Verlagshaus Gera Nova Bruckmann - Success through data-driven personas
The publishing house Gera Nova Bruckmann relies on data-driven personas to understand its target groups even more precisely and develop innovative content. By working with the Persona Institute, the publishing house was able to increase its reach and significantly improve reader loyalty. Here's how it works: a case study.
Initial situation: Expand own market research to include potential readership
GeraNova Bruckmann Verlagshaus develops special interest media for people who pursue their passion with enthusiasm. Information & knowledge, inspiration & entertainment are the standards under which the program is developed. With around 40 magazines & specials, around 600 book novelties per year, around 5,000 available books and over 1,400 eBooks, 22 apps and high-reach websites and social media channels, it is one of the leading special interest publishers in Germany and has positioned itself strongly in the analog sector. The established magazine titles are firmly anchored in the print world and enjoy a large, loyal readership. At the same time, the most important magazine titles have also become digital mainstays and reach a broad audience.
However, the publishing house is not resting on its laurels. The implementation of data-driven target group analyses is playing an increasingly essential role for the GeraNova Bruckmann publishing house in order to counter the ongoing digitalization and the associated market changes and developments in reading habits as well as the rapidly growing diversity of reader interests among its customers.
The company wants to further deepen its understanding of its customers, respond to current developments and the needs of its readership and develop personalized marketing and product strategies on this basis. This new focus should also enable the publishing house to address not only existing but also potential readers in an even more targeted and needs-oriented manner.
Challenge: Identifying the needs of potential readers
The publishing house has an in-house market research department. This department conducts regular surveys and market research to determine the satisfaction, areas of interest, socio-demographic characteristics, etc. of readers and subscribers. The department systematically uses the insights gained in this way to identify new trends as well as the needs and behaviors of target group profiles. The data obtained flows directly into the ongoing optimization of print and digital products.
However, it was not enough for GeraNova Bruckmann to base the development of products and marketing strategies primarily on knowledge of the current readership. Rather, the aim was to intensify the understanding of potential future readers and, building on this, not only to further develop the existing offerings but also to create innovative content and formats that specifically appeal to new target groups.
The main challenge was to reach these potential readers, who had not yet had any contact with the publisher's products, on the basis of data and to incorporate the findings into product development.
Solution: data-driven personas
To overcome this challenge, the publishing house Gera Nova Bruckmann decided to work with the Persona Institute, a specialist in data-driven persona development. The aim was to develop detailed and representative personas in a multi-stage data analysis that would map both existing readers and potential new target groups.
The publishing house's internal market research data served as the basis. Building on this target group information, the Persona Institute compiled a comprehensive database that included additional socio-demographic information as well as insights into interests, consumer behavior and media use.
As part of the multi-stage data analysis, the Persona Institute analyzed, validated and expanded these internal findings of the publishing house with detailed, statistically robust market data analyses from various data sources. This analysis resulted in multidimensional, data-driven prototypical reader profiles for each of the publishing house's magazine groups.
Operational recommendations for action were derived from the findings, which helped the publishing house to implement targeted marketing measures and product optimizations.
Implementation steps:
- Publisher's internal market research and analysis:
The publisher's market research department conducted structured surveys to gain precise knowledge of the reader market and relevant insights and to compile and analyze these existing data sets. - Data-based survey:
Building on the existing target group insights, the Persona Institute conducted further comprehensive market research analyses and combined socio-demographic characteristics, topic interests and digital behavioral data to create well-founded and meaningful personas. Both existing readers and potential new target groups were taken into account. - Development of personas:
Detailed data-driven persona profiles were developed for each magazine group in the publishing house, reflecting the key characteristics, needs and interests of the target groups. This enabled the publishing house to gain a comprehensive understanding of the various target groups. - Optimization of content:
The data-driven personas were not only used to display content, but also to further develop the content of the magazines. Thanks to the precise personas, the editorial team was able to tailor topics and formats even more precisely to the interests and needs of the various target groups.
Results: Higher reach, more reader-centered content, innovation
The introduction of data-driven personas has had a significant impact at the Gera Nova Bruckmann publishing house:
- Increasing reach:
The tailored approach to new target groups leads to an increase in reach, both in the analog and digital areas. - Targeted content development and improved reader loyalty:
The targeted optimization of content can increase reader satisfaction and further strengthen the loyalty of target groups. Editorial teams are able to tailor content even more precisely to the needs of specific target groups. - Innovative product development:
The in-depth understanding of the needs of existing and future readers enables the publishing house to develop a diversified product range and cross-media formats that appeal to new reader groups.
The data-driven personas tool is part of GeraNova Bruckmann's ongoing development process. The market research team plans to review the personas at regular intervals and, where necessary, to supplement them with new data in order to obtain an up-to-date picture of its own readership in both the short and long term.
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