Branding… An Example

Not Sure Where This Will Fit In the Series of Branding…

But I wanted to talk about a branding example at a middle level.

Big level is things like Barbie, G.I. Joe, Toy Story, and so on. They grew from small and middle into monsters. The brand has items for sale everywhere in every form imaginable.

Small levels are something like a new fantasy series with a small Kickstarter and a growing audience. No web site yet for the series, no Shopify store, no merchandise. Just books in a series branded to look similar. That is the base level.

But that middle ground is where all the fun happens.

For example, here in Vegas there is a Pinkbox doughnut chain. Seven stores spread out over the valley, really fun and good doughnuts, and colors that identify the store a mile away. Bright neon pink, of course.

And they have all sorts of fun merch with sayings. “Doughnuts so good you’ll lick the box.” They have mugs and hats and flip-flops and other cool stuff. They have a great web site and do fun promotions with every holiday. They also have an assortment of Vegan doughnuts that are great and gets them a great following, including us.

Another example is our Pulphouse Fiction Magazine. Pulphouse has a very clear brand in five or six different areas. First, and most important, the fiction is top quality. A reader might not like a certain story, but no matter what it is top quality writing.

Second, we have a goofy mascot named Thumper that we use a great deal and peaks out of the title of every magazine.

Third, we have a great Shopify store that is growing and merch like mugs and pillows with Thumper on them.

Fourth, we have an attitude that shows through just about everything we do, from the art to the layout and so on. The attitude is fun and on an edge.

Here are six upcoming covers to show you the brand look and the attitude.

Here are the covers of the 23 Pulphouse Book titles, all anthologies that are in print.

Can you see the branding?  Take a look at the short video Kris did below on Thumper’s Quest. It really shows the branding.

Fifth, we fund the magazine with a yearly Kickstarter campaign for subscribers.  We know a few magazines do this, but we are not sure why more don’t. By doing this, it allows us the freedom to really run with ideas that fit into our brand. And wow do we have a lot of crazy ideas coming in the Pulphouse brand in the next few years.

So right now, at least for the next seven days, you can help us keep this brand going strong by going to Pulphouse Fiction Magazine Subscription Drive. You get a six-issue (half year) subscription no matter what you find you want in the campaign.