Levy t h e r e b i r t h o f Copyright 2012 Bryan Fedner, Tyler Feinerman, Nicky Henderson, Vitaliy Kats, and Nir Levy of Emory Goizueta BBA “Ideation” Course by Joey Reiman of BrightHouse
R I D E A P RO C E S S w h y A Master Idea articulates the unifying theme that aligns a company’s ideals, values, goals and objectives. It distinguishes the organization’s purpose and helps guide it towards an inspirational and authentic brand. The Master Idea drives the organization in the direction of realizing its maximum potential. It both empowers and transforms individuals to revolutionize the world around them. “ ” w h a t h o w
P RO C E S S _ A master idea teaches _ A master idea is timeless _ A master idea is a battle cry _ A master idea is transformative _ A master idea articulates a possibility that inspires _ A master idea is derived from the ethos of a company _ A master idea is born not from data but from absolute conviction _ A master idea fulfills a desire fundamental to each and everyone of us I N V E S T I G AT I O N I L L U M I N AT I O N I N C U B AT I O N I L L U S T R AT I O N { g o a l s E T H O S M A S T E R I D E A & A C T
Visionary that started selling books from his home in Wheaton, Illinois. So motivated to spread knowledge, he sold books out of a wheelbarrow at the train station. As a true intellectual, he was inspired by his mentor, Wheaton College President, Jonathan Blanchard to promote education. Determined to reach more people, he moved to Chicago to sell textbooks, stationary, and school supplies too.
forms! Our founder payed special attention to Jonathan Blanchard, following him all the way to Wheaton. His noble act of sharing continues to evolve. We became society’s largest book shelf. People flock for our guidance, our collections, and the illumination we gift to society. Building character with characters, Barnes and Noble continues to make stories more and more available, to more and more people. Inspired by educators to educate others! It’s up to us to hand words from one generation to the next. It’s noble work to transfer and house knowledge. E T H O S E XC AVAT I O N C H A R L E S M . B A R N E S
the nation’s largest bookse!er, into one of the world’s fastest growing providers of digital content.” “Barnes & Noble has repositioned its business $om a store-based model to a multi- channel model centered in Internet and digital commerce”. “A true passion for book selling in all its forms.” “Customers te! us they prefer... our stores because of the outstanding service and navigation we provide”. C U R R E N T C U LT U R E
rather than executing on purpose? Fewer adults are buying books as gifts. eBook sales are not rising as rapidly as expected. Piracy and rapid cannibalization of paper backs reduce market size. Infrequent consumers are buying less.
1995 2000 2005 2010 $20 $30 $40 Should we spin NOOK into an independent company? Why are book sales falling so steeply? What is inhibiting further internal innovation? Are we positioned to benefit from market forces? Are NOOKS captivating consumers like we envisioned? Innovation or stagnation? What is the future of textbooks?
scratching bookkeeping symbols on clay 5,000 years ago. The written word is the fundamental record for human knowledge. 1440 - Germany, Johann Gutenberg invented movable type with cast metal characters and a wooden press. 1690 - America’s first paper is published in Boston. 1873 - Charles M. Barnes starts selling books in a wheelbarrow in Wheaton, Illinois. 1876 - Business expands to Chicago 1894 - Business is reorganized as C. M. Barnes Company 1894 - Founder’s son sells his interest in the firm and acquires a stake in Noble & Noble. Renamed Barnes & Noble. 1917 - Noble withdraws but the name sticks. 1929 - Flagship retail location opens on Fifth Avenue and 18th Street. 1932 - Founder’s grandson, John, dies and the company is sold to Amtel, Inc. 1969 - Leonard Riggio purchases Barnes & Noble. 1871 - Acquires B. Dalton Bookseller Chain 1986 - Acquired B. Dalton Bookseller Chain 1990 - Barnes and Noble superstore is introduced. Rapid retail expansion and growth. 1993 - Barnes and Noble goes Public 1997 - Barnesandnoble.com is launched 1998 - Beterlsmann AG acquires a 50 percent stake in barnesandnoble.com 1999 - BarnesandNoble.com files for IPO 2003 - Sterling Publishing Co. is purchased 2009 - NOOK e-reader is launched 2010 - Google estimated that since the invention of printing, about 130,000,000 unique titles have been published. Growth through restructuring with new business units. Multimedia & multi-platform distribution of knowledge. Despite several considerable changes in ownership structure, we’re a 139 year old name born $om 5,000 years of written words.
wide and curious eyes not pennies and dimes. We’re the force behind the flow in the river of knowledge, where people come to learn and share ideas. Our community keeps us afloat. Re-Invent the Wheelbarrow Tip of the Tongue Mentor Every Mind Community Over Sales Encourage visitors as well as peers to perform at their best. Help them acquire the very best sources, ones that last lifetimes. Be the Spine of Society Continue to record and preserve all noble works, to link generation to generation, century to century. After all, books are humanity in print. We must offer whatever it may be that answers the quests of our guests. Live Your Story Coming to Barnes & Noble is an experience. Take the opportunity to build a story each time a customer comes through our doors. From book to nook, constant innovation to share knowledge in different forms and media is our calling. r e m e m b e r o u r s p i n e
apps the world wide web colleges & universities Charles Barnes’ journey continues: No matter the struggle, the company brings the written word to new horizons. By wheelbarrow, by train, in massive stores and right online. In hard cover, soft cover and now even in digital ink. Who will trek if we do not?
filled with animated stories and digital creations neighbors, guests, and children join us as regulars for storyte!ing. Live and in person to bring life to curious minds. There’s nothing like making a group of parents and their children smile and laugh From one generation to the next, our work continues.
and knowledge to share, if you actually listened”. - Jan 24, 2012 “Unbalanced level of productiveness amongst managers (one manager does everything, while others stay in the back office). Product prices are so marked up, it is difficult to sell without regrets” - Feb 1, 2012 Campbell CA “Management does not stick up for you, it’s always about their jobs on the line” “Good camaraderie among booksellers and middle management... customers are usually good, overall a fun retail environment with good perks. The corporation is good and wants great things for store level employees. Drama is very strong there, upper management not great at relating to floor workers or holding themselves accountable. Observation: Inconsistent and Broken Leadership in Stress Mode. Isolated Retail Arm. “Seems to be less and less credible communication from store management and headquarters office. The real precarious position that the company is in, is never discussed i.e.: it’s big drop in the value of its stock, termination of employees, and store closing. Be more open in plans for Barnes and Noble future. Loyal employees will help you attain store goals when they know exactly what needs to be done.” -March 12, 2012 [ I N S I D E R S ] Anonymous Employees on www.glassdoor.com (current fiscal year)
do job thoroughly. Almost complete lack of training new hires. On your own to figure things out. Lots of emphasis on selling Nook and membership and kids club cards.” -March 12, 2012 C O N S T R A I N E D S TA F F “Very demanding work environment. Lots of responsibility. Better train staff and encourage promotion within” - Feb 10, 2012 “The negative corporate culture, including a clear lack of loyalty of most mid-management level employees, reflects upper- management’s disregard for anything other than the bottom line. There is absolutely no discussion of career advancement or relationship-building that supports employee morale and retention. A number of key players have resigned in the past few weeks. There is constant shake-up and turbulence as Barnes and Noble struggles to redefine itself in the digital age. Show more respect and appreciation for your current employees. Be more competitive in attracting and retaining top talent.” - March 18, 2012 (NY, NY) “There is also a lack of initial training for many employees, bringing the production down significantly. There needs to be better communication with staff and a clear place where important, upcoming dates can be posted.” -March 4, 2012 (Chicago, IL) “They can’t afford to pay the management team as much as the work the are doing warrants. Constant change in the workplace because of financial struggles as a company.” - Jan 21, 2012 Houston TX Anonymous Employees on www.glassdoor.com (current fiscal year)
G E “A good place to work unnerved by its placement in the market -- The website, after years of no change, has become a product invested in, and the work the business and technology folks put into it is lately more appreciated. Constant change creates uneasy feeling. There’s definitely a David and Goliath vibe with respect to Amazon... BN management does not hesitate to let people go, but decisions that lead to who goes and who stays are sometimes personally motivated and suspect” - Jan 16, 2012 in New York, NY “Company is changing for the worse” -Feb 2, 2012 (New York, NY) “There is no room for personal growth within an individual store. Promotions are scarce and pay is low. Reduce the amount of managers on duty. There have been times when 6 managers and 2 employees have been on the floor.” - Feb 20, 2012 “About sales only, not people or supporting literacy. No support from management, little to no training, customers receive little if any help because hours have been cut back.” (Feb 16, 212) “Poor communication between company management and store employees.” “There is a disconnect between corporation and store-level management. Be more cognizant of what’s going on in your stores. You have some EXCELLENT employees who are hard-working and smart. Don’t take for granted that your upper level managers are always doing what they should. District Manager involvement is the best way to curb store manager complacency. Miss you guys though!” - Feb 14, 2012 Frenso CA Anonymous Employees on www.glassdoor.com (current fiscal year)
sales rep A struggling artist on the side that was very concerned with orderly cleaning, even while we talked he tended to the items on the shelves. Store arrangements are clearly a creative expression, especially the isle end caps where store staff have considerable freedom. He noted with pride that the children’s reading attracts regulars. Even as a college store staffer, he mostly serves neighbors. He formerly managed a Borders store, a company that turned into everything it stood against: “big and nasty”. Same thing happening at B&N? Clearly, he felt distant from other company devisions. { Chris “The whole store is a family. The managers (at my store, at least) go out of their way to support their employees. I genuinely feel that they care about me as an individual and want to support me. The store is fun, the managers are up-front with the employees, problems are resolved quickly, everyone is friendly, and they generally recognize that their employees are intelligent and have important things to add to the business Continue the in store contests! It really got us fired up about our jobs.” - December 16, 2011 “Sometimes it is an amazing place to work and you have the opportunity to surround yourself with knowledge”. - Jan 12, 2012 }hidden spark
Librarian The future of books is in embedded media objects, applications, and even spreadsheets. It presents “a new narrative zone”. As a result of a discussion of the functions of libraries, we can identify what will keep libraries relevant and apply concepts to Barnes and Noble. Libraries preserve things, they house readers and staff, they keep historical pieces, they are clean, well-lit and comfortable places, they promote study by individuals and groups, they promote social exchange, they are places people know they can get help in this one zone of intellectual exploration and they are homes to exhibits that excite the mind. { Michael A. Kelle at Stanford University << conclusion We must actively search for innovation through forging new paths for the written word. We must focus on the fundamental experience of learning to foster the sharing of knowledge in the most inspiring and encompassing way by creating a creative atmosphere that promotes learning through every form of distribution.
Poet 15 years ago B&N was evil among scholarly readers because they were killing small bookstores. Bruce ran a small bookstore in Connecticut at the time. B&N and Ingram (large publisher) tried to team up, which people thought was the end of the world. Wal- Mart-esque evil. They had tons of publishing power. If they chose not to carry a book, a publisher may choose not to put a book out because it was no longer worth it. B uc Cove Emory University Now, B&N is suddenly the only hope that scholarly readers have left for the existence of books. Cody's (in San Fran) closed. Gotham bookstores in NYC is doing terribly. If NYC can't support bookstores then?....B&N has turned over a new leaf. “THEY'VE TAKEN UP THE CAUSE OF READING” They work to stock local authors, support small presses. Reflecting on Barnes and Noble Brand and History
Poet B uc Cove Emory University Reflecting on B&N’s Role in Society The way that we process knowledge has changed. Facts have become fast -- faster than print? We've moved from the book being the source of knowledge, to considering what kind of knowledge needs to be sourced in a book. The more specific a topic, the more likely it exists on the web. Exceptions: Art books, CHILDREN'S BOOKS. Larry Sawyer of the Chicago school of poetics (Bruce's colleague) said that the book itself is now a commodity -- books are no longer read; they are consumed. In other words, the fact that the info is IN A book is part of the commodity. What we love about physical bookstores/books: SENSE OF DISCOVERY, different sensory experience (touching, holding the book), being around readings/readers, it’s NOT A SOLITARY EXPERIENCE. Book becomes an emblem of the human. A test case is poetry -- despite the "death" of books, poetry books are now selling more than ever because the creation of a physical book is a part of the commodity that the author makes. IT'S ABOUT THE AUTHOR JUST AS MUCH AS THE READER - they want to know that they have MADE SOMETHING. We love physical books for FOR THE COINCIDENCES: walking around, finding someone/something that you like amongst a pile of other things. IT'S LIKE SOMEONE TALKING TO YOU. The tactile process is INHERENTLY HUMAN..
a g e t o g e t h e r DESERTED RETAIL STORES WEAK NOOK SALES FRUSTRATING COLLEGE BOOK STORES CENTERS FOR COMMUNITY HUBS OF THE FUTURE NOOKS FOR DISCOVERY I N T E R N E T R E TA I L D E V I C E S E X P E R I E N C E A N D A P P S C O M M E RC E
break the world record for number of communities reading together. Live, streaming on the web, on millions of devices, in millions of Nooks. Everyone, as one reading, a timeless paragraph such as the introductory paragraph of “A Tale of Two Cities”. BREAKING WORLD RECORDS
for adults to learn. _ Close partnerships with universities across the nation. _ Unique tactile interaction with local neighbors. _ Human touch and personal care to guide all. _ Innovation of purpose driven devices for reading. I L L U S T R AT I O N M A S T E R I D E A & A C T √ √ √ √ √ CAPABILITIES BUILD A BOOK } { SHARING STATION } { INITIATIVES INCUBATION ROOMS } { STUDY NOOKS } { RETAIL & TECH WHEEL IN KNOWLEDGE } {
inspire the underprivileged: share books with troubling school districts swipe through pages of DIGITAL INK with your book club G I F T O F K N OW L E D G E G I F T C A R D $50 N O O K B O O K track your readings. 10 days to exchange your purchase as many times as you want. I L L U S T R AT I O N M A S T E R I D E A & A C T
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