Company: Wisdom Publications
Budget: $24,000
Wisdom Publications is a small nonprofit book publisher based in Sommerville, MA, which focuses on titles relating to Buddhist studies and principles. Not unlike other
niche publishers, it has its devoted core readership and does not have problems generating coverage in media outlets that welcome books relating to Buddhism and faith-based
subject matter.
But last year, the company found itself with a book that offered to take its PR efforts into another galaxy. Or to be more specific - into a galaxy far, far away. The book
was "The Dharma of Star Wars" by Matthew Bortolin, a writer who had the twin distinctions of being an ordained member of Thich Nhat Hanh's Order of Interbeing (a Buddhist
sect) and a die-hard "Star Wars" fanatic. Bortolin's book provided the unique perspective of tracing elements of Buddhist philosophy and theology in the epic story lines and
larger than life characters of the "Star Wars" films.
As a work of Buddhist commentary, Bortolin's book was irreverent and off-beat without being disrespectful. But as a crossover title for Wisdom Publications, it offered the
potential slice of a Jedi light saber. And for Rod Meade Sperry, media director at Wisdom Publications, the assignment was literally a labor a love. Or, as Sperry puts it: "Both
myself and the book's editor grew up on 'Star Wars,' so if you tell me that I get to do research all day to find people who might want to talk about those movies, and Buddhism,
and great writing - well, I'll pinch myself and get to work."
In regard to setting up the promotion, Sperry was fortunate to have months of preparation for contacting long-lead media. "The book was timed to come out with George Lucas'
last installment of the prequel trilogy," adds Sperry, noting its publication date was a month ahead of the theatrical premiere of "Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith" in
May 2005.
For Sperry, "The Dharma of Star Wars" helped to strengthen media contact with outlets that already provided Wisdom's titles with quality coverage and offered a happy
introduction to outlets that previously had not considered or reviewed the company's titles.
"Of course we got coverage in the Buddhist and Buddhist-friendly press: Shambhala Sun, Tricycle, Mindfulness Bell (the magazine of the community of the bestselling
author/teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, of which Bortolin is a member), and What Is Enlightenment?" he notes. "But we also targeted sci-fi and film Web sites and a bunch of big-
name outlets. So "The Dharma of Star Wars" received great coverage in USA Today, Newsweek, FilmThreat.com, SciFiRevu.com, Gannett Newspapers, StarWarz.com,
and Publishers Weekly."
While Lucasfilms (the producer of the movie) raised no qualms about Bortolin's Buddhist-themed analysis of the "Star Wars" characters, the author and his publisher did
not obtain official licensing agreements from the producer. This created a major PR hiccup at the worst possible moment.
"Perhaps the most notable blow to our campaign was what happened with the big 'Star Wars' convention that was taking place just as the book was being released," recalls Sperry.
"We had planned all along to be present at this giant, 27,000-attendee event--we'd secured and paid for a booth, printed up 7,500 giant color posters for giveaways, booked hotels
and tickets for Matthew and myself. At the last minute, Lucasfilms disallowed us to attend, taking issue with us being present as we weren't 'Star Wars' licensees. It's not like
we were trying to pull a fast one on them--we were initially approved! So, we weren't able to attend, which was too bad because it would have been a great opportunity, not to
mention great fun."
But for the author, this setback only strengthened his Han Solo-worthy resilience. "It wasn't a total wipe-out, though," adds Sperry. "Matthew, being the 'Star Wars' nut of
all 'Star Wars' nuts, went anyway. There was no way he was going to miss that party. And in doing so, he made a lot of friends and did a bit of stealth promotion, too."
The problem for any promotion linked to a specific event, such a film opening, is one of time limitations: Eventually, the promotion runs its course. However, Wisdom has yet
to see the end of its "Dharma of Star Wars" promotions.
"Well, see, that's the good part," explains Sperry. "What we got for our money was ongoing promotion. We made a bigger splash than we might normally make, and the book, of
course, benefited from that. We anticipate that it will be a perennial backlist bestseller for us, just as the 'Star Wars' movies themselves will be classic backlist bestsellers
on DVD, for example. Of course, we also benefited from quite a lot of 'Star Wars'-related press. Then, with the release of the DVD later in the year, the book got a bump in
interest again - for example, Virgin bookstores just had it on tables over the holidays, to dovetail with Christmastime DVD sales. And FilmThreat.com, a perfect
forum for the book, re-featured their interview with Matthew Bortolin over the New Year's weekend."
But ultimately, Sperry credits the success of the book with the book itself. "It wasn't just because it's a 'Star Wars'-related book; that wouldn't wash if the title was
inferior," he says. "The fact is that we were able to get behind the book like we did because it really did embody what we're looking for in a book: It did what it did as best as
it could be done. The challenge is, really, to look like we play like the big boys. And we do."
Contact: Rod Meade Sperry, [email protected].
Before Hopping On The PR Bandwagon
Tying a promotional campaign to a larger and well-known event or activity can offer a wealth of PR points. Some key aspects worth considering include:
- Be careful of what you display. Check before using trademark or servicemark protected phrases or registered imagery and logos in your promotional efforts. Even
pop culture fixtures like the Olympic rings or the Academy Award statuette cannot be reproduced without permission.
- Great minds think alike. Don't be surprised if your bandwagon hop is mirrored by another party doing the same. The coverage in USA Today for "The Dharma of
Star Wars" was part of a round-up of books considering the "Star Wars" universe from a fundamentalist Christian viewpoint, a Taoist viewpoint and a humanist viewpoint.
- Where applicable, keep it light. A sense of humor helps ensure a message gets prominence and memorability, as long as it is in the proper context. For example, in an
interview for "The Dharma of Star Wars," Matthew Bortolin was asked to explain how Buddhism could tie into the notorious 1978 TV debacle "The Star Wars Holiday Special."
Bortolin's pithy reply: "Buddhism teaches that the first Truth of life is that suffering is a part of life. For me nothing makes the fact of suffering more evident than the
'Holiday Special' and especially Beatrice Arthur singing the Mos Eisley Cantina patrons out the door."