Marketing plan & Strategy for book sales

 Description 1. Give an overview of the BK Publishing company (South Africa) a. Which publishing sector do they operate it? b. What are the current driving forces for that publishing sector? c. What is their focus, publishing philosophy, vision and mission? d. Describe their publishing list(s) and their author profile. e. Who is their main competition and why? f. Describe the brand and its brand values – i.e. how important is the brand to the publishing house’s success? 2. Give an overview of the sales and marketing teams/department of the publishing house? a. Draw an organogram of the sales and/or marketing team. b. Identify and discuss the difference between sales functions and marketing functions. c. Describe the main functions of this department by looking at the various roles. Comment on any innovative approaches or possibly gaps for improvement. 3. Identify a single title on your chosen company’s publishing list and write a marketing plan that will be put into action 4 weeks before the title is released and that addresses the following: a. What have we got to sell: research the product (Braverstock, 2015: 114-118)? • Describe the product, i.e. the title / book – name, author, cover, blurb, publishing date, and formats. • What products / services / titles are competing with your chosen title? List at least three competing titles with their USPs (unique selling points). b. Who is it for: researching the market (Braverstock, 2015: 118-119)? • Identify the primary and secondary target market for the title. • Describe the market – what needs does the market have? How will this product or service improve people’s lives? What ‘problem’ does it aim to solve? How much do they need or want it? Who is the product for? Who will buy it? Who will benefit from it and are they the same person? • Write a consumer profile for your ideal consumer / reader that includes both demographics and psychographics. • What benefit does the product / service offer your market? Describe the core benefit, actual benefit and augmented benefit. c. Initial situation analysis: where are we now? • Complete a SWOT analysis of the title. • Complete a PESTLE analysis of the meso and macro environment the publishing company operates in. d. Establishing objectives: what do we want to achieve (Braverstock, 2015: 123)? e. Developing a strategy: how will we get there in broad terms (Braverstock, 2015: 124)?? f. Formulating a plan: how will we get there, in detail (Braverstock, 2015: 124)? • Distinguish between Above the Line (ATL) and Below the Line (BTL) tools. • Make sure to include print-based marketing tools, online marketing tools, direct marketing tools, publicity, PR and events. • Make sure to highlight clearly the responsibilities of the publisher and the responsibilities of the author. • Write an advertorial of 500 words that will be published by an online reading community related to the publishing sector of your chosen publishing company. 4. Based on this assignment what did you learn in this course – what do you know now that you did not know before and how will you apply that in your professional life in future, be that in publishing or not.