Illustrative engagement. A representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work in publishing. It does not describe a specific client; outcomes are described qualitatively.
Industry overview
What is shaping publishing
Book, education and magazine publishers serve readers, teachers, schools and retailers, with print and digital formats side by side.
- Teachers and schools drive educational publishing
- Digital reading is growing alongside print
- Retail visibility affects sales
Client background
A book publisher, working in India. This is an illustrative engagement: a representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work, not a named client project.
- Organisation
- A book publisher
- Sector
- Publishing
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Consumer panel, Online surveys
Client challenge
The publisher wanted to grow its fiction list among younger readers.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: understanding readers of a fiction imprint.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of readers.
- Produce results that can be compared across groups and locations.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 4 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 2,000 readers.
- readers2,000
Audiences we typically reach in publishing
ReadersTeachers and schoolsBooksellersAuthorsDigital readers
Geographic coverage
Coverage: India. Market: India.
- India
Research methodology
A structured quantitative design, so results could be compared across groups, locations and time.
- 1Brief
- 2Reader survey
- 3Insight
We surveyed readers about genres, discovery, formats and purchase channels.
Consumer panelOnline surveys
Sampling strategy
- readers
- 2,000
- Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
Data collection
- The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
Data quality & validation
- Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
- Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
- Review of open-ended answers
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
Key findings
- Younger readers discovered books through social media and preferred paperbacks.
Reach readers where they discover books.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: reach readers where they discover books.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: younger readers discovered books through social media and preferred paperbacks.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The publisher invested in creator partnerships.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: how do bookstores decide stock?