Date: 18 April 2011
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Market Research Essentials for Educational Publishers
Venue: Imagination Room, L5, National Library building, 100 Victoria Street Singapore 188064
Workshop Leader: Mary James, innoved, Singapore
GROW YOUR MARKET SHARE
It’s a competitive world out there. To improve our market share, there's no doubt that we have to be developing resources that teachers want to buy or recommend. But just how do we lower the gambling stakes and ensure that teachers will use our resources?
OUTLINE
Why we should value market research and how it can help us build profitable lists and an enviable career
An understanding of how we can gather information from our customers ethically and professionally
The best market research techniques for our needs and how to spend our limited budgets (and time) wisely:
- digital techniques (electronic surveys and virtual discussion groups) and how to use them effectively
- using the telephone ‐ our hotline to the market (which can provide valuable qualitative research without us
even having to leave our desk)
- getting the most out of your interviewees
- focus groups/discussion groups – pros and cons
How to improve our participation and response rates and encourage teachers and tutors to take part in our research activities at concept and product development stages as well as post‐publication, so that we obtain the best information.
OUTCOME
WHO NEEDS THIS COURSE
This course is not an academic appraisal of market research theory and techniques but a practical, objective summary of what works best in the educational market based on years of experience from a real‐life publisher who understands the constraints publishers and commissioning editors are working with.
YOUR WORKSHOP LEADER
Mary James has more than 20 years’ experience in educational publishing, working across full curriculum range from primary through to secondary and post-16 college work. She has always faced the editorial challenge of creating new products in a competitive marketplace to grow market share with enthusiasm. Her last corporate role was at HarperCollins Publishers in London as Editorial Director in their Educational division. Mary set up innoved to provide research and consultancy services for the schools market about 8 years ago and helps publishing organisations identify exactly what it is teachers want to use in the classroom. She also helps publishers develop their own market research skills by providing bespoke, in-house training sessions. Mary has delivered training and presentations for the Publishing Training Centre, London, The Society of Authors and a range of publishing companies, including Nelson Thornes, Hodder, Oxford University Press, and the Catholic Truth Society.
Fees and form may be found here.
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Market Research Essentials for Educational Publishers
Venue: Imagination Room, L5, National Library building, 100 Victoria Street Singapore 188064
Workshop Leader: Mary James, innoved, Singapore
GROW YOUR MARKET SHARE
It’s a competitive world out there. To improve our market share, there's no doubt that we have to be developing resources that teachers want to buy or recommend. But just how do we lower the gambling stakes and ensure that teachers will use our resources?
OUTLINE
Why we should value market research and how it can help us build profitable lists and an enviable career
An understanding of how we can gather information from our customers ethically and professionally
The best market research techniques for our needs and how to spend our limited budgets (and time) wisely:
- digital techniques (electronic surveys and virtual discussion groups) and how to use them effectively
- using the telephone ‐ our hotline to the market (which can provide valuable qualitative research without us
even having to leave our desk)
- getting the most out of your interviewees
- focus groups/discussion groups – pros and cons
How to improve our participation and response rates and encourage teachers and tutors to take part in our research activities at concept and product development stages as well as post‐publication, so that we obtain the best information.
OUTCOME
- An awareness of how to plan your research projects in school/college markets
- Greater confidence when working with different research techniques
- An appreciation of the importance of communicating directly with the market face‐to‐face and over the telephone as well as making more effective use of surveys
- Greater authority when presenting proposals in publishing acquisition meetings.
WHO NEEDS THIS COURSE
- New, inexperienced commissioning editors/publishers who are managing lists in competitive markets and need to understand how best to target their materials in order to gain market share.
- More experienced commissioning editors/publishers who want to make sure that the resources they commission are bought by teachers and students who want to buy them and that they are not left languishing on some 'to pulp' list.
- Anyone who is responsible for managing a list of titles or for developing new concepts destined for the schools/college market and who wants to be recognised as a commercially‐successful learning resource publisher.
- Editors working on materials who have a responsibility for making sure that the materials they work on are in line with market needs.
This course is not an academic appraisal of market research theory and techniques but a practical, objective summary of what works best in the educational market based on years of experience from a real‐life publisher who understands the constraints publishers and commissioning editors are working with.
YOUR WORKSHOP LEADER
Mary James has more than 20 years’ experience in educational publishing, working across full curriculum range from primary through to secondary and post-16 college work. She has always faced the editorial challenge of creating new products in a competitive marketplace to grow market share with enthusiasm. Her last corporate role was at HarperCollins Publishers in London as Editorial Director in their Educational division. Mary set up innoved to provide research and consultancy services for the schools market about 8 years ago and helps publishing organisations identify exactly what it is teachers want to use in the classroom. She also helps publishers develop their own market research skills by providing bespoke, in-house training sessions. Mary has delivered training and presentations for the Publishing Training Centre, London, The Society of Authors and a range of publishing companies, including Nelson Thornes, Hodder, Oxford University Press, and the Catholic Truth Society.
Fees and form may be found here.
