CASE STUDY
Helping Kogan Page unlock specialist business book content
When leading publisher Kogan Page wanted to branch out from traditional publishing to offer specialist content in a new way, we provided a platform that combined ecommerce and learning management, allowing their customers to buy and explore high-quality content in one fully-branded space.
Challenge
Kogan Page – one of the longest-standing independent publishers in the industry – has built its success on two key principles: working with expert authors to provide the best content and identifying how to make it accessible to readers.
While books remain very much their primary business, they were keen to add a new dimension by unlocking content through online courses, allowing key audiences to access their expertise more flexibly.
Kogan Page wanted an ed tech partner that could transform its business skills content into engaging online courses and provide a platform that allowed users buy these simply and seamlessly.
Key points
Bespoke content creation
Learning management
Ecommerce
Fully branded portal
End-to-end service
Solution
Can Studios’ skill in developing innovative learning platforms, alongside its award-winning in-house learning designers and software developers, was just the combination Kogan Page needed.
We developed a learning management system with in-built ecommerce functions. This we avoided the need to integrate a separate shop front with a course platform, making the project smoother and more cost-effective.
Selling courses via this platform means Kogan Page customers can:
buy instantly with a credit card
access content on any device – with no need to install anything
receive a CPD certificate to evidence learning, because each course has inbuilt activities and knowledge-check questions.
Kogan Page can also easily offer companies bulk discounts and allow the purchaser (such as a training coordinator) to assign courses to their teams.
Our instructional designers worked from the original books to create an engaging elearning experience based on sound pedagogy. The courses were built using Adapt from Can Studios to ensure a fully-responsive experience across desktop and mobile devices.
From first meeting to fully operational platform, the whole project was handled by Can Studios – ensuring seamless progress through each phase.
“Although elearning was a new venture for us – we had a clear vision of what we wanted to achieve commercially and as a publishing concept. We needed a partner who would realise this concept and could guide us through the technological process from start to finish.”
Alison Middle
Marketing Director, Kogan Page
Result
Creating Success – the bestselling business skills collection, which covers topics from people management and leadership to business writing and presentation skills – was launched in online course format during summer 2018.
It’s allowed Kogan Page to consolidate a strong growth phase by optimising its content and bringing it to the attention of a completely different customer, as part of their ongoing commitment to develop expert content that supports professional development.
With sales and learning management in one place, Kogan Page has been able to easily access data to drive development of its digital offer as they branch out to offer their specialist professional content in a new way.
“Books are still very much our primary business, but unlocking our content through online courses adds a new dimension to our products, allowing key audiences to access the expertise with more flexibility”
Alison Middle
Marketing Director, Kogan Page