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 children's 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 children's publisher
- Sector
- Publishing
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Business panel, Quantitative research
Client challenge
The publisher wanted to sell more to school libraries.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: understanding school library purchasing.
- Produce results that can be compared across groups and locations.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 5 weeks.
Target audience
Scope: 400 schools.
Audiences we typically reach in publishing
ReadersTeachers and schoolsBooksellersAuthorsDigital readers
Geographic coverage
Coverage: India. Market: India. 400 schools covered.
- India
Research methodology
A structured quantitative design, so results could be compared across groups, locations and time.
- 1Brief
- 2School survey
- 3Insight
We surveyed librarians and principals about budgets and selection criteria.
Business panelQuantitative research
Sampling strategy
- Business respondents were screened on role, company size and involvement in the decision before being invited.
- 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
- Schools wanted curriculum-linked reading lists.
Make buying easy for schools.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: make buying easy for schools.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: schools wanted curriculum-linked reading lists.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The publisher created themed library packs.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: will readers pay for digital?