‘Astonishing’ success to benefit Scripture-distribution ministry

Crossway has announced that 1 million copies of the ESV Study Bible have been sold and distributed worldwide. This milestone takes on further significance as the company has provided more than $1.5 million from the study Bible proceeds to help underwrite Bible ministry distribution projects and the development of ESV Bible resources around the world—including support for the printing and distribution of more than 250,000 Chinese-English (ESV) Bibles in China.

“It is astonishing to see what the Lord is accomplishing with the ESV Bible in general, and with the ESV Study Bible in particular,” said Crossway President Lane Dennis. “In addition to the 1 million ESV Study Bible milestone, more than 90 million ESV Bibles have now been distributed and accessed worldwide in all formats, including print, web and digital.”

First published in 2008, the ESV Study Bible was the recipient of the Christian Book of the Year award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association and the WORLD Magazine Book of the Year award, both presented to Crossway in 2009.

The study Bible was created under the leadership of J.I. Packer, theological editor, and Wayne Grudem, general editor, along with a team of more than 90 evangelical scholars and teachers. It was also the first study Bible to be simultaneously published in print and digital formats, and Crossway includes free online access with the purchase of any print copy. 

The study Bible is now available in more than 30 print editions and formats, as well as in multiple digital editions, including the iOS mobile app, e-book formats and global online access.

Faith-based books found large audience, according to end-of-year figures from Nielsen BookScan

Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling (Thomas Nelson) dominated Christian-market charts for much of last year, but the New York Times best-seller has another claim to fame. It is one of the best-selling books of 2013 in sales overall. Two Howard Books’ titles by the Robertson clan of Duck Dynasty fame also appeared on the Nielsen BookScan list.

Jesus Calling ranked at No. 7 on the Nielsen BookScan Top 20 for 2013, while Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson and Si-Cology 1 by Si Robertson came in at No. 10 and No. 19, respectively.

On the Amazon Print Top 20 list for 2013, Jesus Calling came in at No. 5, ahead of Dan Brown’s Inferno. Gary Chapman’s perennial favorite, The 5 Love Languages (Northfield Publishing/Moody Publishers), also placed on this list at No. 17, while Rob Elliott’s Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids (Revell/Baker Publishing Group) rounded out the list at No. 20.

Although not published in the CBA market, other faith-based titles performed well. Killing Jesus by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard (Henry Holt) landed at No. 3 on BookScan and at No. 10 on Amazon Print, while Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander (Simon & Schuster) sits at No. 4 on BookScan and No. 11 on Amazon Print.

First Waterfall Press titles debut as company aims to publish ‘original Christian content with enduring appeal’

Amazon Publishing announced the launch in January of Waterfall Press, a new Christian fiction and nonfiction imprint.

Waterfall titles will be published by Brilliance Publishing, part of the Amazon.com group of companies, which offers readers self-help and personal growth books under the Grand Harbor Press imprint.

“Brilliance has over 12 years of experience serving the Christian market as audiobook publisher of some of the most successful Christian authors writing today,” said Mark Pereira, president and publisher of Brilliance Publishing. “We are excited to expand our offering to readers of faith-based material by publishing original Christian content with enduring appeal.”

Nonfiction titles from Waterfall Press (BrilliancePublishing.com/Waterfall) will aim to provide spiritual refreshment and inspiration to today’s Christian reader, while the imprint’s fiction will include stories in the romance, mystery and suspense genres.

Waterfall Press planned to make its debut with Mark Buchanan’s The Four Best Places to Live (February); Cherie Hill’s When You Need a Miracle (April); and Jay Hein’s The Quiet Revolution (June). Buchanan is a best-selling author, as is Hill, in the self-publishing market. Hein was director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in the administration of President George W. Bush.

Tammy Faxel, who brings 30 years of experience in the Christian publishing industry through prior posts at Tyndale House Publishers and Oasis Audio, will provide editorial oversight.

Mark Kuyper, president and CEO of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, reflected on the impact of the new imprint for Christian publishing.

“Amazon’s decision to launch a Christian imprint is not surprising given the expansion of their publishing program over the last few years,” Kuyper said. “Of course, this continues the bifurcation of our publishers’ relationships with them as a key retailer and a publishing competitor.”

Additionally, Waterfall will publish shorter content, including works by Bryan Wilkerson (Living Deep, March); Dan Meyer (Discovering God, April); and the editors of Christianity Today (Billy Graham; Leading With Love, April). Several of the books on the launch list—including The Four Best Places to Live and The Quiet Revolution, will be published in collaboration with Christianity Today.

Consumers engage with retailers’ Facebook pages more than they do with stores’ websites, according to a new study from Infosys, a global consulting, technology and outsourcing firm. Even more important for retailers’ bottom line is the fact that nine in 10 consumers say how much they spend is impacted by their social media engagement with a brand.

The Rethinking Retail study is a detailed report based on interviews with 1,000 consumers and 50 general market retailers across the U.S. In addition to the impact of social media on spending, the study reveals how retailers are struggling to create the kind of personalized experience online and in stores that drives increased sales.

The study also found that women are twice as likely as men to be influenced by Pinterest, while YouTube influences twice as many men as women. Foursquare, meanwhile, influenced only 2% of consumers, women or men.

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of consumers said that consistency across channels plays a role in their spending tendencies with a particular brand. High consistency across a brand’s channels means greater spending for 34% of consumers, while 39% say a lack of consistency results in a reduction of spending.

“Creating a consistent experience across all physical and digital touch-points has a direct impact on sales,” said Sandeep Dadlani, senior vice president and head (Americas) of retail, consumer packaged goods and logistics at Infosys. “However, with the dominance of social media, creating a consistent and personalized relationship with consumers is now much harder. Retailers and brands need to arm themselves with the technology that can ensure their fans and brand advocates receive the same personalized service across channels to increase sales.”

Although 59% of consumers who have experienced personalized offers believe it has a noticeable influence on their spending, many retailers’ offers are not hitting the mark. Nearly two-thirds of retailers (62%) reported that they featured personalized offers in store, but only 20% of consumers reported even noticing that sort of offer.

This may be due, in part, to some retailers’ focus on online channels versus in-store offers for product recommendations (39% online versus 10% in-store) and personalized promotions (48% versus 3%). A minority (45%) offer product recommendations or personalized offers online and in store. Getting those offers in front of patrons in store may be paramount, as the study shows consumers are three times more likely to impulse-buy in store than online.

Lack of technology was cited as the most common factor preventing retailers from creating a more integrated customer experience, with 38% claiming it as a key barrier. 

Nearly all (96%) of consumers expect retailers to do the obvious and inform them of the store’s new products, while only 34% of retailers can track consumer trends in real time, reducing their ability to roll out appropriate offers to drive sales.

Retailers agree pre-release sales of a variety of products engage early adopters and cultivate customer loyalty

Christian retail chains and marketing groups continue to entice customers with pre-buys for top product, seeing the promotions as positive ways to increase value and build sales.

“Engaging that early initiator with a great deal on their favorite book, CD or DVD has potential for some long-term payoffs,” Parable Group’s Marketing Specialist Randy Ross said. “The dollar is captured up front, securing the sale in the store as opposed to online or at a competitor. That early initiator will likely become an ‘evangelist’ for that product, telling their friends about how much they loved it and where to get it; and that customer will likely be back again for the next big release if they are treated well.”

Jimmy Wheeler, vice president of sales at Provident Music Group, is among those who see the worth of pre-buys to boost music sales, though books, Bibles and DVDs also benefit from pre-sales.

“The key is to add value, not necessarily drop price,” Wheeler said. “The hope is that a pre-sale is a traffic-driver for physical retail.”

Wheeler cited a promotion Provident did in anticipation of a new Casting Crowns release several years ago as an example of an effective pre-sale. The campaign was ministry-focused, donating all pre-sale proceeds to help children in Haiti and saw a significant return in terms of both charitable funds raised and units sold. 

Wheeler believes that pre-sales are most effective when retailers are able to focus on one campaign at a time, which rarely happens in today’s marketplace. While the number of pre-sales is declining and normally only reserved for the top echelon of Christian books, music and DVDs, he still believes they serve a purpose. 

“Pre-sales equal pre-promotion, which helps generate awareness,” Wheeler said. “Doing a pre-sale is just one more tool in the toolbox that helps us.”

Fair Trade Services Senior Vice President of Marketing and Promotions Dan Michaels says it’s the collaboration of all invested parties that makes pre-sales worthwhile, driving traffic to stores. 

“The label needs a compelling artist/product and to ensure that the single is working at radio; publicity and social media marketing are engaged; and resources are allotted for retail during the pre-sale timeframe,” Michaels said. “That has been harder to achieve in recent years.” 

Retailers, publishers and labels agree pre-sales are most successful when there’s synergy between all parties involved along the retail chain—each pulling their own weight in terms of promoting the pre-sale via social media, online and in catalogs.

This spring, Provident Distribution will offer a pre-sale to participating retailers aimed at fans of Fair Trade Services group MercyMe in support of new album Welcome to the New. 

“We anticipate that offering an ‘A’ artist with major national appeal and their hit single, ‘Shake,’ climbing the charts during the pre-sale period, will create an attractive value to both consumers and our retail partners,” Michaels said.

Family Christian’s Welcome to the New pre-buy shows a cut of about $6 off the suggested retail price, a substantial savings for price-conscious consumers.

Amanda Sloan, senior vice president of marketing for B&H Publishing Group, has seen books get a boost from pre-buys.

“At B&H, when we have a highly anticipated trade book that is expected to garner substantial early buzz through the media, or the author’s audience is eager for the message, we will sometimes utilize a pre-sale outreach strategy,” Sloan said. “The way to make this most effective is to enroll the retail partner(s) to ensure we are making a reader aware of this through all of our marketing channels.”

Jim Shears, inventory control specialist at the Bartlett, Tenn., Family Christian Stores location, said the success of his store’s pre-sales is mostly determined by the popularity of the author behind the book or the artist behind the music. 

“If it’s the latest Karen Kingsbury book, it’s going to pre-sale like crazy,” Shears told Christian Retailing. “As soon as [her fans] know it’s ready to come out, they’re all over it. It depends on what’s trending. It creates conversation.”

The LifeWay, Family Christian and Mardel chains all run pre-buy specials. LifeWay’s Jan. 28-Feb. 1 Music Mania promotion was extended to Feb. 4 (due to inclement weather) and featured music pre-buys of leading artists at either $7.99 or $9.99, cutting $2 or $4 off suggested retail. Occasionally the chain offers CDs for $5 with a $5-$10 gift card good for the customer’s next store visit, which essentially makes the new release free.

Some chains also now offer pre-buys with e-books. For example, LifeWay’s recent catalog advertises Grace Unplugged with a free Own It digital download.

Despite the additional work necessary for pre-sales at retail, Parable’s Ross said that “full-circle payoff is exponential if the pre-sale is executed with impeccable customer service and follow-up.”

Ross sees the value of pre-sales to Christian retailers across the board. 

“Pre-sales should be a regular part of the independent Christian retail experience,” he said.

Munce Group’s CPE tradeshow in Hershey, Pa., saw attendance grow considerably from last year’s levels, owing at least partially to a streamlined schedule. More than 200 attendees, including nearly 160 retailers, gathered Jan. 19-21 at the Hershey Lodge for a time of fellowship, training and business.

With the training sessions moved to Jan. 19, a Sunday, a greater number of retailers were able to attend the prospective retailer training with Robbie Halstead of Kingdom Retail Solutions, as well as Bookstore Manager, Vacation Bible School curriculum and Bible sessions.

The show floor opened Monday with an earlier start time of 10 a.m. and closed at 6 p.m. The doors reopened for 3 1/2  hours Tuesday. The updated hours allowed the same amount of buying time as last year’s show, but in a more profitable way with less time out of the store and office for retailers and suppliers.

Eddie Nostrand, sales director of Spirit & Truth Christian Jewelry Designs, found the show productive for his company.

“CPE Hershey was, as always, a blessing to participate in,” Nostrand said. “We as a company were excited to write many orders with both existing and current clients. We look forward to our next CPE show; the Munce crew is the best of the best at what they do, namely connecting stores and vendors together for long-lasting relationships!”

Workshops were held Monday, with the first including sessions on reaching homeschoolers; planning inventory; and stewardship (presented by Candace Tucker of CLC Bookcenter in Philadelphia). The second workshop focused on increasing in-store promotion sales, with sessions on Above the Treeline software tools and in-store and online promotions from Innovative that coordinate with Munce catalogs.

At the Monday evening banquet, Doug Anderson (Provident), solo artist and member of Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, shared stories and songs. Anderson’s “Drive to Retail” campaign was well-received by the stores, and retailers across the country benefitted by selling out of the premium autographed CD. Strong social media support and Anderson’s guest blogs on MTL magazine’s site gained a record number of “shares, likes, tweets, pins and posts,” said Kirk Blank, president of Munce Group and MTL Media. 

Blank commended Anderson and those behind the campaign.

“Hats off to StowTown records, Carol Roundtree, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, Provident Distribution and Doug Anderson for really putting the focus on independent Christian retailers,” he said. “Too often, this critical segment of retail goes overlooked. This promotion proved that the independent Christian stores associated with the Munce Group are willing and able to sell a large volume of products.”

In addition, best-selling author Davis Bunn (River North/Moody Publishers) explained his commitment to crafting a worthy story, while Jud Wilhite (FaithWords) commended Christian retailers for the work they do and shared how his faith grew because of the products found in an independent Christian store in Amarillo, Texas. A number of other authors, including Mindy Starns Clark and Dani Pettrey, visited with retailers at the Personality Party.

Retailers were full of praise for the three-day Hershey show. 

“CPE is a wonderfully inspirational ‘family reunion,’ learning from one another,” said Mary Margaret Bittle, owner of Morning Star: A Perfect Gift in Waynesboro, Pa. “[Retailers] can’t survive without the valuable information and update on what’s going on in the industry.”

Kathryn Stricklin from The LORD’s Store in Triadelphia, W.Va., also saw the value in attending CPE.

“My goals and concerns for 2014 were settled here at the show,” Stricklin said. “I’m going home with peace and satisfaction.”

Craig Hall from Davis College Christian Bookstore in Johnson City, N.Y., said he is “always encouraged to continue in the ministry after attending the show.” 

Other events included Night of Worship with Paul E. Miller (Crossway), who spoke on the impact that changes in culture, church communities and the nation have made to retail, and the demonstration of Harris III (Destiny Image), who presented a clear gospel message through illusions.

At Monday’s breakfast, Natalie Nikula of Compassion International introduced a new partnership with Munce Group stores, while Satish Kumar shared his testimony of growing up as a sponsored child. Deb and Mike Woodard of Bethany Book & Gift in Baxter, Minn., encouraged fellow retailers with the success of their recent partnership with the relief organization.

To conclude each evening, CPE attendees were the first in the nation to screen the upcoming theatrical releases Heaven Is for Real and Moms’ Night Out (both Provident Films/Provident Distribution).

Later this year, Munce plans to host the one-day CPE at AmericasMart Atlanta on July 9 and will return for three days to Murfreesboro, Tenn., Sept. 21-23.

Targeting, personalization contribute to increased revenues for the Christian retail marketing association

Parable Group’s print promotions paid off significantly in 2013, with its average customer response rate for print partner stores yielding nearly four times the national average of 4.25% as recorded in the Response Rate Report by The Direct Marketing Association. 

Parable mailed more than 2.3 million print promotions with an average response rate of 16.3%. The 2013 Christmas Catalog response rate was 20.1%.

“Responders generated an average of 1.5 receipts per promotion period and spent more per transaction than nonresponders—averaging $45.98 per promotion period in 2013,” said Jenni Smith, mailing and consumer specialist for Parable.

Furthermore, data revealed that top customers who received regular catalog mailings in 2013 spent $430 in their local store. 

Along with print promotion results, the San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based marketing group also reported success related to customer purchases and digital marketing strategies.

Customers of Parable Group stores purchased more than 250,000 items with unique SKUs in 2013. Top categories were books and Bibles, and the best-selling products were: Book—Jesus Calling (Thomas Nelson); Bible—The Story (Zondervan); Music—Burning Lights by Chris Tomlin (sixstepsrecords/Capitol Christian Distribution); Movie—Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas (Big Idea/Word Distribution); and Kid’s Book—The Beginner’s Bible (Zondervan).

In its digital marketing efforts, Parable sent 25.2 million emails to Christian consumers on behalf of franchise stores and various other Christian partners—a 10% increase in emails sent for partners compared to 2012. Targeting technologies contributed to email open rates as high as 28%.

“Targeting and personalization are becoming more and more of a must-have in the world of email marketing and yield higher open rates, greater click-through rates and generate more revenue,” said Randy Ross, marketing specialist for The Parable Group.

Parable served 51.1 million online display ad impressions to the Christian market in 2013 across thousands of web and mobile sites. Of these, 16.5 million were geo-targeted and served in local markets.

“We are constantly staying in tune with today’s emerging technology for online and mobile display advertising,” said Kyla Falkenhagen, Parable’s lead business analyst. “We’ve been helping advertisers of all sizes leverage online display advertising easily and effectively to reach, engage and convert customers in order to grow their business.”

Parable President Steve Potratz was pleased with the end-of-year results.

“We know the Christian customer, and we are honored to have leveraged our experience, unique customer data and technology to help retailers and clients market to them over 92 million times in 2013,” Potratz said.

Parable served 188 storefronts in various capacities in 2013.