'High-end gift product line' revived because company realized it had 'significant consumer value'

Aiming to capitalize on a known, strong name in the gift market, Thomas Nelson is bringing back its J. Countryman brand.

Having scrapped its 21 imprints, including J. Countryman, in the 2007 One Company Initiative, Nelson officials said it was time to bring back its "high-end gift product line."

The company also started using the Tommy Nelson name again last year for its children's products, which it had also eliminated due to the initiative. Lindsey Nobles, director of corporate communications, said that the return of the children's brand was due to feedback from retailers and children's product consumers.

Jennifer Deshler, vice president of marketing and publishing process for children's and gift books at Thomas Nelson, said that neither J. Countryman or Tommy Nelson "function as independent imprints."

"Tommy Nelson is the brand name for our children's products, and J. Countryman is our high-end gift product line," Deshler told Christian Retailing. "In both instances, we revitalized the branding because we realized it had significant consumer value."

Although Deshler said that she did not anticipate the revival of the name as affecting retailers in any way, she believed that the Countryman brand has "the quality standard in gift books" in years past.

"Bringing back the J. Countryman name reminds consumers that gift books are a meaningful way to express the sentiments of the heart as well as to deepen one's faith," she said. "The motto Jack Countryman created more than 20 years ago still holds true today: 'Touching Lives … Changing Hearts.' "

New titles under Countryman will include "a prestige product line of devotionals, devotional journals and promise books," Deshler added. Some forthcoming products bearing the Countryman name are to be Beth Moore's Looking Up devotional journal (January 2011); Richard G. Lee's In God We Still Trust year-long devotional (March 2011); and Sarah Young's Jesus Lives leathersoft journal.

J. Countryman is being re-launched with a special spinner featuring gift books by best-selling authors Max Lucado, Sheila Walsh, John Maxwell, Sarah Young, David Jeremiah, Johnny Hunt, Jack Countryman, Hank Hanegraaff and Billy Graham.

As for the future and whether the Nashville publisher will bring back any other such names, Deshler said: "Moving forward, we will use imprints if and when it makes good business sense. We don't see this happening often, but we will do it when it provides an opportunity for growth."

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