Brand Strategy for a NYT Bestseller
Christopher Golden is a renowned horror and dark fantasy author with a prolific bibliography and a loyal fan base. However, his website no longer reflected the sophistication of his brand or the immersive nature of his stories. Navigation was clunky, the mobile experience was broken, and new readers struggled to find relevant books or updates.
The goal? Transform a dated author website into a sleek, responsive, and emotionally resonant digital brand hub—designed to engage fans, attract press, and promote upcoming releases. Revitalize his social media efforts for multiple books across Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok
Previous Web Presence
RESEARCH
New Strategy:
Our marketing-led design process began with a deep dive into Christopher’s brand and audience.
Brand Discovery & Positioning
We repositioned the brand tone to lean into Gothic, cinematic visuals while retaining approachability for casual and diehard fans alike.
Audience Mapping
Identified three key segments:
Long-time fans looking to complete book series
New readers discovering him via horror trends or adaptations
Press/publishers seeking bios, contact info, or event details
Competitive Audit
Benchmarked authors in similar genres (e.g. Brian Keene, Joe Hill) to identify best practices and whitespace for differentiation.
REDESIGN
NEW SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
RESULTS
Increased traffic to website by 45%
Novel ARARAT went viral and won the Bram Stoker award for best novel
Increased email newsletter signup by 65%
Increased social media following by 35%