Press Release: Macmillan's St. Martin's Press First to Partner with Swagbucks to Launch Online Reading Discovery Platform
St. Martin's Press has partnered with Swagbucks (www.swagbucks.com), the web's most rewarding content discovery community, for a new digital literature channel called READ. Featuring major titles from popular authors including Mary Kay Andrews, Iris Johansen, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Louise Penny, Rainbow Rowell and Chevy Stevens among others, each month new titles will be showcased to Swagbucks members complete with excerpts, book trailers, bonus preview content and more, including newsletters, social media integration and on-demand purchases.
The READ discovery experience varies by title, enabling readers to interact and engage with media associated with each title. This enables the Swagbucks member to learn more about the book and ultimately make a decision to purchase it. The platform captures Swagbucks' engaged audience of more than 10 million members-of whom nearly 50% are self-billed "avid readers"-providing St. Martin's with a turnkey vehicle for readership growth.
A new customer acquisition model for the publishing industry, READ connects authors with potential readers using rich data on genre preferences, favorite subjects, news content and other behavioral trends to match individual titles to the most relevant prospective readers. Providing a deeper, engaging multimedia experience for customers to preview literature, the program seeks to drive increased sales and improved e-Book distribution for the St. Martin's Press catalogue in 2014 and beyond.
"We constantly seek innovative ideas and platforms to reach and delight consumers on behalf of our authors," said Jeff Dodes, EVP Marketing & Digital Strategy for St. Martin's Press. "Swagbucks has provided us a turnkey, first-of-its-kind book marketing vehicle to do just that for many of our upcoming titles. We have already seen success on the platform and believe it will grow even further with this larger initiative we are partnering on together."
READ rewards will be awarded in Swag Bucks, the same rewards points Swagbucks.com members already enjoy for shopping, searching, watching videos, playing games and discovering new content across the web. Swagbucks members have redeemed more than $60 million in retail gift cards and Paypal cash since 2008.
"The READ channel brings a new and exciting product to our members, including a fast-growing group of our Facebook subscribers comprising the Swagbucks Book Club," said Drake Sutton-Shearer, VP of Brand Solutions & Strategy for Swagbucks. "Leveraging communities of interest around authors, genres, subjects and other content will draw in more Swagbucks members to discover new titles and ultimately drive engagement and sales for our publisher partners."
Program execution partners include Engager Digital (influencer engagement and solutions), Swagbucks and St.Martin's Press. Swagbucks rewards for the new digital literature program can be found at www.swagbucks.com/read.
About Macmillan
Macmillan is a global publisher of books, magazines, textbooks, scientific information, and digital content and services. In the U.S., the group includes Farrar, Straus & Giroux; Henry Holt; St. Martin's Press; Tor Books; Picador; Macmillan Audio; Bedford St. Martin's; W.H. Freeman; Worth Publishers; i-clicker; Hayden-McNeil; Palgrave Macmillan; Macmillan Children's Publishing Group; and Scientific American Magazine. Macmillan is a subsidiary of Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck, GMbH, a global media company based in Stuttgart, Germany.
About Swagbucks
Swagbucks.com is the web's leading rewards discovery community and top provider of free gift card awards for everyday digital life, helping consumers expand their budgets. Headquartered in El Segundo, California under Prodege, LLC, Swagbucks is the original digital rewards currency for online activity including shopping, search, games, entertainment, surveys, discounts and more.
About Engager Digital
Engager Digital is a Los Angeles-based interactive agency representing media partners and technology solutions with a focus on influencer marketing, online video and shopper engagement. Learn more at www.engagerdigital.com.
- Companies:
- Palgrave Macmillan
- St. Martin's Press
- Places:
- El Segundo, California