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Nielsen studies consumers in 47 European markets, and across more than 100 countries around the world, to give the most complete view of buying trends and media habits.


MARKETING STRATEGY OF THE YEAR ALEXIA THOMAIDIS & ZOE COXON


THE SHORTLIST


Naomi Berwin HACHETTE CHILDRENS GROUP


Niriksha Bharadia & Jess Kim FABER


Jodie Lancet- Grant, Jess Duffy, Andy Joannou & Alex Ellis PAN MACMILLAN


Heather McDaid & Laura Jones 404INK


Hayley McMullan, Richard Vlietstra & Sam Habib SIMON & SCHUSTER


Sarah Shea & Abbie Salter HARPERCOLLINS


P


enguin General ’s marketing duo of Alexia Thomaidis and Zoe Coxon win this award for their superb work on Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson.


Published amid the restrictions of lockdown,


PICTURED CALEB AZUMAH NELSON LEFT AT A BOOKSHOP TALK WITH AUTHOR NIKESH SHUKLA


the début novel could have sunk without trace, but the marketing strategy helped to position the author as a major new talent and spark important conversations about race and masculinity. It began with a cover reveal and word-of-mouth on social media, then moved through the gears with proofs and retail initiatives targeting inde- pendent bookshops in particular. As publication neared, Instagram Live events, partnerships with influential online platforms, a textbook digital advertising campaign and a video trailer all built the buzz and generated substantial pre-orders. Judges said: “Introducing the world to a new


author is never easy—even one as proactive as this, and especially in the middle of a pandemic…


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This marketing created something out of nothing.“ They also respected the way the Penguin team anticipated the need to improve their cultural confidence before trying to engage young Black males, and worked with inclusion consultancy The Unmistakables. “They admitted they might have had biases, and did something about it… it shows how they did whatever they could to do the best by this book.”


HIGHLY COMMENDED in this category is Tom Noble of Orion’s Seven Dials imprint, for his work on And It Was Beautiful, Phil Hay’s book about Leeds United and its former manager Marcelo Bielsa. The campaign drove interest far beyond Leeds and reached non-traditional book buyers on a very modest budget. “The marketing strategy delivered phenomenally well for this book… to get the numbers it did for a relatively niche sports title was hugely impressive,” said the judges.


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