SUCCESS STORY

TANTOR MEDIA GOES AUDIO WITH UNIVENTURE PACKAGING SOLUTION

Connecticut-based Tantor Media was founded in 2000 with the idea of distributing audiobook downloads. After learning that the market wasn’t fully developed yet, it decided instead to produce classic titles not available in CD or MP3 CD format. Their first offering included fourteen titles in famed author Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan and Mars series.

In 2003, it branched out and began licensing exclusive rights. (One of its first titles was the New York Times bestseller Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach.) The company prides itself on selecting quality titles, most of which have received starred reviews from major trade publications and have appeared on bestseller lists.

Since then, Tantor has grown to become a multifaceted audio publishing house. Its audiobooks have received outstanding reviews from critics, including having earned multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards and two Audie Awards (equivalent to an Oscar in the film industry) for Science Fiction (Market Forces by Richard K. Morgan) and Personal Development/Motivational (For the Love of a Dog by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D.). Tantor Media was number one on Publishers Weekly's list of fastest-growing small publishers, with sales growth of 737% between 2004 and 2006.

Virtually from the beginning, Univenture has played a role in Tantor Media’s phenomenal growth and achievements. The UniKeep™ Disc 10 and 20 disc wallets featuring exclusive Safety-sleeve® have enabled Tantor to produce high quality products for its customers.

“Univenture has helped fuel Tantor Media’s growth by providing us the perfect audiobook packaging solution – a durable, high quality product that is very flexible in number of CDs and is very attractive after cover insertion – all while not breaking the bank,” stated Kevin Colebank, CEO Tantor Media, Inc., and one of its three founders. “The wallets hold up incredibly well during shipping and perform well as a transportable and packaging solution.” 

The durable UniKeep disc wallet is fully enclosed and completely injection molded. It is stackable, lightweight, and cost effective. It contains no PVC and is uniquely 100% polypropylene. The Safety-sleeve is long-wearing, durable, and economical. Its characteristics and appearance exude a higher perceived value than other comparable materials. It also eliminates much of the risk of damage that can occur with other types of packaging.

Though the audiobook publisher has explored other packaging possibilities, it has yet to find anything comparable to the quality and functionality of UniKeep wallets. 

“We continue to use Univenture for our packaging needs because they consistently produce a high quality product encompassing style, and the flexibility for small and large product runs,” Colebank said. “Many of our competitors use white board boxes, which we have also used. However, we find that type of packaging to be less durable and customer friendly. During shipping, we experienced a significant amount of crushing with the white board boxes.”

“Through the six-plus years that we have used Univenture products, we have experienced very little breakage during assembly and shipping. Needless to say, along with our customers, we are very satisfied with the packaging and appreciate the durability and design provided by the UniKeep wallets.” 

When it comes to choosing packaging, consider how it represents your product.  Univenture’s packaging design team will provide packaging that is not only functional, but also supports your product’s image.

More information regarding Tantor Media’s product offerings may be found at www.tantor.com. 

(SIDEBAR #1)

Paying Attention to Details Makes for Good Reading – and Listening
Tantor’s unwavering attention to detail is found in all aspects of its audiobooks, including: which titles it chooses; its ability to match a title with just the right narrator; producing each title to the highest standard; creating durable and attractive packaging; and delivering uncompromising personal service.

Its production technique uses proprietary recording software created by one of its founding partners, Allen Colebank. Consumers can choose from a diverse range of quality audiobooks across a wide variety of genres, and in three different formats—Retail CD, Library CD, and MP3 CD. It also offers audiobook downloads via Audible.com.

In addition to its growing list of bestselling titles, Tantor Media continues to make available its extensive list of classic titles. Both old and new are available and can be browsed – complete with audio clips – on the website.

(SIDEBAR #2)

Award Winning Products by Any Standard
Many people today judge literary success by which TV programs are talking about which books. One of Tantor’s titles reached the pinnacle of success this spring, as it appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show. The TV star and book maven featured The Loved Dog: The Playful, Nonaggressive Way to Teach Your Dog Good Behavior by Tamar Geller with Andrea Cagan in an hour-long episode.  ABC’s Good Morning America, recently featured another Tantor title in early June, Deal Breakers: When to Work on a Relationship and When to Walk Away by Dr. Bethany Marshall.