For years Anchor Bay had been producing individual 2 & 4 page (sometimes more) flyers to promote products. In 2007, after extensive feedback from customers, we decided tried something different. Instead of a series of mailings, we would consolidate all of them into a single monthly publication. This would also be a way to standardize the presentation of key information, and provide an easy to use, consistent resource for our customers.

 

One chief complaint was that each flyer would present its information differently. with key information like price, upc, sku, run time, and key dates. in different spots, with different arrangements and terminologies depending on the design and the brand. Now each title would get a single or double page spread depending on the size of the marketing push. The layout would be similar to the flyers in many respects, with big product shots, themed backgrounds, stills, and marketing points, but that key information and scanable UPC codes would be standardized in a border framing the layout, with each border color coded to a specific genre (children's, horror, theatrical, fitness, documentary) for quick reference. The design still allowed unique looks for each title, keyed to the creative for the rest of the marketing, but it also provided quick easy access to the most used and most referred to information.

 

In addition that information was summarized in a single grid at the end of each issue for quickest access. We created a number of generic fill in pages with contests, trivia, and other filler content for months where we had extra pages to fill. This was a very successful venture. The consolidation resulted in reduced printing and shipping costs, and we presented a more unified and professional brand, that's still responsive to its customers needs.

 

Over time, those needs would change, as would the market. Project deadlines and production timelines shortened, and before long it became harder to keep the guide timely. Some projects needed later announce dates, or would take longer to finalize art and features. We found ourselves having to hold up the guide for late projects and limit our ability to promote them. Or we could go to print with incomplete or incorrect info or art, or leave those out of the guide doing separate flyers for them, which defeated the purpose of the guide in the first place. We needed a more flexible way to present this information, a way that would allow for changes and updating on the fly, and that meant moving the Buyer's Guide to the web. This meant, projects could be added when ready, art & details could be updated as they changed, and we could offer the information in a variety of ways to help our customers.

 

in 2010 we launched the Buyer's Guide as a website. After more feedback from our retail partners, we introduced a range of functions impossible with the print guide. More information could be included. Synopsis, cast & crew info, box office, awards, reviews, and trailers, all information already in our database were available. The information could be organized according to buyer needs, by date, genre, price, SKU, etc. Pdf summaries of each product could be generated, with all the available information and key art, for easy printing. Spreadsheets could be generated with large amounts of catalog info. high resolution flat and 3d cover images and stills were available for download. A variety of search features, plus updated news and company information were also included..

 

The guide became a very useful resource for our retail partners and even the company itself. Many of our own employees used the site to get key info and images more quickly than using the intranet, especially on the road. The site would have updates and tweaks over the years, but it kept its core functionality intact, and would remain a valuable resource for Anchor Bay until it became part of Lionsgate.

 

 

 

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