Kiwa Iyobe is a Trend Analyst & Brand Strategy Consultant at SUITE 2046, LLC

How much does packaging matter for books?

The old adage of “never judge a book by its cover” is becoming totally irrelevant. As the Kindle and other e-reading technology goes mass (yes, it is inevitable), what you’ll see is a polarization of the book-reading experience. Just as mp3’s killed the CD but oddly enough revived records and mixtape nostalgia, books will split into two camps: the cheap digital format to satisfy our need for disposable convenience, and the increasingly rarefied format of ink and paper to satisfy our need for beautiful objects and “authentic” experiences. The aesthetics of the physical book are increasingly important because it’s becoming fetishized. Like have you seen the hardback Penguins designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith? Just gorgeous.

Research shows that women represent about 70% of the book buying market. Why do you think that is and how can publishers target men more effectively?

One of the most obvious reasons is simply that women are more socially communicative, so they do things like join book clubs, and tell other friends about what they’re reading. I think this is changing somewhat due to online social networking. Not many men will join a book club, but what they might do is add an app like iRead or Visual Bookshelf on Facebook and passively (and selectively) communicate to their friends what they’re reading.

I’ve also noticed that a lot of men are very interested in the Kindle and e-Readers. Not just because it’s a gadget but because the convenience and privacy of it is very appealing. I think the fact that you can be reading it anywhere without a flashy cover displaying what it is you’re reading is actually a big advantage for guys who tend to be more shy about sharing their lit predilections in public. I mean, you don’t necessarily want everyone to see you’re reading a self-help book or a lesbian vampire novel! I’m Japanese and it’s interesting to me why more people don’t cover their books here, because in Japan any book you buy at the bookstore is covered for free at the register. I know it sounds like a marketing disaster, given that you’re covering up free advertising, but I feel like there’s something to that. Reading is a very personal activity for most of us.

Someone once said “hiring a consultant is like paying someone to tell you what time it is- with your watch. Only after the project is finished, they walk away with the watch.” Should publishers enlist the services of firms like McKinsey / BCG to hone their strategy?

There are so many consultancies out there with different approaches to problem-solving, it’s hard to say without getting more specific. In general, if you’re talking about fixing the way publishers run their business from an operational perspective, I would think that the services of a management consulting firm could be beneficial. The number of books returned to be pulped is outrageously wasteful and the astronomical advances for certain authors have proven to be unsustainable in light of falling sales. And while I recognize that everyone is tightening their belts now, the extended run of freedom that publishing people had with their corporate Amex was completely out of touch with the realities of running a profitable enterprise—remnants of a glamour-industry approach that was long obsolete! I don’t think you needed to be a management consultant to see that something was rotten, but really taking a scalpel to it oftentimes requires external intervention because it can be so painful. And to your point about walking away with the watch, I definitely think that consulting fees need to come way down for the relationship to make sense.

Can you point to any one marketing campaign for a book that particularly stood out as being excellent?

To be honest, I really can’t think of a single book marketing campaign that has really stuck with me.

What can publishers do to make books “cool” to a younger generation? 

Assist the Obama administration in its efforts to improve education. You can’t brush your teeth if you don’t have running water.

-Julia