2. Introduction
Michael Cairns is a publishing and media executive with over 25 years experience in
business strategy, operations and technology implementation. As a business
executive, Mr. Cairns has successfully managed several troubled and under-
performing businesses, creating new business opportunities, developing new funding
sources and enhancing shareholder value for investors. His years spent as an
operating executive have largely been with brand-name publishing companies such
as Macmillan, Inc., Berlitz International, Wolters Kluwer Health, Reed Elsevier and
R.R. Bowker. As a consultant, Mr. Cairns has worked with clients as diverse as
AARP, Hewlett Packard, InterPublic Companies and Reed Elsevier with an emphasis
on business strategy, market development and corporate development.
His skills and experience include:
Business and corporate strategy development and implementation
Operations management and business transformation
Traditional and digital publishing and operations
Print-to-digital transformation and adoption of new business models
Software development and software services
Mr. Cairns holds an MBA (Finance) from Georgetown University and a BA from
Boston University. He has served on several boards and advisory groups including
the Association of American Publishers, Book Industry Study Group and the
International ISBN organization. Additionally, he has public and private company
board experience.
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Michael Cairns
Information Media Partners
Strategy Consulting
New York, London, Melbourne
Tel: 908 938 4889
Michael.cairns@infomediapartners.com
Find me:
LinkedIn Twitter Blog Flickr InstaGram
3. Information Media Partners
Michael Cairns established Information Media Partners in 2006 as a boutique strategy
consulting firm focused on the information and education publishing segment. The work
conducted by the firm includes product development, corporate development, sales
management and corporate reorganizations. We work with established businesses, private
equity owners and potential acquirers.
Examples of our work include:
Reorganized and re-focused a $25 million software publishing company by aligning
business operations with client priorities; implementing internal collaboration tools and
project management standards; re-building executive team to focus on effective and
efficient management
Defined a new business strategy for a large non-profit association and advocacy group,
expanding their business model into global markets to exploit their core knowledge and
expertise across a broader market
Led an information technology capabilities review at a large international advertising
holding company. Completed over 200 interviews in 15 international offices and multiple
group focus sessions to define the operational ‘gaps’ between existing agency capabilities
and those necessary and important for client delivery by region
Completed a sales management effectiveness review for a global software company and
defined six key project initiatives to improve sales effectiveness, market development and
account management
We approach our client engagements in a standardized, logical manner which creates the best
environment to identify key business drivers, administrative and logistical road blocks and/or
product or market definition issues. Our investigative approach leads to better insights into
your businesses and supports the development of workable solutions and recommendations
for success.
Visit the Information Media Partners website for more information.
Sample Client List
5. M is the new P
“Place” is no longer physical
Web page
Mobile device
Email/Pushed
“Product” increasingly
Unique
Individual
Virtuan/Linked
Only ‘physical’ when delivered
Promotion
Depends on finding ‘real-time’ information: “I’ll look it up online”
Price
Presumption of change rather than static
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6. Findings from eBook Metadata Study (2010)
“Bad Practice” structurally embedded
Enablers at all levels
Definitions and nomenclature inconsistently applied
Messaging and communication unclear
Business case unclear
Definition of product unclear
ISBN relevance challenged
Library market is problematic
Bibliographic metadata substandard
Solution(s) not obvious
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7. Bad Practice is Embedded
No ISBN at all
Print ISBNs assigned to eBook versions
One ISBN assigned for all eBook file formats
Unique ISBNs assigned to individual (production) file
formats
Unique ISBNs assigned to platform specific versions
Proprietary (non-publisher) ISBNs assigned to
eBooks
Proprietary (non-ISBNs) identifier assigned to
eBooks
EANs assigned to e-Book content
“Made-up” numbers
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8. Bibliographic Metadata substandard
Larger ‘trade houses’ print metadata OK
eBook metadata consistently poor: Complete,
Consistent, Current – fails on all counts
Separate e-and p-metadata processes
Synchronization
“Data rot”
Outsourced e-Book metadata
ONIX 3.0 partial answer, but roll-out is slow
Mechanics of ‘managing data’ substandard
Update process
Add/changes/deletes
“Four days to process a file”
Work ID
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9. Use of Metadata: High-Level findings (2012)
Publisher concerns with modified, added data:
risk of bad data
Recipients report continued weakness in
supplied metadata
Separate feeds for physical and digital products
As a standard, ONIX is significantly forked
Metadata is added to improve discovery and
purchase
In the U.S., ONIX 3.0 is off to a slow start
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10. Use of Metadata: Process opportunities (2012)
Compare metadata to the actual product
Create stronger feedback loops
Confirm shared metadata definitions
Articulate what happens with updates
Improve transparency on alterations and
modifications
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11. Use of Metadata: “Future-proof” metadata (2012)
Automate data workflows
Prepare for more frequent updates (especially
price)
Harmonize metadata workflows for print and
digital products
Discontinue use of style tags
Engage new supply chain entrants
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12. Market Observations
Disaggregating content: Articles, chapters,
cases, etc.
Limited xml content
Combination of pdf formats
Metadata generally high level
Very few publishers with chapter level metadata
Abstracts, Key words, bios, synopsis, etc.
Best seller information
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13. Anticipating the challenge of changes in education
Managing the cost of education & materials
Faculty and educators demand more choice
Seeking intuitive and flexible content creation
processes
Expect to share content and collaborate across
‘networks’
Migration to electronic delivery of content
Growth of open access and ‘free’ content
Growing expectation for highly customizable
solutions for publishers and institutions.
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14. Please review my blog post associated
with this presentation:
http://personanondata.blogspot.com/2012
/06/making-your-metadata-better-aaup-
panel.html
Michael Cairns
Managing Partner
Michael.Cairns@InfoMediaPartners.com
908 938 4889
LinkedIn Twitter Blog Flickr InstaGram
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Hinweis der Redaktion
(1) Good Afternoon, today I want to talk libraries which is a segment somewhat ignored here at this meeting in recent years. Important nevertheless since there is a lot going on in the library world.
Any businesses connected to the publishing industry is experiencing change and increasing complexity: Libraries are no different.