[Sigia-l] books brand: separate site or sub-section?

[Christine Fitts]

Seeking some advice.

Working for an online bookstore that sell titles from a wide variety of
business, professional and consumer subjects.    Many of its sub-brands
have distinct, selling web sites.  We have the opportunity to revisit
how they work.  

For instance, let's say we're Amazon.com.  One of our best-selling
brands has its own website; they also sell our books plus offer
articles, advice, etc.  They use our back-end but it's seamless to users
as the front end is retained (e.g., they aren't sent to a separate
site).  Let's say it's the Business Guru X series of titles on personal
finance.  Would it be better to create a Busines Guru X section within
our business bookstore, where we can cross-sell related, non-guru titles
and get users accustomed to buying from the publisher at large rather
than a personality or series?  If users enter Business Guru X.com, they
are re-directed to its section within our site.  The Guru group does not
have a lot of time and resources for maintenance, and we have a system
in place for maintenance and promotion.   What the Guru loses is a
separate site, and primary branding.  Its users may not realize that we
even publish Guru, as they are not tuned into that.  But, they will be
exposed to more titles that can address their personal finance
questions.

-- Christine