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Portfolio
You can browse our portfolio in the way that suits you best: by keyword in the tag cloud or by scrolling down the page to see all our projects.
management Projects
Project: The UNESCO City of Literature
Client: Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia
Brief: Impact Study | Strategic Plan
Background: A broad-based community group in Vancouver is working to secure a UNESCO City of Literature designation for Vancouver (a formal recognition akin to a World Heritage Site designation). We were engaged to conduct an impact study and to work with the group to develop the goals, scope of activity, and operating structure associated with the designation. After concluding the study, we were retained to prepare the formal application dossier for UNESCO.
Project: External Review: Event Magazine
Client: Event Magazine
Brief: Management | Strategy
Background: In a bid to improve its operating effectiveness and long-term viability, Event magazine commissioned this external review of its operations, editorial position, and strategic direction. The review process consisted of an extensive discovery process, two facilitated workshops with the magazine’s staff and advisory board, and one-on-one interviews with staff and members of the advisory board. Findings provided the magazine with a strategic framework for further planning and served as a catalyst for greater engagement with the advisory board and other key stakeholder groups.
Project: Business Plan: Geist Magazine
Client: Geist Magazine
Brief: Management | Strategy
Background: Undertaken over a two-year period of planning and pilot implementation, this project resulted in a comprehensive business plan for Geist, Canada’s most widely circulated literary magazine. It included strategies for expanded fundraising and advertising sales as well as newsstand and subscription sales. We worked closely with the magazine to develop and test many of the ideas in the business plan, and later presented strategies from the plan at a national conference for magazine publishers.
Project: Magazine Economics and Management 101
Client: Magazines Canada
Brief: Management Training
Background: Magazines Canada is a national association of magazine publishers. The association produces a series of resources for publishers, including Magazine Economics and Management 101. We contributed a chapter on management that explores the functions of management, key organizational strategies, and the nature of leadership in organizations.
Project: PExOD Business Plan
Client: Simon Fraser University
Brief: Strategy | Marketing
Background: PExOD is a web-based bibliographic database software tool developed as an industry service by the Canadian Centre for Studies in Publishing (CCSP) at Simon Fraser University. It is designed to allow small and medium-sized publishers to record, access and exchange bibliographic data (i.e., descriptive and trading information about the books they publish) with their business partners according to the international ONIX data standard. We worked with the PExOD team to develop key positioning, operational, and financial strategies for the national launch of this specialized software application.
Project: Theytus Books Business Plan
Client: Theytus Books
Brief: Strategy | Marketing
Background: Founded in 1980, Theytus Books is the leading First Nations-owned and operated publishing house in Canada. Theytus engaged us to conduct an assessment of the house’s operations and practices; identify opportunities for improvement; and recommend ways the firm could increase its effectiveness in the near term—by building revenues and improving practices to optimize staff time and other key resources. The strategic plan that resulted addressed a number of key areas within the firm, including branding, operations, sales strategy and management, and online marketing.