Case Study - Page One

Every book begins with page one. It is a simple fact that everyone knows, but who will pay attention to this obvious?

Page One, a successful bookstore chain in Hong Kong, reminds readers this almost long-forgotten fact, by using "Every book begins with Page One" as their tagline.

Book store sells book, but Page One sells more. It not only sells books, but also their own corporate identity, or brand. Every touchpoint experience they offer to readers is different from that of traditional bookstores. In the old days, they used paper bags for books purchased by customers, in contrast to plastic bags used by most other bookstores. The paper bags were nicely designed. The name card is also different, with die-cut. In terms of store number, they probably do not have the most, but their stores are usually located at prime locations. Its first store was located at Park Lane, Causeway Bay, selling books and magazines on design. Now, there are 4 stores located at Central, Festival Walk at Kowloon Tong, Times Square at Causeway Bay, and The Gateway at Tsim Sha Tsui.

In 2007, they launch their first membership card. Their membership card comes with the theme of "I read therefore I am." The font chosen is unconventional. The quote is modified from a famous statement by Rene Descartes "I think, therefore I am."

There is a long message in the nicely designed card with the membership card: "I know of no other qualities that contribute to the perfection of the mind; for as to the reason or sense, inasmuch as it is that alone which constitutes us men, and distinguishes us from the brutes I am disposed to believe that it is to be found complete in each individual; and on this point to adopt the common opinion of philosophers, who say that the difference of greater and less holds only among the accidents, and not among the forms or matures of individual of the same species."

The message itself is not important, but the way it is presented. The books themselves are not important, but where they can be bought.