Integrated Marketing and Communication Plan in the self-publishing industry: a theoretical framework applied to a business case

Abstract

The publishing market is dynamically changing, and web channels are increasingly gaining importance in the global publishing industry, not only for the power they have in delivering tailored messages, but also as selling means, enclosing in this way different categories that range from communication platforms to retailers. The power of online tools relies on the possibility of reaching large audiences and that is the reason why they are increasingly being exploited from companies in order to try to acquire and retain a larger number of consumers. With the rising number of electronic books, publications and online releases, digital marketing is acquiring relevance in the publishing industry. This paper aims to display the strategies and tools that were implemented to develop a consistent online Integrated Marketing and Communication plan that mainly involved the use of different online (but also offline) supportive communication and distribution channels in the publishing industry in order to build a brand with the final aim of promoting a book. The book’s name is Office of Cards – A practical guide to success and happiness in large organizations (and life), written by Booking.com’s Head Of Analytics and Data Davide Cervellin, and it rises as a tool that provides useful tips and advices for corporate employees who struggle to achieve success in the workplace. The book helps ambitious and hard-working employees in bringing their career upwards. The rules and principles in it are also directed to young graduates that have recently started working (or are about to). Office of cards has the mission of encouraging learning and growth both professionally and personally, while maintaining a healthy and scalable work-life balance. Throughout the whole process a monitoring approach was applied accordingly with the goals set in the beginning that helped assessing the results reached, tracking the whole process, adjusting failures and iterating successes.