Introducing the Band of Bards Street Team!
Everything old is new again. JNCOs are back in style, Fresh Prince is being rebooted, hell, even Op Ivy had a semi-reunion show last weekend. So there’s no better time than now to spill the beans on the Band of Bards Street Team!
Anyone who grew up in the 1990’s/2000’s punk scene will know what that means. For the uninitiated, street teams were a way for bands to mobilize their die hard fans to help promote new albums, bring new fans into the fold, and spread the word when their favorite band would be coming to town. It was guerrilla marketing before some Big Brain sniffing his own farts ever thought up the term.
OK, so it was a thing punk bands did. How the hell does it apply to an indie comics publisher? Let me break it down Barney style.
Problem: BoB, as a new publisher, needs to connect with retailers, to draw attention to listings with distributors, and ensure listing translates into sales.
Mission: Build a well resourced group of core fans who will bring the message of Comics Doing Good to retailers.
Who: Core fans who’ve supported us on social media who are willing & able to reach out to local comic shops & other comics retailers.
What: Forming a street team akin to 90’s indie punk bands.
Why: Reach comics retailers through a grassroots marketing strategy.
Where: US based initially with eventual international expansion.
When: Launch program by March 2022.
Just how do we plan to pull this off? By providing marketing materials such as our bookmark/card, promo swag, exclusive Street Team shirts, and coaching Street Team members on how to approach LCS owners/managers in a respectful but direct fashion. Communication and coordination will be done via email & private Discord channel. Once we’re confident that a ST member will faithfully represent BoB they will receive an initial Welcome Package of Street Team shirt, swag, and materials to distribute to LCSs.
Sounds like we’re asking a lot from people? Sounds like another brand trying to get free marketing? Just what are the benefits to Street Team members?
BoB Street Team t-shirt
Discounts to BoB online store & free shipping
Early access items
Exclusive events at cons & post-con party (OK, that’ll take some time)
Welcome swag bag
Quarterly surprise gifts
Chris and I are pretty excited about this as it goes back to our roots in the DIY punk scene. I sure hope this sounds cool to you. The thing about comics is that you have to sell a lot to keep making them. Just getting a comic listed with a distributor isn’t enough. Publishers need to connect with retailers, they need to show retailers that if you buy our comics they will sell. Very simply, there is no better way to demonstrate demand than by having a customer walk in and tell a LCS owner “I want Band of Bards!”
There will be more to come on this. It’ll require some website updates (sorry, Chris) and I’ll be drafting up some guiding principles for how the ST will work. Afterall, the quickest way to ensure a retailer will never order our books is if they feel pestered by people who we ostensibly sent to their door. There’s a balance here, not everyone is cut out of this, but at the end of the day it is meant to be fun! Street Teams were always meant to be a way to show your love for your favorite band and to feel like a part of something bigger.
BoB is here to help build a better comics community. Seems like a street team fits right into that mission. Hope to see you waving that banner.
#ComicsDoingGood