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Publishing Strategy Toolkit 

If you're charged with maximising the success of a publishing list or market segment and want to compete effectively, this introduction to competitive strategic thinking is for you. Designed for print and digital publishers, the course aims to give you the confidence to develop your products and lists so that they are positioned as well as they can be within the market.

The course is built around applying business-school models and theories to real-world examples, both successful and unsuccessful. These models will help you to structure your thinking and give you new ideas and approaches to how, what, and when, to publish. The three-session course contains a stimulating combination of presentations, practical exercises, discussion and delegate interaction, so that you understand these concepts and can see how they might apply to your role and sector.

By the end of the course, you'll understand how these new ways of thinking can be applied to your own strategic questions, and you’ll have the answers and tools to make your list a commercial success.

Who is it for?

Anyone responsible for publishing strategy within educational, academic, professional or trade publishing. This includes but is not limited to:

  • commissioning editors
  • managing directors
  • publishers
  • publishing directors
  • publishing managers.

What will you achieve?

On completing this course you’ll be able to:

  • clearly define your overarching goals and those of the organisation in which you work
  • analyse the opportunities and competitive environment in your market
  • identify the important strengths of your organisation
  • generate strategic options and choose the most successful
  • communicate your plans concisely and effectively.

Programme

Day 1: An introduction to strategic thinking and SWOT analysis

  • Strategic context and objectives
  • The strategy process
  • Internal analysis and resource-based strategy
  • External analysis and market-based strategy

Day 2: Deciding where to play and generating strategic options

  • Customer segment analysis
  • Evaluating emergent markets
  • Ansoff’s matrix
  • Porter’s generic strategies
  • Customer value disciplines

Day 3: Evaluating options and deciding how to win

  • Marketing warfare
  • Rumelt’s Sources of Power
  • Differential advantage analysis
  • Prioritising and action-planning
  • The essentials of a good strategy plan

Next session

11, 13 & 15 May 2026

Price

£720 + VAT

A number of discounts are available

Course format

  • Virtual classroom
  • 9.00am to 12.30pm 
  • 6 x 2¼-hour sessions including breaks, comprising 3 long half-day sessions on 3 days within 1 week.

Date information for future sessions

May 2026

  • Dates: 11, 13 & 15 May 2026
  • Times: Each session will run from 9.00am to 12.30pm

November 2026

  • Dates: 12, 14 & 16 October 2026
  • Times: Each session will run from 9.00am to 12.30pm

What you will need

To join the course, you will need access to a computer or laptop with a camera and microphone. You will need to activate a free Zoom account to join the course. This takes two minutes and does not require any payment. It is purely for administrative purposes.

Enrol on this course

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