Discover

The discover phase of the project was focused on research and working with the client to decide on a set of deliverables that would be most beneficial for communicating the “new and improved” Lantana to customers .

THE OBJECTIVES • Do an analysis of Lantana’s current website and social media channels • Gain an understanding of who Lantana’s customers are • Carry out customer segmentation and create user personas • Learn about current trends in publishing and conduct a competitive analysis • Explore possible approaches to the brief • Work with the client to finalize a set of deliverables

A LOOK AT MARKETING IN THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY To gain an overall understanding of marketing in the publishing industry, I read “How Contemporary Publishers Reach out to Their Customers” by Kim Maya Sutton . Sutton explains how the publishing industry is moving from traditional business to business (B2B) marketing to business to consumer (B2C) marketing . The move to B2C marketing has benefits such as greater price transparency, improved availability, lower marketing costs, and a larger marketplace (Sutton, 13-14) . For this reason, a B2C marketing approach with the incorporation of e-marketing is most beneficial for my client .

My client agreed that marketing efforts should be aimed toward consumers . However, many of the marketing materials aimed toward consumers, such as the Lantana website, would also be used as a reference for B2B customers .

WHO ARE THE COMPETITORS? Through speaking with Katrina, the Chief of Communications, I learned that Lantana has three types of competitors: 1 . Online shops such as Amazon and the Book Depository 2 . Large publishers who are moving into diverse representation 3 . Other independent publishers — however, Lantana tends to work with these publishers rather than against them

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS - THE BOOK DEPOSITORY

The homepage of the Book Depository, an online book shop

Strengths

Wide range of languages and worldwide shipping allow for global customer base Owned by Amazon, a company with ample resources Convenience Strong social media presence with an emphasis on author read alongs

Weaknesses

No content marketing on the website (articles, blog, podcasts etc .) Feels like a big company, which may drive away consumers who are looking to be socially responsible Impersonal brand Owned by Amazon, a company that has faced controversy

The Book Depository Instagram page, a verified account with over 133,000 followers

Free worldwide shipping is an incentive for customers all across the globe — not just a particular region

Fast and easy checkout process

The unique “watch people shop” feature allows shoppers to see what others in their region are purchasing

The Book Depository places an emphasis on sales and bargain shopping which suggests that their customer base is comprised of bookworms on a budget

Very large inventory for a wide variety of interests and age groups

Emphasis on quickly and conveniently selling books

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS - PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE

Penguin UK has a large social media following . On Instagram, they create engaging content with the use of highlights where they “prescribe” books in the clinic and post weekly quizzes . They use YouTube to create fun and engaging videos featuring authors and celebrities . They also post frequently on Twitter and Facebook .

The homepage of Penguin Random House UK

The homepage of Penguin Random House UK Compared to the Book Depository, the Penguin UK website has a cleaner layout with ample white space and consistent graphic styles and typography .

Strengths

World’s leading trade publisher Engages customers through creative content creation Sells online and through retailers Publishes fiction, non fiction, childrens’ books, e-books, and audio books, so there is a penguin book for everyone Global company Works with well known authors Brand recognition Content is consistent and engaging across platforms Weaknesses

Does not sell individual books directly from their website, making the purchasing process long and inconvenient because the user is taken to a third-party website The website includes statements about commitment to sustainability and inclusion, but these commitments seem like an afterthought and not at the core of the company

Placement of “features” on the navigation suggests that the Penguin Random House website focuses on engaging customers through content rather than selling books

Much of the homepage is taken up by content marketing . Penguin creates engaging content rather than explicitly trying to sell books through bargains and quick buy options . Readers must scroll considerably past features, news, and blogs before reaching books and other content

Customers cannot buy individual books directly from the Penguin website . Instead, they are given the option of being taken to a third party website to purchase the book .

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS - BOOK ISLAND

The homepage of Book Island, an independent publisher

Book Island uses their social media presence to promote their books . All publishers use social media for this purpose, but Book Island seems to lose their own identity in the process .

They capitalize on their beautiful illustrations by selling prints

It is unusual to see “about us” as the first navigation item . This placement indicates that the publisher wants readers to learn about Book Island and their mission . Perhaps the mission could have been integrated in the home page if it is of importance .

Picture books take up the entire homepage, suggesting that the main purpose of the site is to drive sales . If the main purpose is to drive sales, then a quick buy option could be useful for users who would like to make a quick and convenient purchase .

The dark green and grey colors do not reflect the brand as a childrens’ book publisher with a mission to inspire and build bridges across cultures

Pages are easily accessible through the main navigation and the footer menu Weaknesses

Strengths

Clear navigation and layout Books are easy to find and filter through Engages users who are teachers with an teacher’s notes page Prints are an easy way to use existing resources to generate additional revenue Social media feels personal/like a small community

The mission/values of the company are easily overlooked Branding does not reflect the company Social media is inconsistent The navigation items may not be put in order of importance

SWOT ANALYSIS - LANTANA

Lantana’s current homepage Eight items in the navigation bar is excessive . Reorganization of the navigation would allow for an improved experience .

The logo and color scheme do not reflect a fun and innovative childrens’ book publisher .

The placement of books as the first thing users see after the hero reflects Lantana’s desire to generate sales

Mission is stated on homepage . This is a good starting point, but the mission can be further incorporated into the site

The use of a decorative typeface with a slab-serif as body text is visually overwhelming . It does not fit the clean look that Katrina mentioned as the desired look for the Lantana website

Strengths

The maket for Lantana’s books is apparent Diversity and inclusion are trending topics Shopify website makes updates and analytics easy Lantana’s products are unique and excellently made Well managed social media accounts Small company size means less red tape when implementing changes Move to e-books Content marketing Partnerships Creation of books that fall under the umbrella of inclusion — not just diversity Expanded age ranges Weaknesses

Branding is not reflective of a childrens’ book publisher All pillars (environmental sustainability, inclusion & diversity, and social equality) are not communicated through the website Potential partners cannot easily find Current shopify theme is restricting

Opportunities

information on the website Threats

Other publishers making the move to more inclusive and diverse books world-wide pandemic

While Lantana does not have a large social media following, their voice is consistent and they make efforts to engage their audience through a weekly book club . They make good use of hashtags and keep up with current events like national share a story month .

Lantana has begun communicating their commitment to environmental sustainability, one of their three pillars, through social media channels .

MARKET SEGMENTATION - A LOOK AT USER ANALYTICS To gain an understanding of Lantana’s customer base, I spoke to Alice and Katrina about who their customers are . I also looked at Google analytics, Shopify analytics, and Instagram analytics . I used this information to create several user personas that would guide graphic communication .

Google Analytics

Google Analytics were run from Feb 1 to Feb 29 . Lantana has site visitors from all over the world, but most are concentrated in the UK and the US .

Lantana’s conversion rates are relatively low . By designing for a clearly defined user group, ecommerce conversion rates may improve .

About 40% of Lantana’s users find the website through an organic search . For this reason, it is important for Lantana to consider search engine optimization . The use of alt-tags, regularly updating content, linking to relevant websites, and the use of keywords can positively impact ranking .

Google Analytics lists the interests of visitors to the website . Lantana’s users are largely interested in media, books, lifestyle, green living, health, fitness, shopping, and cooking . These interests align with my client’s description of their average user being a socially conscious middle class female in the UK or US .

Shopify Analytics

Instagram Analytics

Shopify analytics were run from February 1 to February 29 . These analytics revealed that most users use a desktop to look at the Lantana website . Less use a mobile device or a tablet, but the number is significant enough to make responsive design a priority for the website .

The top locations for Lantana’s followers are London (10% of followers) and New York City (2% of followers) . Alice confirmed that most of Lantana’s buyers are from urban areas .

The demographics of Lantana’s Instagram followers are similar to that of their site visitors . However, they have slightly more followers from the US than in the UK . The diverse population and increading awareness of minority issues makes the US a promising market for Lantana .

74% of Lantana’s Instagram followers are between the ages of 25 and 44 . This means that a majority of followers are millennials . This is a group of adults who are socially conscious, value experiences, and may be parents of young children .

Lantana’s followers are overwhelmingly female . This information, combined with the other demographics, helped me to understanding Lantana’s average customer .

MARKET SEGMENTATION - WHO ARE LANTANA’S CUSTOMERS? After looking at the analytics and speaking to Alice and Katrina, it was clear that Lantana’s market is well defined based on age, gender, location, and interests . Here is a look at what the “average” Lantana cutomer is like: • Female between the ages of 25 and 44 • Possibly a mother or knows someone with young children • Interested in books, movies, media, and lifestyle • Socially conscious • Likely white and middle class • Has a formal education • Lives in an urban or suburban area • Did not vote for Brexit or Trump • Lives in the UK or the US While this information is useful to gain a general understanding of the average user, this does not mean that other users should be excluded . It is also important to consider authors seeking more information, potential partners, and diverse audiences . Only considering the needs of the average user would contradict Lantana’s core mission, so I’ve created user personas that reflect a spectrum of possible users .

USER PERSONAS - A QUICK LOOK There is a total of six personas . Three are potential customers and the other three might like to work with Lantana . The full persona profiles can be found in Appendix A .

Sara Patel - Consumer

Oliver Williams - Consumer

Tech savvy 39 year old mother of two who is looking for inclusive books to read to her children at night Ambitious 29 year old teacher living in New York City looking for books to use in his diverse classroom

Lauren Crawford - Consumer

Jade Cox - Author

Lantana’s “average” customer — Socially and environmentally conscious 45 year old professional in Brighton on the lookout for books to gift to her neices

Lisa Kim - Editor 26 year old editor who decided that working at a large publishing house where she is restricted creatively is not the environment that she wants to be in

32 year old self-published children’s book author who is passionate about social issues and is skeptical about working with large corporate publishers

Samantha Flynn - Partner Founder of a non-profit organization that promotes education surrounding mental health

PROPOSED APPROACHES My second meeting with Alice took place on February 19, 2020 . At this meeting, I proposed three different approaches to the brief .

Approach #1 - All digital focus

Revamp of the website through changes in structure (site map), content, and design (typography, hierarchy, and color) Reinforce brand and brand values through social media Creating a brand for Lantana Creative* Reinforce the three pillars (diversity & inclusion, social responsibility, and environmental sustainability) on online platforms

Additional possibilities include a digital holiday campaign, an infographic series, a campaign for teachers, and content marketing

Approach #2 - Some digital focus

Increase sharability of the brand through unique packaging Highlight and spread the word about being an environmentally responsible company through sustainable packaging Focus specifically on teachers/educators who have the power of word of mouth

Additional possibilities include thank you cards from the author or illustrator, surprise signed copies of book orders, and influencer unboxing

Approach #3 - Least digital focus

Materials for events such as fairs (London Book Fair) and school visits Planning interactive elements for events (crafts using characters from Lantana’s books) Selling direct to consumer at events to increase loyalty and brand memorability

Additional possibilities include take away materials for community events and an informative sign up page on the website

*Lantana Creative was the idea of a venture that focused on partnerships. It would have been a branch of Lantana that required separate branding. The idea of Lantana Creative was later discarded.

FINAL LIST OF DELIVERABLES After discussing the three approaches with the client, we decided on a final list of deliverables . Alice chose to follow approach #1 with some adjustments . A mostly digital approach was chosen becuase it would require the least amount of resources . During the restructuring, it is also more beneficial to consider the more basic components of business such as communication through branding and the website rather than details such as packaging design . The final list of deliverables includes: • Website - design and information architecture with the incorporation of partnerships pages • Logo - updated Lantana logo (scrap “publishing” from it, make it more child friendly, and keep the metaphor of the Lantana flower) • Infographic series (To be posted on social media and the blog to reflect Lantana’s values in an engaging and visually interesting way) • Compliment card - to be included in packages