The Next Chapter: BookCon's Brand Evolution

We partnered with ReedPop to reimagine BookCon, creating an authentic brand that celebrates the literary community and speaks directly to passionate readers.

The Challenge

ReedPop, the world's largest producer of pop culture events, approached Hoot to help revitalize BookCon after a hiatus. They needed a brand that would resonate with their core audience of 30-35 year old professional women while capturing the magic and community that makes BookCon special. The brand needed to feel sophisticated yet playful, timeless yet on-trend, and most importantly, it needed to embody their "fans first" philosophy.

Our Approach

Through in-depth discovery sessions with the ReedPop team, we identified that BookCon isn't just an event—it's a homecoming for readers. Our target audience isn't just attending for books; they're seeking authentic connections, meaningful experiences, and a space where they can fully express their passion for reading.

We developed a comprehensive brand strategy focused on three core elements:

Community First:

Creating spaces where online friendships become real-life bonds

Experiential Innovation:

Designing moments that can't be replicated online

Digital Integration:

Extending the experience beyond the event itself

The Solution

Brand Positioning

Through our discovery and strategy work, we identified a unique market position for BookCon at the intersection of communal and interactive celebrations. Our perceptual mapping revealed a sweet spot where BookCon could stand out from academic book festivals and traditional trade shows.

We solidified BookCon's point of difference as creating "immersive, communal celebrations where passion becomes a party." This positioning:

  • Emphasizes the event's social nature rather than just transactional book-buying

  • Highlights the immersive, real-world experience in an increasingly digital reading landscape

  • Validates the emotion that readers bring to their favorite books and authors

  • Creates space for both serious literary discussion and joyful fandom celebration

This positioning informed everything from marketing language to event design, ensuring that BookCon would be recognized as more than just another convention —

it's an invitation to come as you are. To geek out. To dress up. To show up. To have your best weekend ever.

Visual Identity

The visual identity balances sophistication with playfulness, drawing inspiration from romantasy, gothic elements, and contemporary design trends. We crafted a timeless logo complemented by flexible design elements that can evolve year to year while maintaining brand recognition.

We developed BookCon's visuals around a core brand tension: Aesthetically Curious - living in the sweet spot between polished and peculiar, where limited edition hardcovers meet vintage band tees.

The logo system features flowing letterforms that evoke the motion of turning pages, with subtle nods to the reading experience built into its design. Custom graphic elements include distinctive patterns reminiscent of book spines on shelves, while hand-drawn illustrations celebrate diverse reading moments. 

The resulting visual system is sophisticated enough for the target audience while maintaining the playfulness and authenticity that defines the BookCon experience.

Voice & Tone

We developed a voice that feels like "the cool older sister" who's equally comfortable discussing Sarah J. Maas novels and recommending independent bookstores. The tone is confident, playful, and human—speaking to readers as equals.

In line with the "Aesthetically Curious" brand tension point, the voice celebrates authenticity over perfectionism, embracing the sometimes quirky, passionate nature of book lovers. Messages like "Come play IRL" and "Where storytelling and pop culture collide" invite readers to step away from their screens and into a community where being enthusiastic about books isn't just accepted—it's celebrated.

Strategic Positioning:

This framework positioned Dropbox not as another remote-work company, but as the place where the future of work is being invented. Every pillar was backed by concrete proof points—existing programs and initiatives that showed these values in action.

Verbal Identity

Finding the voice of the future

Great strategy needs great expression. We developed a verbal identity that could only belong to Dropbox—authentic, confident, and unmistakably human.

Brand Tension Point: Spirited Humanity

Voice Characteristics: Grounded, Unconventional, Confident

Anthemic Statement

A comprehensive narrative that weaves together the promise, pillars, and Virtual First foundation into an inspiring call to action—showing not just where Dropbox is, but where they're going together.

Visual Identity

Our visual system needed to capture Dropbox's essence while standing apart from every other tech employer brand. We created something that could only belong to them.

Design Philosophy: Bold and purposeful, yet approachable. Clean and modern with unexpected elements that signal this isn't typical corporate employer branding.

Signature Element: Blue Bars 

Our most distinctive visual device—DBX Blue bars carrying key messages over photography, creating visual emphasis while maintaining brand consistency.


Visual Identity Deliverables:

  • Usage Guidelines

  • Typography System

  • Color Palette

  • Logo Usage Guidelines

  • Photography Direction

Brand Management

Building trust through transformation

When you're asking a company to see themselves differently, you need more than great creative—you need trust.

Our brand management team became partners in transformation. We became cultural translators, helping different stakeholders understand what we were building and why it mattered to their specific goals.

Our Year-Long Partnership Approach:

  • Constant communication across multiple teams and time zones

  • Expectation management through every phase

  • Stakeholder alignment sessions tailored to different functions

  • Cultural translation for leadership, HR, and marketing teams

Projected Metrics

Based on industry benchmarks and our strategic approach, here's what success looks like for Dropbox.

Campaign Launch Impact (H1 2025)

  • 4.3 million projected engagements with external talent audiences

  • Multi-channel activation across LinkedIn, social media, employee advocacy, and career destinations

  • Content strategy deployment across awareness, consideration, and decision touchpoints

Talent Attraction Transformation

  • 50% more qualified applicants through stronger employer brand recognition

  • 40% faster hiring cycles through enhanced candidate pipeline quality

  • 13-point advantage in application likelihood already achieved among familiar candidates

Revolution

  • 3x more likely to retain long-term hires through better culture-fit alignment

  • 28% lower turnover rates through authentic expectation setting

  • Increased employee advocacy as internal alignment improves brand storytelling

Cost Efficiency Gains

  • Up to 43% reduction in cost-per-hire through more efficient talent attraction

  • Decreased reliance on expensive recruiting agencies and premium job board placements

  • Improved conversion rates at every stage of the candidate funnel

Brand Differentiation

  • Unique positioning that competitors cannot easily replicate

  • Authentic culture expression that resonates with target talent

  • Clear value proposition that goes beyond generic benefits and perks

Employee Experience Impact

  • Clearer cultural expectations leading to better hiring decisions

  • Faster onboarding through cultural understanding and alignment

  • Enhanced advocacy as employees become genuine brand ambassadors

The Sustainable Competitive Advantages We Created

Long-term Business Impact

Revenue Connection:

  • Better talent quality driving improved business performance

  • Faster time-to-productivity for new hires through cultural fit

  • Innovation acceleration through attracted experimental mindset talent

Market Position:

  • Thought leadership in future-of-work conversations

  • Talent magnet status in competitive tech markets

  • Sustainable differentiation that builds over time rather than diminishing

Ready to Discover Your Competitive Advantage?

At Hoot Design Company, we're igniting cultural change—inside workplace cultures, and in our society at large. We believe that everyone deserves to find purposeful work if they choose to.

Ready to transform your brand from the inside out?