Perspectives

Associations face a critical challenge when outsourcing publishing to commercial publishers – the loss of control over valuable data. While publishers provide aggregate statistics, they restrict access to detailed data about subscriptions, audience behavior, and marketing performance. This article makes the case for data sovereignty – associations securing unrestricted rights to access and use their data, even when working with external partners such as commercial publishers. Establishing data sovereignty is not just a matter of principle – it has profound practical and commercial implications. Access to journal data is especially valuable – its high discoverability, its structured nature, and the significant daily traffic – make it one of the most valuable assets an association has.

This article makes the case for applying systems thinking to submission and peer review systems (SPRSs) in journals publishing. It argues that the evolving landscape of publishing necessitates a new way of thinking about these fundamental systems. The piece encourages publishers to reconsider their approach to SPRSs, suggesting that systems thinking could revolutionize this critical part of the publishing workflow.

A thorough Request for Information (RFI) and Request for Proposal (RFP) process is crucial for selecting the best Marketing Technology (MarTech) tools. A well-executed RFI process enables organizations to make informed decisions, saving time and resources. Well-constructed RFIs ensure the best technology is selected and integrates seamlessly with the organization's current marketing technology stack as well as their envisioned future marketing technology capabilities. RFIs facilitate cross-functional alignment, marketing adoption, and business case realization, making them valuable investments.

In this interview, C&E's Colleen Scollans talks to change management expert Charlotte Talmage of Uuna about how scholarly publishers and societies can more effectively manage change.

In a podcast episode of Reboot IT, Dave Coriale, President of Delcor, enlists the help of C&E’s Colleen Scollans to explore customer data platforms (CDPs), why CDPs are gaining traction in the 501c community, and whether (and why) one might be in your future. It is 44 minutes of distilled wisdom (perfect for your next dog walk) – well worth the time of anyone working at a professional association or academic society in any capacity.

C&E’s Colleen Scollans spoke at the inaugural event of Marketing Maestros, an ALPSP Special Interest Group for senior marketing professionals. She discussed how scholarly publishers are incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into various aspects of their businesses – and how marketers in particular are using AI to stay ahead in the ever-evolving marketing landscape.

Campaign planning is essential to creating marketing efficiency and impact. A campaign planning model allows organizations to effectively prioritize, optimize, and evaluate marketing campaigns. It helps publishers, associations, and education service providers reduce marketing fragmentation and build cross-functional alignment around marketing priorities and resource and technology needs.

C&E Practice Lead Colleen Scollans spoke on a panel at Silverchair's 2023 Platform Strategies on how open access has shifted publishers to B2C data-driven marketing with a focus on the author and author experience. This requires new technologies and new ways of working – along with new skills and strategies. Here are our key takeaways from the session.

An audience-centric mindset is table-stakes to growing revenues and competing in the OA world. A data-driven audience strategy serves not only an organization’s current customers, but also the broader global audience that engages with its products, content, and brand. In this article, we explore what it takes for publishers and associations to build an effective audience strategy.

C&E Practice Lead Colleen Scollans is interviewed in an article by BlueConic, a Customer Data Platform. In the article, she shares her perspectives on how scholarly and professional publishers and associations today are shifting to a broader audience mindset, and the importance of first party data in this transformation. Colleen also offers her views on how a disciplined and iterative approach to marketing technology selection and adoption is essential – with business goals, use cases, and talent aligned to tech capabilities.