Cengage Learning Pioneers Textbook Rental Market

With the cost of college on the rise, business and consumer media were stuck on the topic of pricey textbooks. Cengage Learning, one of the nation’s largest textbook publishers, found it challenging to tell their story about quality educational materials and value.

In 2009, Peppercomm helped Cengage become the first textbook publisher to offer textbook rental, which provided lower cost and flexible purchasing options. Peppercomm was tasked with publicizing the launch of Cengage’s direct-to-consumer website, CengageBrain.com, and raising awareness among parents, students, and educators.

Control the Focus

Peppercomm developed a multipronged approach that would reach each target audience – including students, parents, instructors, and the business community – tying outreach to the back-to-school season. The pitch focused on the problems facing today’s students, including the high cost of textbooks, and offered Cengage Learning as the first publisher that was providing a lower-cost option directly to students.

Measurable Results

• Peppercomm secured myriad media placements in key business outlets like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the Associated Press. The coverage shifted the focus away from textbook pricing and positioned Cengage as the first textbook publisher to offer an affordable option for textbook rental.