Catchword is delighted to announce the launch of PaperPie, the new brand for Educational Development Corporation’s home business/D2C subsidiary, UBAM (Usborne Books & More). EDC engaged Catchword to create the brand positioning, name, and visual identity for the educational products company.
CMO Heather Cobb explained “PaperPie is literally ‘filled’ with the culture and values of our Home Business Division, specifically focused on children’s literacy and learning. Our new brand, PaperPie, better defines who we are and what we represent to our customers and their families.”
In addition to books, educational manipulatives, STEAM-based toys, puzzles, and games, Educational Development Corporation (EDC) encompasses exclusive US distribution of famed UK children’s book publisher Usborne. Its direct sales unit reaches customers through a nationwide network of home-based independent consultants marketing products via parties, social media, book fairs, and more.
In 2022, Usborne Publishing decided to retain all rights to its name and requested that affiliates like UBAM re-name themselves. EDC engaged Catchword to rebrand UBAM. (Read the full case study.)
“The D2C division “generates over 85% of our company’s sales. We have seen this division grow from 6,000 consultants only 10 years ago to as many as 60,000 consultants at its peak during 2021,” EDC President and CEO Craig White said. The new brand, PaperPie, “is a better reflection of our full product offering,” he continued.
Along with coverage in business news media, the launch lit up Times Square with a huge outdoor board at MarketSite when the company C-suite rang the Nasdaq closing bell.
“PaperPie playfully evokes the imaginative wonder and creativity of paper dolls and mud pies while anchoring the name in the pages of your favorite books,” said Catchword Principal Maria Cypher. “As parents, voracious readers, and lifelong learners, out team was especially excited to partner with EDC and is thrilled to see the brand launch so successfully.”
