Chronicle Books

This is the second in a series of articles honoring gift industry companies that have been in business for several decades and, like Gifts & Decorative Accessories, are celebrating a milestone anniversary this year.

After four decades, Chronicle Books continues to surprise and delight. Gifts & Decorative Accessories spoke with company president Jack Jensen about the evolution of the company's unique philosophies.

Gifts & Decorative Accessories: How has the launch of the gift division changed Chronicle Books?

Jack Jensen: We've always believed that there are a lot of people who appreciate books who never go to bookstores. Our mission is to put books in places where they haven't been before. The gift division began to open the doors to gift stores — independent gift stores, not just chains. What we learned in that marketplace helped inform our book publishing as well.

GDA: What makes a Chronicle book unique?

JJ: Chronicle has always been unabashedly interested in succeeding with the consumer. Rather than spend enormous amounts trying to market an idea, we pour marketing dollars into the look and feel of books — something that's distinctively designed on nice paper — believing that retailers and customers are going to be swayed by what we've put in front of them. We think that the look and feel of what we deliver is every bit as important as the content.

GDA: How does your geographic location affect your corporate success?

JJ:You might liken it to being a car manufacturer and not being in Detroit. There are very few industries that are as [geographically] concentrated as the book business is in New York. We've always seen that as an advantage, not being in an environment where you're competing fiercely every day. You have to create your own rules; it's been quite liberating. What was fresh and new, in the '80s and '90s, was that we drew our inspiration more from the Pacific than the Atlantic. You could argue that geography is one of the main reasons for our success.

GDA: How will you celebrate your 40th anniversary?

JJ: We have a year's worth of undertakings. We have a number of incentives for customers to move our publishing front and center. We are doing some trade, but not consumer, advertising. And we're moving to a new headquarters, where we'll have a 40th anniversary party. We'll celebrate at the annual book trade meeting at the Javits Center in New York, and at the stationery show and the gift show. At the dawn of [the company's] middle age, I've never seen the commitment more resolute to reinventing ourselves and looking for what's fresh and new.