An Imprint: What is it?

[msd]

Can someone give me a technical explanation?

I think I know how it functions as a practical matter, but I am trying to understand technically, legally, etc. what this is as an entity and how it is related to Game Company X?

ANd maybe the question just reveals how confused I am...

Thanks,
Matt

 

[jmucchiello]

Imprints are logos. They are like a step above branding. They are not physical companies. They (probably) use to be, though that isn't required. Parker Brothers is an imprint. There is no Parker Brothers company any more. But board games are still released with the Parker Brothers imprint (by Hasbro) because people have heard of Parker Brothers -- it has mindshare.

If the "imprint" is still a legal entity then the publisher becomes more like a distributer. There are thousands of music labels, but really only 5 distributers of music.

(In the course of writing this I was going to use Atari as in imprint of Infograms games. Except Infograms has renamed it's US division Atari. Then I was going to use Madonna for the music example (because her name is shorter than most) but Warner just bought her out of Maverick, her old vanity label. Perhaps this is also why it's hard to get a grip on this stuff....)

 

[msd]

Imprints are logos. They are like a step above branding. They are not physical companies. They (probably) use to be, though that isn't required. Parker Brothers is an imprint.

This just sounds like a trademark to me...is that a fair assessment?

 

[Monte At Home]

This just sounds like a trademark to me...is that a fair assessment?

Not exactly. Look at this way. Say Malhavoc Press wanted to come out with a line of non-d20 rpg products aimed at very young kids. Malhavoc has done a decent job of positioning itself in the market as a producer of d20 material aimed at advanced players, so if we'd be fighting against consumer and market preconceptions when we tried to sell our new games. Our games for young kids would never reach their intended audience because they'd get stuck on the shelf amid the d20 stuff. So, we'd create an imprint, and call it Superfun Games with it's own logo and look aimed at young kids. The hope would be that Superfun Games wouldn't even get shelved next to Malhavoc Press products (because they're so different), and possibly even be sold in entirely different venues. It'd almost sort of be "pretending" that we're a completely different company, even though it's the same people working on the products.

In short, it's a way of reaching new customers with a product different from your previous output without diluting your existing branding or causing marketplace confusion.

 

[Vigilance]

Its like branding... Malhavoc has a brand identity... which they worked hard to get since it registers with their target audience.

If they went looking for a markedly different audience they would want a different brand identity.

Chuck

 

[msd]

Not exactly. Look at this way. Say Malhavoc Press wanted to come out with a line of non-d20 rpg products aimed at very young kids. Malhavoc has done a decent job of positioning itself in the market as a producer of d20 material aimed at advanced players, so if we'd be fighting against consumer and market preconceptions when we tried to sell our new games. Our games for young kids would never reach their intended audience because they'd get stuck on the shelf amid the d20 stuff. So, we'd create an imprint, and call it Superfun Games with it's own logo and look aimed at young kids. The hope would be that Superfun Games wouldn't even get shelved next to Malhavoc Press products (because they're so different), and possibly even be sold in entirely different venues. It'd almost sort of be "pretending" that we're a completely different company, even though it's the same people working on the products.

In short, it's a way of reaching new customers with a product different from your previous output without diluting your existing branding or causing marketplace confusion.

Ahhh...excellent. That clears it up for me.

Thanks Monte.

-Matt

 

[Vigilance]

Im wondering when Superfun Games will make its debut

Chuck

 

[Ghostwind]

Easiest example of an imprint...

Sword & Sorcery Studios serves as an imprint for White Wolf. See Monte's explanation as to why.

 

[HalWhitewyrm]

Just to clarify, I can create an imprint by just calling it so and not have to do anything else on the legal front, right?