Bowker Pub Track 2008 Book Research

Bowker’s Pub Track presented interesting facts from their 2008 Demographics & Book Buying Behaviors survey at ECPA’s Executive Leadership Summit. Here are some quick facts.

Who reads books?

• Only 45% of Americans over 13 years-old read books
• 32% of book readers are over 55 years-old
• The average book reader is 44

Which and how much media do Americans consume each week?

• 15 hours on-line
• 13 hours watching TV
• 6 hours listening to music
• 5 hours reading books
• 5 hours reading newspapers and magazines
• 4 hours watching DVDs

Note to self: Americans spend 3x more time each week on-line being informed, educated and entertained than reading books. Need to devise a digital strategy for our content quick! Drop the idea of buying ABC from Disney; consumers spend more time on-line than watching TV.

How do consumers initially learn about a book?

• 37% In-store displays and placement
• 12% Friend or family recommendation
• 6% Online book review
• 6% Direct Mail or Catalog
• 6% Online ads

Observation: Online ads and online book reviews now create as much awareness as viral marketing from friends and family. An on-line marketing strategy is critical. Also, according to Bowker, the impact of all print, TV and radio combined accounted for less than 5% of consumers' book awareness. - Tough news for established, traditional media.

Just a few other interesting Bowker facts:

1. Consumers are going to online book reviews two times more often than print reviews.


2. 19% of all books purchased the consumer became aware or viewed the product online before purchasing.


3. 60% of all Christians under 30 have a Facebook account.


4. The largest adopters of the Kindle are over 55 years-old.


5. Bowker’s data has now drawn a correlation that audio and e-books are cannibalizing sales of hardcover books.

Think this stuff is interesting? Wait till you read what Wildfire Marketing has figured out when authors have dynamic web sites. Talk about an impact on book sales! Stay tuned. That’s the next blog.

Dear fellow Thomas Nelson employees,

I need your help. First, however, I have a confession.

I’ve been a digital arm chair quarterback with a flurry of ideas about what we need to do digitally as a company. It’s nice being an arm chair quarterback. You only have 10% of the information, but in your mind make the right call nearly every time. There are no stats to prove you wrong.

Then, I was yanked out of my very comfortable Lazy Boy and placed on the field. I have 300 pound tackles and jumpy linebackers starring me down and no remote control to change the channel. I need your help!!

Thomas Nelson recently provided me with a new responsibility for our company’s digital strategy. Along with Bob Edington, his digital team, Mike Hyatt and my colleagues at Thomas Nelson, we will define and execute our digital strategy going forward. What an important and exciting challenge. I am honored to be a part of it.

So, how can you help? I want to hear your thoughts on digital.

I know that there are a lot of ideas out there from experienced quarterbacks and maybe even other arm chair quarterbacks like myself. If you want to share your thoughts or ideas with me, please send an e-mail to my assistant, Janet Sanders, at jsanders@thomasnelson.com.

Janet will set up a time for us to meet. All I ask is that you outline your thoughts and send them in an e-mail to Janet and me prior to our meeting. I will listen.

This is how our digital strategy will unfold:

Step 1: Listen to the digital team. My first step was to hear the digital team’s thoughts and learn from them. I will be spending much more time with them. This is a very dedicated team that has tremendous passion for their work and contribution they are making to Nelson’s mission. It is amazing to see all they do; they inspire me.

Step 2: Listen to others internally. That’s where you come in and why I am writing this.

Step 3: Listen to the world class leaders and companies outside of Nelson. We will find the best thinkers and build on their knowledge for our strategy.

Step 4: Build an executable strategy.

Step 5: Execute the strategy and continually experiment and tweak the strategy. Change will be constant. We will celebrate and build on the successes. We will learn from the failures.

I will be blogging on what I learn and the strategy as it forms. This will clarify my thinking, communicate what is being learned and provide a forum for others’ feedback. Feel free to challenge my learnings and thinkings.

I invite you to be a part of the conversation.