This document is an analysis of two companies marketing a textbook in Indonesia. Of the two companies, a review will weigh marketing practice differences and similarities. As for the market, a similar inquiry is pursued vis-à-vis the culture, society, and economy of Indonesia.
Introduction / Problem Statement
For the new reader, the proposed textbook is a basic business primer specifically targeting an audience of the applied arts. This is rather left-brain material, re-sculpted for a right-brain audience. This is not a summer beach read, and while the volume may make its way to a regular bookstore, there is no presumption this product lives beyond the classroom.
For the uninitiated, as regards textbooks in the classroom (at the college and university level), such items are presented directly to schools, as well as through desk copies furnished to professors as requested. In the case of for-profit schools (and other models wherein there are multiple campuses with one corporate headquarters), typically a team of subject matter faculty choose a text for all the satellites.
There are variations on this theme. Some schools publish their own literature. Some make a “collage” of aspects of others works, distilled to one book. For our purposes, these are exceptions.
In a multiplatform learning design, another moving part consistently found our focus (naturally) on a country other than our own. For the most part this author explored the implications of Indonesia, and its environs (Southeast Asia). On occasion, the focus was otherwise, further contextualizing the research of one culture and one part of the world against realities elsewhere (AIDs in India, the Swedish company IKEA, etc.) adding to the depth and breadth of an authentic and literal worldview.
As for Indonesia, relative to the time frame, the country and culture were rigorously explored. Most impacting government agencies (for marketing), both in and out of country, were uncovered. Most if not all ad agencies, art schools and publishers were collected (with the majority of these entries fleshed out, through research, in detail, as to its particulars). Between iconic websites such as Kwintessential and Executive Planet, interviews both domestically and in country (through Webcam) and the writers personal experience the flavor of the culture was further forwarded.
There was a consideration to re-sculpt the phrase "two companies" to mean two directions, marketing the textbook through an ad agency versus through a publisher. Already completed was primary research on the ad agency direction. However, the textbook in mind (should it ever come to fruition) would almost definitely make its way to market through the established channel of the publisher/school relationship.
While for the purposes of the textbook example all the work connecting to ad agencies was currently being shelved, that should not be seen as a minimization of the value of the research done or the learning experience culled from the time spent in that direction. Indeed, one fully anticipates that such research will become valuable reference in the future.
This left the primary research to accomplish discovering who the publishers were. A new database pursued the collection of publisher data. Upon the discovery of an alternate academic work (which established the academic publishers specifically) the database was soon finished (Kratoska, n.d.).
It was then determined that the two companies would be the company currently worked with (AVA) and “a blend” of the companies on the ground (see Appendix 01)(AVA Academia, 2010). As to the consideration of the latter, the “blend” may represent whichever among those five publishers would make best sense to establish a strategic alliance. Although some suppositions can be made even now, the scope of this work precludes being definitive on this matter. The larger issues are the marketing and cultural differences and similarities of the two companies. 
No comments:
Post a Comment