Chinaberry’s winning combination: soft on the outside, savvy on the inside

By Reported Donna Loyle

Recently, he tried ZIP select and lifestyle modeling, but the results haven’t yet been tabulated. The company does not purchase space ads. “I’ve tested them, but they’re too expensive for the small number of responses we get,” Ruethling says.

A more successful prospecting method has been the company’s Book Fair program, which includes both online and off-line versions. Begun in 1992, Chinaberry has so far hosted about 6,000 of them. Group leaders from organizations around the country gather orders for Chinaberry books from their friends and family members, collate them into one large order and get discounted group rates.