New Book Sense Promotion to Attract Consumers Participating in Reading Groups

Book Sense has established a marketing partnership with The Minute Maid division of The Coca-Cola Company to attract consumers participating in reading groups to independent bookstores with Book Sense. The new sweepstakes promotion for BACARDI® Mixers will run for four months starting in July. Bookstores participating in Book Sense must sign-up to participate in the program.

Minute Maid consumer research indicates that females between the ages of 25 - 49 are the predominant participants in reading groups and that socializing is a primary reason for their participation. This same consumer segment is also the primary target for BACARDI® Mixers. BACARDI® Mixers can be used with or without alcohol.

"Many consumers participate in these reading groups without any allegiance to a specific retail outlet," stated ABA Marketing Officer Michael Hoynes. "This in-store promotion, when adequately publicized, can attract many consumers to visit an independent bookstore for the first time. It's an opportunity to introduce the bookstore to new consumers and establish a new relationship that turns a prospect into a customer." All booksellers participating in the promotion will receive the names of the consumers who entered the sweepstakes in their stores for their databases and for future marketing activities.

"We are delighted BACARDI® Mixers recognizes the value of independent bookstores for marketing to consumers who participate in reading groups throughout the U.S.," said Hoynes.

"We are very excited about the opportunity to partner with Book Sense, and we're looking forward to creating successful integrated 'Book Club' marketing programs for both BACARDI Mixers and Independent Bookstore Retailers," said Jackie Hroch of The Minute Maid Company.

The Book Sense/BACARDI® Mixers sweepstakes program will encourage consumers to visit independent bookstores to enter the sweepstakes. The grand prize will be a year's supply of Book Sense titles for the winning reading group, plus a year's supply of BACARDI® Mixers. The bookstore where the winner entered the sweepstakes will receive two airline tickets to anywhere in the U.S. from Delta Airlines. Each bookstore participating in the sweepstakes will receive a BACARDI® Mixers Book Club party kit, which can be used for individual store events.

Each participating bookstore will receive point-of-sale promotion materials, including a sweepstakes box, from BACARDI® Mixers, which will manage all the details of the sweepstakes. The primary role of the bookstore will be to promote the sweepstakes and to display the entry box in a prominent position in the store. The sweepstakes promotion will be announced in the April Book Sense white box mailing, and complete details for the promotion, along with the agreement to participate, will be in the May white box. Bookstores will also be able to join the program at BookExpo America, where BACARDI® Mixers will co-host the Celebration of Bookselling at which the winners of the 2003 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards will be announced.