Jennifer Rowley is not a newcomer to library and information science. Although she is linked with the Management Department at the Edge Hill College of Higher Education (UK), she has already published several books in library and information science including some on information retrieval, on abstracting and on indexing.
Her latest book is a refreshing look at information marketing. Within ten chapters and 192 pages the author explains the basics of marketing as applied to information services of all kinds.
The first two chapters form a good introduction to what marketing is and how the information product fits into the marketplace. Rowley defines the most important concepts very clearly and explains how they can be integrated into every information context, including non‐profit libraries.
The third chapter focuses on customers and the author explains clearly how they form the basis of good marketing management. Her discussion of organisational and consumer markets is especially interesting. She makes a very good distinction between the two, thus reinforcing the usefulness of marketing in any context, whether it is for public or for profit. Also interesting is the section on customer behaviour and segmentation (Figure 3.9 about Factors influencing the consumer buying process is excellent). However, nothing is said in this chapter about the concept of information need, which would have been appropriate in a book about information marketing.
In the following chapter the author addresses the question of customer relationships. This chapter contains an appendix with three case studies, which could be helpful for marketing educators, although one would have liked to find here some questions or indications as to how to use those cases.
The author then turns in Chapter five to information products. She describes the dynamics of information as a product in a very efficient manner, for example in explaining how information as a product demands a new approach to marketing.
Chapter six deals with branding and corporate identity. This is a topic which is not well covered in other books on information marketing and it is therefore one of the most interesting chapters of the book. Her discussion of branding as “a platform for establishing and extending relationships with customer groups” is worthy of note.
However, Chapter seven could have been developed further although it provides good definitions of the most important concepts. It deals with the important aspect of communications but does not cover it thoroughly enough. More detail would have been welcomed here, as well as more examples and illustrations. Although marketing should not be confused with communications, which is unfortunately too often the case, librarians and other information specialists still lack visibility: therefore, promotion, public relations and all the questions of image remain very important issues which should be addressed with a lot of detail and illustrations in this type of text.
Then there is a good chapter on price and pricing policy which covers this topic in a very classical manner (theory of supply and demand, pricing strategies, etc.).
Chapter nine deals with the important question of marketing research. We usually find this chapter earlier in marketing books but in putting it at the end here the author is making an appropriate link with the following chapter on marketing strategy and planning. There is indeed no good strategic planning without good market research.
There is no conclusion to wrap up the volume but overall we can say that this is a very good book on information marketing with a lot of pertinent figures. The publication will be useful to all information specialists in any context. Considering that information marketing is certainly going to become one of the hottest topics over the next years, we recommend it without any hesitation.
