Go-To Source For Book Industry To Be Published Quarterly

New York, NY - Global marketing research firm Ipsos-Insight today announced a number of improvements to its Ipsos BookTrends^SM syndicated service, including improved data delivery, expanded reporting capabilities, and beginning in 2005 increased reporting frequency. For more than 20 years, Ipsos BookTrends has been the book publishing industry's go-to source for strategic insights. By understanding consumer purchase dynamics, demographics, tastes, and preferences over time, book publishers have been able to optimize their editorial decision-making and create highly successful and consumer-driven marketing programs. "It's all about listening to the consumer and creating the most appropriate mix of titles based upon longitudinal shifts in their demographic composition and purchase preferences," said Barrie Rappaport, Chief Analyst of Ipsos BookTrends. "Then, drilling deeper into the purchase dynamics behind the observed trends in order to optimize in-store sales. Put most simply, it's having the right genre, right title, and right marketing program in place when readers walk through the door of their preferred book purchasing outlet." "2004 was a transitional year for the long-running BookTrends service," Rappaport continued. "Top book publishers and retailers have shifted their focus by placing the book purchasing consumer front-and-center when making publishing decisions. As part of this process, publishers came to us with specific enhancements they would like to see to the service, many of which were integrated into the new system." Improvements include:

• Combining Adult Trade and Juvenile Books into one database
• Accelerated data delivery from bi-annual to quarterly
• Key strategic measures readily available by genre, publisher, and outlet. Examples include:
  • Customer reach
  • Purchase frequency
  • Transaction size (total dollar spending at checkout)
  • Books purchased per shopping trip
  • Dollars spent per buying household (which relates to customer value)
  • Simplified cross-genre purchase behavior analysis
• Share of wallet analyses
• Improved category classifications, description, and detail
• Segmentation analysis capabilities based on demographics and/or purchase behavior

In addition to providing book publishers with improved data delivery and expanded reporting capabilities, a primary benefit of the new Ipsos BookTrends service is cost savings due to combining two databases that previously were purchased separately. "Rather then double the price of the new single database offering, we decided to pass on the cost-savings of our efficiencies to our customers--which has been very well received by the publishing community," said Ms. Rappaport. "If preferred, either database may still be purchased separately." For more detailed information, go to: www.ipsos-insight.com/consumer/publications/books/ Methodology Ipsos BookTrends has been tracking the book industry across all channels and providing consumer purchase information for more than 20 years. Reports are compiled from information gathered from a panel of 16,000 nationally representative households who maintain daily purchase diaries for Ipsos. Ipsos BookTrends is available on an ongoing subscription basis or accessed through custom analyses, ad-hoc, as well as through our occasional syndicated reports.

For more information, please contact: Barrie Rappaport

Chief Analyst Ipsos BookTrends 312.665.0541 Ipsos-Insight's Behavioral Tracking Division Ipsos-Insight's Behavioral Tracking Division is comprised of syndicated and proprietary tracking services that analyze longitudinal consumer purchase behavior, which provide the unique advantage of marrying consumers' behaviors and attitudes and monitoring how each change over time. In addition to Ipsos BookTrends, other syndicated longitudinal tracking programs include PharmTrends, DietTrends, and the Ipsos/AFE Consumer Tracking Study of floriculture products. The Behavioral Tracking business also custom designs, operates, and analyzes proprietary tracking programs for clients who require special populations or analytic designs. Ipsos-Insight Ipsos-Insight, the flagship marketing research division of Ipsos in the U.S., has industry specialists serving companies in the following industries: consumer products; technology and communications; health and pharmaceutical; financial services; cable, media and entertainment; agrifood; energy and utilities; and lottery and gaming. Ipsos-Insight provides custom and tracking research services to domestic clients, as well as U.S.-based multinationals. It offers concept and product testing, package testing, attitude and usage studies, omnibuses, tracking systems, brand equity, price optimization and segmentation, marketing models, advanced analytics, and global research. Ipsos-Insight is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group. To learn more, please visit www.ipsos-insight.com. Ipsos Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and reactions of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world. Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe. Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting and modeling and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2003, Ipsos generated global revenues of $644.2 million U.S. Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.