The Master of Publishing program: strategic positioning for the re-invention of publishing

The Master of Publishing (MPub) program at Simon Fraser University has been accepting students since 1995. Since its inception, the MPub program has successfully fulfilled its mandate to develop “skilled personnel with a broad understanding...of publishing”. In Chapter One, this report looks at the history of the program; from the original founding of the program to its current operations. As well it briefly summarizes the technological changes in the publishing industry. In Chapter Two, a strategic positioning process analysis is applied to the program. The Strategic Positioning Process analysis was based on Tony Ellson’s Culture and Positioning as Determinants of Strategy, in which he argues that the strategic positioning process is chronological, consisting of strategic positioning, market segmentation, market targeting, and operational positioning. Chapter Three examines ways the program can optimize its marketing outreach, using search engine optimization techniques and new “tribal” marketing strategies.