A Market Analysis of UK Educational Publishing

Alaster Douglas, Rachel Quarrell, and Erma Mustapha

Oxford Brookes University: MA/PgDip in Publishing - module P1, 2002.

“When asked how much educated men were superior to those uneducated, Aristotle answered, “As much as are the living to the dead”. Diogenes Laertius, 2nd century.

“Education: Being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don’t. It’s knowing where to go to find out what you need to know, and it’s knowing how to use the information once you get it.” William Feather.

“Education.

Education.

Education!”

Tony Blair, MP, 1997.

What we’re going to tell you

• Background and major players

• English Language Teaching (ELT) and the export trade for educational books

• Main issues: SWOT analysis

• Conclusions

Background

• Pearson, Reed Elsevier, OUP, CUP, Wolter Kluwer, Macmillan, & NewsCorp and WH Smith

• Marketing and trade fairs

ELT market

95%

5%

UK market

90%

10%

ELT and export trade

• English language advantage• Geographically stable with some exceptions• Cultural shifts• ELT a strong market for some companies• Competition from US exports

Strengths

• English language a competitive asset

• Education’s inherent value => markets less affected by fashions/taste

• Good reputation & strong brands

Weaknesses

• UK school book spending down

• Fractured market

• Books must be sold at low prices

Opportunities

• Large government investment into education

• Online resources

• Exam board contracts

Threats

• Habitual low book spend by teachers

• Anti-competitive online market

• Closeness between publishers and examination boards

• ELT competition from USA etc.

Conclusions

• Online arena: proceed with caution• Book spending per child below some LDC’s!• Monitor exam board relationships • ELT market increasingly competitive• Politically sensitive market

• => No new Educn. Publishers? http://www.quarrell.demon.co.uk/pub/