Anderson's Bookshop Has a Blast With IndieBound

Anderson's Bookshop, which has locations in Naperville and Downers Grove, Illinois, has used IndieBound materials to create a range of signs, posters, and spirit lines that are featured in in-store displays, in the front windows, and even on the business' delivery van. Anderson's also recently featured IndieBound in a cross-promotional event with other local independent businesses. The marketing campaign has paid off, said Anderson's co-owner and ABA Board member Becky Anderson. "It's been a great conversation starter," she said. "It does what I hoped IndieBound would do -- it gets people to think about where they're spending their money."

Anderson's recently partnered with Chooseco to host a Choose Your Own Adventure Event in downtown Naperville. Children participating in the event chose their own path based on stenciled chalk drawings and instructions in front of 10 independent businesses. The participating businesses posted IndieBound decals in their windows and distributed the Here's What You Just Did flier. The Journey Under the Sea adventure ended at Anderson's, where a sign said "Choose Independents." "It's a way to have an adventure with the independents downtown," said Anderson. "The kids loved it, and it gives us a chance to explain independent businesses to them, so we can indoctrinate them early."

Along with the IndieBound decal, Anderson's has incorporated a variety of the movement's graphics and spirit lines in its windows and displays. The cash wrap features the Declaration of Independents, EAT SLEEP READ posters are prominent, and its windows include IndieBound signs that underscore the characteristics of independent businesses, including passion, creativity, and community. "We get a lot of comments on those signs," said Anderson. "It creates a great conversation starter with customers. They want to know what IndieBound is, and we explain the value of being independent. It gets them thinking in a whole new way."

The Anderson's delivery van also generates customer curiosity. Painted on the back and on the side, along with the bookstore's logo, is a large banner that reads "Support Your Local Independents." A smaller tagline reads "PEACE. LOVE. BOOKS." "It's like a billboard," said Anderson. "It's huge and gets a lot of comments."

Anderson noted that both Downer's Grove and Naperville have local business alliances, but "local" can sometimes include chains, so the bookstores and some of their neighbors would like distinguish themselves as independent and are using the IndieBound materials to do that. Via the IndieBound message, Anderson hopes to shore up some of the losses that downtown independents are experiencing. "It's a way for us to unite, and I think it'll be easier for us to have people recognize our value when we position ourselves as independent. This way there won't be any confusion. It gives us the voice and the vocabulary that we need."

In the name of being indie and green, Anderson's features the IndieBound logo along with its own on ChicoBags, compact nylon reusable totes, which it uses as premiums and also sells.

Anderson reported that staff has readily and easily blended the IndieBound marketing materials with the bookstore's own, and she has found that repeating the indie message, popular in its own right, just seems to strengthen that identity. "We're just having a lot of fun with it," she said. "We're having a blast and creating a lot of cool things. The beauty of the whole revolution is, it's out there for other independent businesses and we can all make it our own." --Karen Schechner

Several of the stops along the paths of the Choose Your Own Adventure event.