In this essay, strategies will be compared literary publishers are using to promote a book to bring it into book-charts with and without the use of a celebrity or influencers. What kind of role does the author play in the promotion of the book? How do celebrity authors change the game? Comparisons will be made about which effect the use of a famous person has on the development of sales, how marketing strategies are adapted and what kind of new possibilities are created. Also, the effect bestseller lists have on the sale of books and by which criteria big bestseller creators chose the books, presented in their lists will be analysed.
For this comparison, the book “Becoming” by Michelle Obama will be used as an example and the marketing campaign her team used to promote the book will be reviewed. Michelle Obama’s book is used for this essay because of the incredible successful campaign and the fact, that the book reached all kind of bestseller lists in several countries. Also, Obama is one of the biggest personalities on the globe and appreciated by a lot of people. For that comparison, an introduction to her as a person and the influence she has on citizens in the United States and other countries are going to be reviewed.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Celebrities as a Marketing Tool
3. Michelle Obama as a Person in the Public Eye
4. Marketing Strategies
5. Bestseller Lists and their Influence
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This essay explores the mechanisms behind successful book marketing, specifically examining how publishers leverage the influence of celebrities to achieve bestseller status, using Michelle Obama's memoir "Becoming" as a primary case study.
- The role of celebrities and influencers in modern book promotion
- Strategic branding of authors as a core marketing element
- The impact and influence of bestseller lists on consumer behavior and sales
- Methods for analyzing target audiences and consumer segments
- Cross-media promotional strategies used for high-profile releases
Excerpt from the book
2. Celebrities as a Marketing Tool
Celebrities are involved in all different kinds of businesses like the popstar Madonna, who has founded her own record company as well, or Cindy Crawford, who is selling cosmetics and jewellery as part of her own company. (2003, Moeran, p. 10). The involvement of celebrities varies in design, production and marketing of their branded products. The involvement in things like marketing is more visible to consumers than the involvement in aspects like design and production as costumers do not research those things. An involvement in other areas, regarding to this, is not necessary for the visibility of the celebrity. Often more experienced people are taking over those process aspects to improve the product and to create the best version out of it. In the case of Mono-Branding, celebrity products only carry the name of the personality. Celebrities have the power to bring personality to a product that lacks the latter and can be a tool to improve consumers attitudes, even if it is just by their name and their appearance on advertising. Risks in celebrity connected marketing are still a big factor to think of, due to their human nature, they might appear in a negative context in the media and transfer that negativity to the product that they are advertising for. Because of that, celebrity co-branding can be more difficult than more traditional co-brandings (2012, Keel & Nataraajan, p. 695). People still want to know more about celebrities and their lives, which can be seen on the book market of the United Kingdom. According to a research by Nielson Book, sales of memoirs have surged by 42% in the UK in 2019. (2019, Walker citied, Nielson Book Research 2019) Whether celebrities stick to their profession or switch into other businesses, they are important intermediaries between the sphere of culture to economy and from the economy to the culture (2003, Morean, p.4).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction outlines the comparison of various publishing marketing strategies and introduces "Becoming" by Michelle Obama as the focal case study for the research.
2. Celebrities as a Marketing Tool: This chapter analyzes the role of celebrities in business and how their personal brand influences product visibility and consumer perception.
3. Michelle Obama as a Person in the Public Eye: This section details Michelle Obama's massive public influence, her social media reach, and her status as a role model and political figure.
4. Marketing Strategies: This chapter examines the specific campaign strategies utilized for "Becoming," including target audience segmentation and cross-media promotion.
5. Bestseller Lists and their Influence: This chapter discusses the role of bestseller lists as market indicators and their direct impact on both sales figures and public interest.
6. Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes the effectiveness of celebrity-led marketing and highlights the necessity for publishers to adapt to increasingly competitive book markets.
Keywords
Book Marketing, Michelle Obama, Bestseller, Celebrity Branding, Influencer Marketing, Memoir, Publishing Industry, Consumer Segmentation, Brand Personality, Cross-Media Campaign, Sales Strategies, Public Relations, Media Attention, Becoming, Book Trade
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines how book publishers utilize celebrity influence to boost book sales and achieve bestseller status, specifically focusing on the marketing campaign of Michelle Obama's "Becoming".
What are the primary themes discussed?
Key themes include celebrity-driven marketing, the strategic branding of authors, the impact of bestseller lists, and the role of modern media in the book industry.
What is the primary objective of this study?
The objective is to identify and evaluate the specific marketing strategies that transformed "Becoming" into an international bestseller by analyzing its promotional campaign.
Which scientific methods are applied?
The author uses a qualitative case study approach, analyzing marketing literature, media reports, and sales performance data related to the book "Becoming".
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body covers the theoretical framework of celebrity marketing, a profile of Michelle Obama as a brand, specific promotion tactics used for her book, and the influence of bestseller lists.
Which keywords define this work?
The work is defined by terms such as book marketing, celebrity branding, influencer marketing, bestseller lists, and consumer segmentation.
How does the author define the "name economy" in publishing?
The "name economy" refers to the concept where an author's fame and public image become a central asset in the promotion of a book, often overshadowing the content itself.
Why was the book "Becoming" selected as the case study?
It was selected due to its incredibly successful global marketing campaign and its ability to consistently reach the top of various international bestseller lists.
What role does social media play in the promotion described?
Social media is highlighted as a critical tool for maintaining constant audience engagement, updating fans, and driving public discourse around a new book release.
What risks does the author associate with celebrity marketing?
The author notes that associating a product with a celebrity carries the risk that negative media coverage of that person can negatively impact the product's image.
- Quote paper
- Nino Matinjanin (Author), 2020, Strategies of publisher houses to create bestsellers out of books including celebrities. The marketing campaign for “Becoming” by Michelle Obama, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1158496
