BIBLES: Looking beyond the market's core consumer

BY Chip Brown, senior vice president and publisher for Thomas Nelson and Zondervan, Bibles, curriculum and popular reference, HarperCollins Christian Publishing

In the January 2012 issue of Christian Retailing, I wrote about “Consumer Centricity,” “Digital Shift & Technology Leverage” and “ Decentralization and Informality.” At Thomas Nelson and Zondervan, we continue to deliver products and programs aligned with those trends, but in 2013 are adding the focus of the shifting demographics in the church, with the goal of increasing traffic and purchasing in our CBA partners’ stores to help them grow their consumer base.

We are mindful that the "core consumer" demographic we all cherish in CBA is shrinking, and we want to help our CBA retail partners successfully acquire and cultivate the next generations, which are growing in size and spending power. Although many in these next generations have left the church, they are interested in spiritual matters, and research shows that even non-Christians are purchasing Bibles. They are especially drawn to Bibles that don't necessarily look and feel like Bibles. So, while we continue to develop a full portfolio of outstanding traditional text and "notes" Bibles in traditional and innovative bindings, we are also further investing in groundbreaking new titles such as the Quickview Bible (the New International Version with hundreds of high-quality info-graphics).

Both generation X and the millennial generation grew up in a multimedia world where information was given in smaller "chunks," often with highly visual content, which they now easily share via social media. At times they want their Bibles and other products like this, and everything we have brought to market like this has done very well. The Book of Revelation is our first of many graphic-novel Bibles and sold in its first month as many copies as we'd hope to see sold in its entire first year. Other titles like this are The Story and The Story: Going Deeper and the forthcoming 2013 titles Ignite Bible for teens (July) and NIV Live (the first celebrity-cast-dramatized audio, April).

Some “gen X” consumers want to be led to understanding and unlock the eternal truths rather than merely doing in their life whatever a Bible's notes system says. The Archaeological Study Bible and Jewish Contextual Bible (September) take this approach.

“Millennials” have the highest number of volunteer hours per person of any other cohort. They are passionate about making an impact on the world. Where the Gen Xers accept and adapt to their situations, Millennials want to change it for the better and be a part of a movement. What’s Your Mark (March) delivers on this desire by looking at the “mark makers” in the book of Mark, and contemporary “mark makers” in the world today, showcasing Jesus Christ as the ultimate mark maker in conquering death to give each of us an opportunity at everlasting life. The book challenges the reader to consider the mark they can make in their everyday lives and is already shaping up to be a huge campaign several months before it pubs. Millennials also want to be a part of the product development and promotion, which we’ve done with the new Mom’s Devotional Bible by hosting an online devotion contest that has created an “ownership” of the title by thousands of young mothers who will be looking for this title in CBA stores this March.

At Thomas Nelson and Zondervan, we are seeing all consumer demographics desiring to engage the Bible and Bible content in new formats, and we are focused on developing Bible engagement products for all ages and stages, in the formats they want. We believe products and programs should be designed so current CBA shoppers can easily find products for themselves, but also for their “next generations” friends and family members. We are very interested in partnering with our CBA partners in 2013 to explore physical (print) and digital product bundling to deliver the most people possible into CBA stores to find the resources they need to engage the Bible and lead biblical lives.

Zondervan's six 2012 Retailers Choice Awards included a win in the Bibles: Children's category for NIV Youth Quest Study Bible.

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