Nolo Covers the Basics
by Staff -- Publishers Weekly, 6/5/2006
When Nolo Press conducted market research a while back, it found that consumers did not always see its books the way the company did: as trustworthy and approachable legal guides. Two years and "hundreds of thousands" of dollars later, Nolo CEO David Rothenberg said, the company has rebranded its entire title base with a bright new look and new tagline: "Your Legal Companion."
Nolo taped more than 50 hours of focus group feedback and tested redesigned books in mock stores to come up with a compelling design. Back in 1971, when the company founders decided to produce legal books for the layperson, they faced prison for the unauthorized practice of law. Nolo helped change the laws blocking the publication of its books, and its "Law for All" motto graced its titles for 35 years. But that tagline, however sentimental, did not resonate with today's consumers. While the focus groups responded to the "trustworthiness" of the Nolo's content, the books' covers were deemed unapproachable.
"The word 'textbook' kept coming up, and we pride ourselves on being plain English," said Nolo marketing director Pat Jenkins. After field-testing several redesigns, the company decided on its new look: less text-heavy covers that feature Astrid, the golden Labrador retriever. "What is more companionable than a dog?" said Jenkins.
Scott Doddington, buyer at Tower Books, noticed the change in Nolo's look right away. "For once I thought: the covers matched the content," he said. "And I predict the dog will become iconic."
