Strategic Brand Management Tools in Publishing

Abstract

Further to the introduction of the brand concept evolution and theory, as well as the ways these operate in the publishing sector (see paper: Pitsaki, I. 2010), the present paper treats publishing strategies and the tools used to establish them. Publishers often base their brand strategy on classic marketing approaches, such as the marketing mix -product, price, promotion, placement and people. They also direct their products to specific market segments in regard to the type of content and texts (generalist universal, specialized universal and specialized local strategy). However, advanced marketing models and tools are often ignored by publishers. This paper shows how advanced concepts, mindsets and marketing models could operate in the publishing sector. More specifically, in order to establish a brand strategy it is proposed to take into consideration the different levels of experience obtained through the purchase and reading of a book or a book series. These levels involve the aesthetic emotion, the quality aspects of the product and the associated messages or services. Another recommendation is the use of branding tools, such as the hierarchy and the brand-product matrix. These tools reveal the interrelation between the brands and the products of a company and forecast how they will interact in the marketplace. This is due to the fact that, in the publishing sector, books and all products can be simultaneously branded at many different levels; in a book coexist the corporate brand, the author and the genre as brand as well as other brand dimensions. The above ideas are introduced in order to offer a more solid action framework in publishing, and more precisely in the specification of brand strategies