59 Fiction and Non-Fiction Titles ............................................................................................... 62 Canadian and Non-Canadian Books .......................................................................................64 Author Gender ........................................................................................................................ 66 Categories............................................................................................................................... 67 CRAPTER V . CONCLUSIONS .................. ............................... ..................................... 72 APPENDICES ................... .......................................................................................................... 78 Knopf List. Main Statistics. 1992-2003 ..................................................................................... 79 Knopf List By Gender. 1992-2003 .......................................................................................... 105 Knopf List By Category. 1992-2003 ....................................................................................... 108 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................... 1 10 Books and Periodicals .............................................................................................................. 110 Web Pages ................................................................................................................................ 11 1 Interviews ................................................................................................................................. 1 1-9 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Number of Titles Published Annually by Knopf Canada. 1992-2003 .......................... 58 Figure 2 . Relative Percentages of Hardcover and Paperback Format Books on the Knopf Canada List. 1992-2003 .................................................................. 60 Figure 3 . Relative