| dc.description.abstract | The rapid adoption of the World Wide Web (Web) as a commercial medium has caused firms to
experiment with innovative ways of doing business. The firms that effectively market themselves
and their products on the Web have a distinct advantage. The aim of this study is to investigate
the effects of Online Marketing Communication (OMC) on book sales among publishers and
distributors operating in Nairobi City, Kenya. It is informed by the realization that although
many publishers in Kenya are marketing their books online, the majority have not fully benefited
from this online presence in terms of increased sales. The specific objectives of the study are to:
(i) establish the characteristics of the book buyers targeted for OMC by publishers and book
distributors in Kenya, (ii) examine the OMC strategies and tools adopted by Kenyan publishers
and book distributors to market and sell their books online, (iii) establish the book selling trends
among publishers and book distributors in Kenya, and (iv) identify the challenges faced by
Kenyan book publishers in OMC. This is a survey research involving the marketing managers of
indigenous publishing companies and their local online distributors' marketing representatives
based in Nairobi City. Data was collected from 101 respondents using questionnaires, personal
interviews and documentary sources. The data was analyzed using SPSS Version 12.0.
The study found that although publishers have corporate Web sites, only 36% are marketing their
books whereas 20% are selling their books online. Publishers are still uncertain of the impact of
OMC on book trade in Kenya despite many of them having adopted the innovation. The study
found that publishers marketing books online mostly target youthful buyers. Publishers mostly
use their Web sites to market books to non-Kenyans living outside Kenya and Kenyans living in
the Diasporas. The study also found that motivational books sold online most. It was also
established that people from the middle class income bracket bought more online. Usenet
newsgroups were found to be the most preferred channel through which publishers are marketing
their books online. The study also found that most publishers buying books online locally
preferred to pay by M-pesa and Zap while those buying from outside Kenya preferred to pay by
Western Money Union Transfer. Respondents cited lack of respect for intellectual property laws
as the biggest challenge to online book trade in Kenya.
Based on these findings, the study recommends that publishers should find new business models,
develop new technologies and agree to some common standards to IP protection and digital
rights management. This will help to address the challenge of lack of respect for intellectual property laws. The study also recommends that publishers come up with an online marketing and
selling strategy to help identify better ways of marketing and selling books online. Publishers
should move fast to digitize their books and avail them in formats that allow easy transfer online
as e-books. The study has also recommended that publishers use more youth friendly resources
like social networks to reach wider audiences. In addition, publishers should aim to cross list
their books on as many Web sites as possible to expose their books to wider audiences.
Webmasters should be trained to understand their online visitors better and design Web sites that
will not only encourage visitors to return but also transform them from online visitors to online
buyers.
Regarding the theories of this study, the findings agree with the theory of diffusion of innovation
since OMC was found to be diffusing rapidly. The study found that publishers are adopting
OMC because they find the innovation both useful and easy to use. This agrees with the other
theory - technology Acceptance Model - which asserts that users accept a technology if they
find it both useful and easy to use.
Future research should focus on the application of OMC to other fields other than publishing, for
instance, agriculture, banking, etc. Future research should also focus on how government
agencies can adopt OMC to procuring books, for instance, for primary education without
compromising standards. | en |
