Selling a super-family versus smaller, separate sub-families

Adam Ladd · April 2018

Hi All,

I'm working on a family (42 fonts total) that will have text, display, and stencil styles. So 3 sub-families or collections.

Wondering: has anyone noticed a measurable advantage for selling something like this as one, large super-family offering (with buying options for sub-families)... or perhaps it's better to break them up and stagger them as separate releases?

Releasing it as a super-family seems that the incentive for a buyer would be that the overall price would be a little lower for all 3 families total. But at the same time, don't know if the higher, super-family price point might be a little daunting for some, and then perhaps the 3 separate sub-family releases (at a lower price point) would be more enticing?

Thanks.

JoyceKetterer · April 2018

@Adam Ladd - Years ago I noticed something: When I would go to a party and tell people where I work no one would ever say "I used Freight Micro/Big/Sans/etc on a project and loved it". They would always say "I used Freight on a Project and loved it". In case you don't know, Frieght sub families were always displayed on their own (though also discussed as a super family... the lines are not as clear as you imply) . It doesn't matter what you do - people will think of the subfamilies by the primary family name.

That is why we decided to display Halyard as one thing with three parts not three things with the same first name - as you would put it "as a superfamily". We did this for clarity of message. It never had anything to do with pricing because our cart isn't built to care in the way you describe (we would have had the same pricing either way). I'm not sure I understand your concern. You can license them as separate subfamilies and as a super family even if you use the superfamily structure, right?

Personally, I wouldn't stagger a release just cause. If there's a good marketing reason to do so then by all means. But if the three subfamilies are built to work together and more appealing together I would release them together. Also, releasing them separately probably doesn't preclude using the super family structure. I don't know what platform you're releasing on - maybe it's a reseller with rules I don't know.

Adam Ladd · April 2018

@JoyceKetterer Truly appreciate your personal and business examples that you have shared here, Joyce. They really help.

Yes, with the selling platforms I'm using, I can be flexible with the super vs. sub buying options; so no major concern.

Thanks again, your advice does help bring clarity. Was just curious if a measurable advantage has been seen for one marketing strategy over the other, but the subs are meant to work together, so releasing them together makes sense.

JoyceKetterer · April 2018

@Adam Ladd I can't say if there's a measurable advantage. Freight was released so long ago, and by a publisher not by us at that. Even if I had data to compare the world has changed so much since then that I don't think it would allow reasonable conclusions.

As a general rule I think it's best to meet people where they are. Why create the extra mental friction of displaying the family in a way that isn't intuitive to the viewer unless you really have to?

Adam Ladd · April 2018

@JoyceKetterer Agreed, thanks for the additional feedback

Keeping it simple and clear is desirable.

JoyceKetterer · April 2018

I literally just got a support call from a customer who's designer told her to buy a license for "Halyard Bold" - because this is how people talk. Never mind that there is actually no such thing by that name. We always use the full names for exactly this reason. She just added the first thing that she saw that was close to that description (which turns out to have been Display). It wasn't until she installed it that she could see it didn't match the logo for her company. This part kinda impressed me because I've had enough interactions with companies who have custom fonts with distinct modifications of a retail build but staff who can't tell. I don't really think there's anything we as foundries can do to stop this sort of thing. People can be very creative about finding ways to confuse themselves.

Adam Ladd · April 2018

Ha, yes, nice timing to further illustrate these points. A reminder to try to anticipate and clarify any points of confusion, but sometimes just not much you can do, like you said. Good for that customer though who discerned the differences.

Selling a super-family versus smaller, separate sub-families

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