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Etta Saunders, global brand manager for Enid Blyton, talks to The Bookseller.
What is your new role?
I am the global brand manager for Enid Blyton. This is a newly created role and I will be putting in place a cohesive strategy to maximise potential in the Enid Blyton brand and the many story series within it for UK and international markets.
How do you hope to develop the Enid Blyton brand?
Enid Blyton wrote over 600 titles and many of them are as popular as ever. There is great affection for the classic look of series such as The Famous Five, and we will be building on this to develop brand opportunities for licensing partners. We will be creating definitive, contemporary looks for each of her most popular series to build brands that will work across further product categories and media. There is also a rich backlist which has massive potential. We will be announcing the foundation blocks of our development strategy at Bologna.
Can you tell us about some of the projects lined up?
Next year will be the 75th anniversary of the publication of The Famous Five. We will be celebrating this by unveiling a wonderful new look, alongside an extensive marketing and PR campaign.
How hard is it to balance a love for the books with Hachette’s desire to take Blyton into other areas?
It isn’t hard at all. Enid Blyton wrote stories that truly resonate with children all over the world. Her adventures are both exciting and empowering for readers. Children haven’t changed in essence as much as some may think over the years and her stories continue to thrill each new generation. New areas simply offer additional ways in which to keep her great stories and spirit of adventure alive and kicking. Enid Blyton’s wider appeal remains rooted in her wonderful stories and any adjacency plans will grow directly from them.