I just want done this semester.
My roommate and I were discussing how during our university career we (as the unified student collective – haha) are forced to take several classes which inspire something less than motivation. Instead, we propose a course that over the duration of 13 weeks would prepare said student for real life lessons. [realish].
Lesson no. 1: Week one: Learning how to cite and reference
How about someone actually sits you down for 2 hours and drills into your head the basics (and the not so basics) of citing and referencing properly? Imagine how much less negligent plagiarism would occur. It would be a mundane lesson that would make students want to drop the course, but - following in the tradition of all great universities – the course would be necessary to fulfill some requirement ulitimately needed for graduation.
by W H Auden
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever; I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood,
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
Will watch. Will ball my eyes out.
Sunshine, sunshine
Sunshine, sunshine
Oh, ohhh
Oh, ohhh
I was lost between the midnight and the dawning
In a place of no consequence or company
Sweet 33 when the numbers fell off the clock face
Speed dialling with no signal at all
Go, shout it out, rise up
Oh, ohhh
Escape yourself, and gravity
Hear me, cease to speak that I may speak
Shush now
Oh, ohhh
Force quit and move to trash
I was right there at the top of the bottom
On the edge of the known universe where I wanted to be
I had driven to the scene of the accident
And I sat there waiting for me
Restart and reboot yourself
You’re free to go
Oh, ohhh
Shout for joy if you get the chance
Password, you, enter here, right now
Oh, ohhh
You know your name so punch it in
Hear me, cease to speak that I may speak
Shush now
Oh, ohhh
Then don’t move or say a thing
Best-selling books rarely “just happen.” Yes, on occasion there is the run-away best-seller written by a poverty-stricken, first time author who weaves words magical enough to lure teenaged boys away from their play-stations; and consequently, create a global phenomenon of reading. But for the most part it is the theme of successful marketing, packaging and positioning of books that creates a best seller. On September the 5th, 2009 Barney Stinson’s The Bro Code ranked 10th on the Globe and Mail’s National Best Seller’s Non-fiction list and had been on the prestigious list for sixteen weeks prior. Which is not a shabby position to be in, especially since the book is “authored” by a fake television series’ character and most of its content is readily available on the internet for free consumption.
Weighing in at about 82 grams and with its thin content stretched to 208 pages, the real question is, how did this little book make it to market?
Unlike other non-fiction books – that keep their content under wraps and negotiate the browser into converting into a buyer – The Bro Code throws these conventions to the wind and is still a success. In this essay, I will look specifically at the digital, physical and cultural environment in which The Bro Code exists; and furthermore, how it as a physical object has been positioned to encourage the browser to convert into a buyer. In evaluating the rich physical and digital environment that surrounds the creation, cross-promotion and positioning of this book, I will describe how The Bro Code and its mother show create and perpetuate their own market. More so, by looking at the book’s physical properties in the context of a bookstore it will become apparent how the book harnesses its cultural currency to persuade the onlooker to be an owner.
The Bro Code’s Conception
To fully understand the context for The Bro Code’s success it is essential to consider how it came into being. On September the 19th 2005, CBS premiered How I Met Your Mother, a show centered around on the premise of one man’s retelling of the misadventures that led to him meeting the wife of his children. Among the ensemble of characters is Barney Stinton, a self-proclaimed “renaissance man” and womanizer who would regularly quote the fictitious and sexist “bro code” as a ground for moral conduct for all men (or “bros” the world over). The show became international hit and is easily available to be downloaded or streamed via the internet. Sayings from “the bro code” have entered the lexicon of everyday life and gain momentum through social media. More so, the bro code’s content could be found online on Barney’s blog which is regularly updated. And once The Bro Code was published, its first 14 articles were narrated by Neil Patrick Harris (the actor who plays the character Barney) and released on youtube.
Where The Bro-Code resides in the Bookstore
For the purpose of this report, I went to three bookstore locations in the lower mainland as to compare how the how the book was positioned in each of these stores. One out the three locations – Black Bond Books at the Surrey Central Mall – did not carry the book at that time. While the other two stores that carried the book, they did so in an almost identical manner (Lougheed Town Centre’s Coles and Downtown Vancouver’s Chapters). Even though The Bro Code was on the best seller list neither location that carried the book featured it in its best-seller section, nor did they position it near the entrance of the store with the other top sellers. Rather, at both locations they were in each stores’ humour section, which was situated further into the store. I would infer this means that this book is not necessarily designated for the customer who would usually be interested in the best seller’s list. Instead the customer who wants this specific book would be one who has a specific idea in mind of the type of book/genre they are interested in acquiring and comes in with that mind-frame. That is, this customer would be the “task-orientated browser” as described by Raki Rajani’s study.
Another note that is worth mentioning in comparing The Bro Code to other best-seller books, is that it does not receive the discount rate that many of the best-sellers do at the Chapters-Indigo stores. And although I am not privy to the specific rational for the bookstore’s pricing choices I venture forth on two guesses as to why it is not discounted. First, The Bro Code is not an expensive book at CAN $15.50 (it is arguably ideally priced as a gift-item). Second, this book is not necessarily a “draw-in and buy more” book like the other best-seller books which are discounted to entice shoppers into the store and then buy additional books. In this case discounting The Bro Code below its already low price point could be counter-productive to building its profits.
The Bro Code’s Self-Image on the Shelf
The Bro Code’s cover communicates the content of the book and the television series very well. The top right corner of the book indicates it as New York’s best seller. From a distance it meant to look like semi-archaic brown-leather bound book with golden letter “The Bro Code” etched on the front. This stylistic device would usually convey an authoritative and authentic tone (the book describes itself as the moral authority on brotherhood). But just below these words is a photograph of the character and name of Barney Stinson[1] as he dons one of his usual overly-confident poses. Just left of the photograph is the declaration “As seen on CBS’ How I Met Your Mother” and the Fireside Emblem. The book’s spine follows suit by prominently displaying the title, author and a small fireside emblem. While the back of the book has a section of fake double-entrendre reviews by woman that Barney has dated/misused in the past, and a short snippet telling the audience to keep up to date with Barney’s blog. The book’s design plays constantly with the idea of it being an authority but its content being utterly absurd and therefore not to be taken seriously.
This concept is not being taken to literally is even represented in the weight, texture and feel of the book. Standing at 8.2 by 5.4 inches, it is not an imposing book. From a distance though, the book looks as if it has volume to it with the thick pulp paper that was employed; and that it would be heavier than it actually is. The cover has a semi-gloss finish which lends itself to a polished look but once you pick up the paperback[3] you discover it is surprisingly light. There are no extra ornate features such as french flaps or expensive binding. And while the cover is comfortable in your hand it has the feel of a paperback novel sold at Save-On-Foods. This idea even comes into play once you flip through the pages and see the sparse content spread on the cheap grey paper. All of these suggestive meta-signs relate to the buyer that this is book that is not to be taken that seriously.
At both locations, The Bro Code was physically positioned on the top shelf of the humour section facing outwards for the audience to garner a full view of the cover. Physically positioned next to the book (and relationally) was a smattering of other similar joke books by quasi-celebrities. Right next to the copy at the Vancouver store was Seinlanguage, a book by Jerry Seinfeld: A book which is authored by pseudo-television character riding in on the glory of a popular television series. By placing the book on the top shelf, which for most people would be at eye level, it is being placed in a high traffic area and prime location for motivating browsers to become shoppers. As noted by Paco Underhill people will only buy products that are physically accessible to them: “If shoppers can’t reach out and feel certain foods, they just won’t buy” (Underhill, 2008, p.60).
Conclusion:
Ultimately, this is a book that presents itself as tongue-in-the-cheek novelty while simultaneously cross-promoting the television series it is derived from. From a book marketing standpoint, the book had a brand and devoted following behind it, while from the television’s producer’s perspective it a great way to have the show live on in the lives of fans, even when it is not being watched/aired.
In the physical or online store, The Bro Code is meant to read as on inside joke by those who know the CBS show, as something of interest to note for those who do not. I personally think that fans of the show would find that the physical properties of the book and its positioning to be effective for converting them into buyers. In addition, this book makes a great gift for anyone who enjoys the show, especially at its low price point. I consider it a fascinating little book, because it one which is not necessarily bought to be read, but rather to be enjoyed for its aesthetic and pop culture value.
Works Cited:
Stinson, B. (2008). The Bro Code. New York: Fireside.
Underhill, P. (2008). Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping–Updated and Revised for the Internet, the Global Consumer, and Beyond. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Rajani, R. (2003). An Observational Study of An Independent Bookstore. Retrieved October 8th from http://www.hpl.hp.com/techreports/2003/HPL-2003-107.html
[1] The actor Patrick Neil Harris who plays the character of Barney Stinson is a recognizable celebrity although not necessarily prominent enough to be a brand on his own.
[3] The Bro Code is only produced in paperback.
Yesterday, while waiting for the bus I saw an older man using his umbrella to pull down the branches of a lemon tree to pick the bitter fruit. The man filled his plastic bag with lovely lemons. He did so with such care. It’s lovely that even in the city people grow trees and keep their own gardens. Its as if the older generation want to keep a part of their tradition from the old country alive.
He then walked towards me asking me when the bus was coming, and told me he lived in another area of town.
That old man was stealing lemons out of a neighbourhood garden.
Stolen from Megan’s blog which is currently under the control of bots.
that only non-black people ask me where I’m *really* from – when I say I’m from africa/am african?
How do you think Canada got white people and speaks English/French?
And… the penny drops.
A woman who my mother knows
Came in and took off all her clothes.Said I, not being very old,
‘By golly gosh, you must be cold!”No, no!’ she cried. ‘Indeed I’m not!
I’m feeling devilishly hot!’
Roald Dahl
