Learning a hypothetical country to read: how to work in a new market

Imagine that you need to teach a country to read. Seriously: suppose now can read, say, every two hundredth, and you want to bring this figure at least to every second. This is a good example of working with a completely new market.

At the beginning of your work in the country, 20 books have been published, the most famous are the Bible, Tolstoy's War and Peace, a reference book of the agronomist and the Kama Sutra. The latter diverges widely, but you suspect that thanks to the pictures. There is no reading culture (but it was once upon a time), there are no normal books, there is no understanding why to read, either. You don’t have money for the federal program or anything else, and no one will support you centrally.
')
So what will you do?

The task at first glance seems pretty simple: after all, following the example of other countries, you already know that books are awesome cool things that are dragging you in, just read a couple. They like everyone who can read at least 5-6 pages. It remains only to teach people to read and explain to them how cool it is.

Yes, it is important: those who can read, at the same time know English, and therefore are not particularly interested in the development of domestic typography - they have access to European libraries, and they freely read books from there.

Clubs - the obvious solution number 1

Probably, for starters, open the library clubs. It is logical to assume that it is good to use existing "geeks" who already know how to read. Each of them can become a potential virus carrier, so it’s good to have them bring new people to read. To do this, you need to create all the conditions: to ensure the availability of a large number of different interesting books and to make it so that it can be collected.

The result will be strange: the geeks will really start to get together, really will read together, change books ... and at the same time will attract very few new people. An average of, say, 500 new people can go through one club per month. Approximately the same amount can go through the store in a day - so simply opening your book store somewhere in the business district will work on developing reading in the country like 30 clubs. That is, 3 stores completely cover all the benefits of clubs throughout the country. Strange, but it works that way.

Information portal - the obvious solution number 2

It’s a good idea to try to create a place on the net where you can change opinions about books, their outputs, content, and so on. In general, introduce a social element. Considering that our audience cannot read, this will be a site for video reviews and podcasts, plus any talk shows - in general, an analogue of comments in real time. A good idea? Definitely good! Will work? Not.

The fact is that those who already know how to read really appreciate high-quality literature. The problem is that if you plant a person who has just mastered the primer, for the classics or for something like “Hyperion,” he will conquer and decide that reading is the most sad and meaningless adventure in his life. Although, of course, the classics are immortal, and serious science fiction is a true work of art. But before the person understands this, he will need to pass the threshold of entry.

Our resource with reviews will make it difficult to pass this threshold: it is necessary to appear something simple and fascinating, as reading lovers will immediately mix a new book with ... well, you understand what it is. Because it is unworthy to be called a classic.

Here, by the way, there is an analogy with the release of the first netbooks: remember, as long as they did not begin to turn the market, few people thought that a low-power piece of hardware was capable of being sold? It was the same with tablets - why do we need this incomplete low-powered piece, if there is a normal computer? It is clear that with the growing popularity of iron, the tone of the reviews has changed.

Advertising in the media - the obvious solution number 3

I remind you that we have 20 books on the market that are more or less popular. Let's advertise them in comics-magazines, on television and radio! Great plan, right?

No, because the conversion from material covering 10,000 people will be only 5-6 purchases. And that's why:

• Advertising in large media is good if there is a walking distance from the product. For example, having advertised yogurt on TV, you can be sure that tomorrow people will meet him in their favorite grocery. Specifically - in general, every grocery, which thousands on the city. Books in the grocery are not sold, and for them you need to go somewhere. To make such advertising work, you need a distribution network.
• New product is very difficult to promote. Everyone knows why a laptop is needed, but if you start offering a segway, you will immediately have difficulty.

Obviously, you need to advertise in thematic media. Where there is a need for a product (for example, where mothers develop children). Or where the core of the audience lives, for example, IT specialists (they all can already read).

Reading parties

The first non-obvious solution. We must begin by increasing the reading coverage. As we remember, books are cool things, and any contact with them causes only positive. This means that there should be as many contacts as possible. We will go to all major events and organize “reading huts”, publish reports on youth sites, invite people to these things, sell books at rare fairs and so on. The main thing - we will cover every day new people. Surprisingly, after each such event, when we do not even sell books on the spot, book sales soar. And we know that each sale is a few additional ones, because a new book at someone’s home is a signal to all friends that the thing is worth it.

Release of popular products

We need to expand the range from 20 books to several hundred and thousands. It is clear that we must start with something extremely simple, capable of attracting people. The mechanics are obvious: a person will read something light and entertaining, and only then will he be able to move on to something complicated. We publish both simple things like "Carlson", "12 chairs" and all sorts of popular militants (suitable for a new audience), as well as a simple classic of the type of stories about Sherlock Holmes Conan Doyle (by the way, pay attention - they were written for Old English magazines, that is, they initially had a format of easy involvement and holding attention until the next magazine).

Popular products work. Every 10 sales of simple books lead to 3 complex sales. After 2-3 years, real book geeks will appear on the market, starting with these simple editions.

Advertising new books

Obviously, the advertising of books was not done as it should, since there were so few of them on the market before us. Most likely, the publishers could not reach the audience, and the sellers did the wrong thing. Here we are promoting new books for each specific segment. And the introduction of culture should begin with a direct demonstration of specific products. We are not trying to advertise reading, but simply say to a person: look, here is a book. She is for you. This is not as cool as the previous methods, but it gives new sales.

Forming a culture “the book is a gift”

This is a multiplier that increases the market 10 times. If we teach people to give books and make it a tradition, we will immediately increase our influence on the market. Everything is simple, we always prokidyvat associations about the fact that if you give something - the book just fits.

Formation of the fashion for the book

Reading should be fashionable. We use fashionable images, stars, we try to go to all places of interest to the audience, gradually bringing to the consciousness that successful positive people read books. You read - you're cool. Read well, it's awesome for your company. With knowledge from the book, you'll be the star of the party. Stories from books will help you to communicate with the opposite sex.

Works? Yes, but you can only evaluate the result in perspective. Let's say we understand this in 2 years, when the books will be in many large restaurants.

Alliances with publishers from Europe

Obviously, our country without reading is an excellent market for European publishers, which has not yet opened. However, they know that after 3-5 years of work profits will be crazy. And we are ready to translate our books now and participate in their advertising in every possible way. It pays back costs and develops the market. Having a well-established distribution through you and well-established promotion channels, they will be able to break the bank and continue to consistently make a profit. They need our work, and we need their books and assistance in promotion. Perfect symbiosis.

Comic Ads

If a person reads comics, he will soon be able to read books. It is enough just to talk to him about it more often - and then one day he will go and buy his first book. Find all related products and try cross-promo. Surprisingly, it works best where people are looking for something unusual. Designer products become our best friends.

Paper books are cool

Let us touch the universal values ​​of communication, harmony and love. The most important thing for us now in the era of the web is to show that there is nothing more important than live communication. And books help to meet. Book clubs give new acquaintances. And in general, it’s so nice to hold in your hands something real, not virtual!

Popularization through otvyaznye video

Let me remind you that at the stage of the market formation we have video reviews of books. Their problem is that they were originally conceived by active readers for active readers. No new person will ever be able to watch them to the end - boredom will be incredible (and at the same time - useful information for those who have already read 50-100 books). Therefore, for people of the initial level, we form a different approach: we are not talking about the book itself, but about the mood it gives. It will be very unexpected, and the geeks will take the idea with bayonets - but it will give a serious plus to the market.

Ahhh, save my brain, what is it all about?

Most likely you understood everything: this is about the stereotypes of the development of a new market on a clear reading example. We did the same for board games: clubs almost do not work, advertising does not work in print, information portraits do little, reviews should describe the mood of the game, and not its own, the main thing is the maximum contacts on the games (5-10 events per city ​​a week), the publication of hits here, the transition to a simple assortment to enter, the creation of a bundle of "game - gift", games in cafes and restaurants, working with segments of the core and so on.

We started with one store in a small market, where there were 3 main players. The market has been up to us for several years and did not think to develop and grow. Now, over 4 years, the market has grown a couple of dozen times, it has ceased to be a lot of geeks and has become really massive. And the great thing is that right now we are moving from the stage of popular simple games to geek games: a large layer of people are already emerging who are ready to appreciate the fancy games. And we are developing along with the market.

So, what I am all about: maybe you will encounter a new market while working on your project. Perhaps you are already on it. Try to look at it in the abstract and form a work strategy not in “catching up and overtaking a competitor,” but in running ahead of the herd and setting standards for the market. The main thing - try everything and evaluate the effectiveness. And think a little more than local sales, as the coffee merchants once thought of selling children's chocolate with the taste of this drink to Japan. Because then there were no sales, and after a few years a generation grew up that loved coffee.

Good luck in your market.