NEW ~ Guerilla Marketing Bookmarks!

POSTED BY: 11thHour
UPDATED: Monday, March 17, 2008 05:22
VIEWED: 21372
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11THHOUR

Monday, October 1, 2007 10:58 AM

In honor of the Serenity movie 'versary, and just cuz I can't seem to help myself, here's some nifty new ammo for fighting our good fight...

Guerilla Marketing Bookmarks!

These lil' darlin's are geared just for promoting the Serenity Collector's Edition DVD, because we heard from Mr. Joss Boss hisownself that healthy sales of this DVD would have a positive influence on Universal's decision for future incarnations of the 'Verse. It's a matter of numbers and profits now. Movie studios have a tendency to say "yes" to money, so let's make it worth their while.

So what difference could some bookmarks make you ask? Well, not as much as perhaps a national commercial advertising campaign, but since we don't have the budget for that, we'll find other ways. Never underestimate the power of many devoted fans keeping the faith and finding new fans person by person... and remember, each excited new fan who discovers the 'Verse is inspired to spread the word too. So, every new fan actually means several more potential new fans. It's math, and it works. How else has the Firefly DVD been selling all this time? It doesn't get advertised at all, unless it's an article about how well it's been selling! It's word of mouth, and it keeps growing.

Hey, we got mouths, and computers, and access to copy machines... so let's keep usin' them.

Guerilla marketing bookmarks are great tools because they are small, yet still quite effective at communicating. The pluses are you can get 5 of them from a letter size page, which muliplies the word spreadin' power. Also, they are something useable, and can be placed where people would find them handy:

• Schools
• Libraries
• Book Stores
• Coffee Houses
• Comic Book Shops
• and more, use your imagination!

People often need something to mark a place in what they're reading or writing, or maybe just need a piece of paper to make a note. These are eye catching and grabable, and once people have them they're bound to read them. The message will sink in!

There are two different bookmark page designs, each fits on a regular letter size page, and each can make 5 bookmarks. The first set is designed to be more visual much like the guerilla marketing posters. The other set is more text oriented, and has 5 bookmarks which feature several glowing reviews of the Serenity CE DVD, paired with a blurb at the base showing the recent acting credits of Nathan, Summer, Adam and Alan. The theory being that for people who aren't familiar with the cast, they would be impressed with a roster of their accomplishments. This could be additionally persuasive for new folk to check out the DVD.

These new bookmarks are available on my guerilla marketing website (link below, and in my signature line), but here's a preview now:

Guerilla Marketing Posters for Firefly and Serenity ~
http://the11thhour.home.att.net

The bookmarks can be used three different ways: One sided photocopies using either the all graphic design, or the "reviews" design. Or, if you're feeling especially ambitious, do two sided photocopies for bookmarks that have the graphics on one side and the reviews on the reverse! Each page has little guide marks at the top and bottom to show where to cut them into five equal strips. A paper cutter is recommended to speed up the slicing process, and, as with the posters, using colored paper when making photocopies will really help give the bookmarks more impact!

So if you're itching to do something extra to support the Serenity Collector's Edition DVD, and help bring us closer to SEQUELS, then please feel free to make some of these nifty bookmarks. You can carry some with you, and then leave them around when you see good guerilla marketing opportunities... like Johnny Appleseed leaving them to sprout new fans.

It feels great to spread the word to new people. The new fans who discover Firefly/Serenity will be so glad to find out why people can fal

REDHEAD

Monday, October 1, 2007 2:06 PM

Those are Beautiful! Especially the one of Zoe...Um, Nope, they are all great!

ARCLIGHT

Monday, October 1, 2007 5:45 PM

Remember folks, print up an arm load for your next trip to the book store.

11THHOUR

Wednesday, October 3, 2007 3:30 AM

A bump to the thread, with some examples of what the bookmarks can look like when photocopied on color paper and then separated ~

I've found that the "neon" types of color paper works especially well because of their brightness, good contrast and eye catching factor. Regular color paper works great too, just make sure the color isn't too dark or else it's hard to see the design.

Give it a try!

11th Hour

>>>}———————————————)))======<[]>======(((———————————————{<<<

"Because teenage pranks are fun when you're about to die!" - Hoban Washburne

Firefly/Serenity Guerilla Marketing Posters ~ http://the11thhour.home.att.net
Cafe Press Shop ~ http://www.cafepress.com/11thhourart

Spread the word today ~ Give the gift of Firefly: http://www.apple.com/itunes

STOWEAWAY

Wednesday, October 3, 2007 4:47 PM

Bookmarks are a fabulous idea! Very subtle but extremely eye-catching.

And, as usual, they're beautiful.

11THHOUR

Wednesday, October 3, 2007 8:18 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Stoweaway:
Bookmarks are a fabulous idea! Very subtle but extremely eye-catching.

Appreciate the positive response.

This thread is on the quiet side, which makes me wonder...

Have fans become disillusioned and don't think guerilla marketing has any effect?

I know bookmarks aren't the magic bullet that will instantly skyrocket the DVD sales... but I've seen the guerilla marketing posters and mini posters get peoples' attention. Bookmarks are subtle, but perhaps that's what will make them effective.

People are inundated with flashy big advertisements all day long, and we often zone out just to keep from suffering information overload.

But the bookmarks are something to hold in the hand, up close and draw a more quiet, direct attention. Plus they are made to be items that people use when they're taking a break to read a book, have some coffee, or do some writing. That's a great time to make a quiet, direct connection with someone when their mind is in a state that can focus better on the communication.

We have new fans joining up quite frequently. So often they are highly motivated to "do something" to help keep supporting the 'Verse and get us closer to another movie, mini series, direct to DVD... whatever! If they've never tried guerilla marketing before they might not realize that it can be very effective, and it feels great to take all that energy of loving FF/S and turn it into spreading the word. I hope the new folk, along with us vets, will give these bookmarks a try.

Quote:
And, as usual, they're beautiful.

Thank you. I always work hard to represent FF/S, and that gorgeous cast, in their awesomeness as best I can. (That sentence was a bit awkward, but the feelings were sincere... heh...)

11th Hour

WYTCHCROFT

Thursday, October 4, 2007 9:40 PM

these are just wonderful:)

STOWEAWAY

Sunday, October 7, 2007 6:18 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 11thHour:

This thread is on the quiet side, which makes me wonder...

Have fans become disillusioned and don't think guerilla marketing has any effect?

I hope not! I still walk around with your guerilla marketing pictures on my shirt. And I carry stickers from our local group and hand them out to anyone who's interested -- and some who aren't.
Guerilla marketing is about the only reliable way we have to reach people who aren't already acquaintances. Now that I've told all my friends, who else am I going to tell?
Your artwork is a fabulous way to start a conversation with someone. It's impressive in its own right -- and then you get to tell the story behind it.

LEXIBLOCK

Sunday, October 7, 2007 1:02 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 11thHour:

This thread is on the quiet side, which makes me wonder...

Have fans become disillusioned and don't think guerilla marketing has any effect?

Well, I have given up on Firefly and life in general. But look how long it took for the original startrek to return.

11THHOUR

Sunday, October 7, 2007 1:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Stoweaway:
I still walk around with your guerilla marketing pictures on my shirt. And I carry stickers from our local group and hand them out to anyone who's interested -- and some who aren't.
Guerilla marketing is about the only reliable way we have to reach people who aren't already acquaintances. Now that I've told all my friends, who else am I going to tell?
Your artwork is a fabulous way to start a conversation with someone. It's impressive in its own right -- and then you get to tell the story behind it.

Thanks for posting that!

Over the years I've heard wonderful stories from folks in regard to how the guerilla marketing posters have spread the word. I also always carry a batch of mini-posters with me ready to give out to folks I talk about Firefly and Serenity to. When someone can take a mini poster away with them, it really helps to remind them to check out the DVDs.

I know that the visitor count on my guerilla marketing website really jumped when I announced the bookmarks, yet the threads stayed kinda quiet. So it could be a matter of people going to the site and downloading them, they're just not posting about it.

Even as individuals, we can each make a real difference in spreading the word. If each fan got one person to buy a DVD, that would double the fan base right there! Individual guerilla marketing may take time, but it keeps building. Folks also need to remember that every person who becomes a new fan will want to spread the word too. So every new fan represents several more.

I even still use a canvas bag from my own Cafe Press that has Serenity designs on it. This bag is nearly 2 years old, but it's still in great shape and I use it when I go to the market. Often people will look at the designs and ask me about them... heh heh... that's my cue to talk up Serenity and Firefly! I then follow that by giving them a mini-poster or art gallery card to help them remember to look into the DVD later.

Muahahahahaha... I'm always ready to convert folk, and it's fun!

11th Hour

>>>}———————————————)))======<[]>======(((———————————————{<<<

"Because teenage pranks are fun when you're about to die!" - Hoban Washburne

Firefly/Serenity Guerilla Marketing Posters ~ http://the11thhour.home.att.net
Cafe Press Shop ~ http://www.cafepress.com/11thhourart

Spread the word today ~ Give the gift of Firefly: http://www.apple.com/itunes

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