Creating Value in an Age of Disruption

In the run up to the Oxfordshire Publishing Group’s Annual conference on ‘Creating Value in an Age of Disruption’, here are some thoughts about recent changes to publishing models.

The Internet has transformed the way the industry handles its relationship with consumers. Over the next decade, consumers will have unprecedented access to vast amounts of user-generated information and knowledge.

Here are some of the issues which are likely to be discussed at the conference:

Paying for content

Readers have more choices than ever before. The greatest challenge today isn’t how to create great books, or even how to get them into readers hands; in an age when there is something to read in every corner of the web, the question is how to develop content that people will actually pay for.

This also changes the nature of ownership. If readers perceive that content is ephemeral – to be read and then deleted, then the challenge is how to create value and develop plans which encourage people to pay for what they are reading.

Importance of brand

As books, games and movies are now available from the same point-of-sale, notably Amazon, but also via the app store and elsewhere – what will be the importance of brands? Eric Huang is passionate about this and believes that publishers build amazing brands but then let the industries who follow on after make all the money. He will question why publishers are weak at exploiting their brands, and looking at examples that work.

What about booksellers?

According to recent Nielsen BookScan figures, print sales of adult fiction have declined by over £150m since 2009, and this can largely be attributed to the migration to digital. Booksellers have been experimenting with selling non-book products too, which help draw people in, and also have bigger margins. James Daunt, Managing Director, Waterstones will be talking about ‘The Value of Booksellers in a Changing World’ and explaining how publishers can work better with booksellers to sell their products.

Find out more about this topic at The Oxford Publishing Group Summer Conference on June 23rd 2015. Tickets are on sale now.

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