Product Line Extensions

The call came today, as it has for the previous four years. It was an invitation to once again speak at the annual Publishers Marketing Association University in late May 2007 in midtown New York City. (Note this date since I'll also be doing a public workshop immediately prior to it.) I digress.

The requested title for the session is Product Line Extensions of Your Book. The Powers That Be for this event have a pretty good idea of what I'm about at this point since this will be my 5th consecutive year presenting at this conference. The thing I found interesting about how this invitation was put forth was the notion of 'both/and' rather than 'either/or.' They know I love to address the idea of slicing and dicing a book into booklets and other formats. The request is that plus keeping the book intact and developing other products to literally extend the product line. That includes things like audio and text CDs, workbooks, tools, toys, gadgets, and on and on. No problem. We can do this.

How this relates to booklets? Well, is there any reason not to treat this the exact same way, except starting from a smaller product and going bigger and different? It just so happens this will be at a conference of people who relate best to books, that's all. Take your booklet, and create all manner of product from it.

Each and every time I address this topic, it's impossible not to think back on some visits to Las Vegas in the past 10 years. No, not the gambling part (or anything else I'm unwilling to share here with you. After all, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?) I recall seeing two 5-story stores -- one with all things M & M and another with all things Coca Cola. Everything and anything you could put their logo on was there, five floors' worth. Yes, anything and everything! Truly the ultimate in product line extension and branding. A marketer's delight.

Consider what you can do to extend your product line. All things are possible.

Until next time,
Paulette -- imagining how far a product line can be extended
www.tipsbooklets.com