Harcourt are one of the most successful educational publishing houses the world over, with operations in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Southern Africa and South East Asia, and employing 900 people around the world. Their most successful brands are Heinemann, Ginn and Rigby.
Working within a marketplace which is hugely influenced by government policy presents a distinctive risk factor for the business, namely that the direction and flavour of such policy can change overnight, with expectation that publishing material will reflect this.
Being first to market has always been an effective strategy for Harcourt, however, the business was keen to more effectively assess longer term opportunities to identify potential opportunities more quickly than the competition.
The Consulting Division at Nunwood were approached to assess the level of opportunity presented by several new markets. Several studies were conducted to look at the viability of new markets in terms of the brands, offering and R&D capabilities of the business.
A series of key recommendations were made and market entry strategy planning initiated. During this period the Nunwood team worked in close conjunction with a senior management team to ensure that the most effective use was made of all market information, informing quality decision making.
