e-Books: Reaching the incremental boater market

McGraw-Hill / USCG Auxiliary

Seamanship Seminar Series

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• What is the strategy?• What is needed?• Why BS&S content?• Details for flotilla commanders and flotillason the SeamanshipSeminar Series

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Goals

• Capture the post-ABS graduate student so as to create synergy with existing PE programs while, at the same time, leveraging our reputation

– Nearly 38,000 PE missions got underwayin 2014 – very little was repeatbusiness – a wasteAND an opportunity

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Strategy

– Create an add-on electronic capability that leverages our existing content, i.e., low- or no-cost

– Partnering with world-class publishers inthe education ormaritime markets

– Resulting in revenueopportunities for unitsthat can be investedback in further RBS capabilities

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• Short seminar based classes• Text accessed via the Internet• Suitable for a classroom presentation• Requires no printed inventory• Allows for flotilla level

income• Targets un-tapped boating

market with previous positive USCG Aux PEexperience

• Meets market demandfor high-tech solutions

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Why use BS&S chapters?

• We own the material• Current illustrations can be easily updated• Subject matter has proven popularity• The least complicated market entry

– No start-up cost– Shortest time frame– Six chapters selected are the meatiest/highest

appeal

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About the

Seamanship Seminar Series

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Goals revisited

• Capture the basic boating course graduate market through…

• e-Book seminars for the boating public which will generate …

• Enhanced revenue for flotillas

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How will it be done?

• Advance boating education by attracting State mandatory course graduates• We’re not in the market-share

stealing business … … we’re in the market-share creation business

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Market size example

Virginia• 140,000 State course graduates since 2009• 49,000 of these were from classroom

classes• USCG Auxiliary taught the majority• Flotillas have the graduates’

information• Natural market for incremental

students

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What are the drivers?

• Market: graduates of mandatory courses are looking for more advanced boater education; presenting an opportunity for…• Flotilla revenue: Short seminars

present the opportunity for revenue growth and that can give us much needed…

• PE instructor excitement: New seminars added to Public Education Library

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Meatiest content selected

• Inland Boating

• Boating Safety

• Powering Your Boat

• Lines and Knots for Your Boat

• Weather and Your Boat• Your Boat’s Radio

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Financials

• Students receive a code for each chapter instead of a textbook• Codes are used to download e-Book• The codes are $4.95 per e-Book (or

chapter) which is what the flotilla pays

• Flotilla seminar pricing: Flotilla may charge as appropriate (same as currently)

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Example: incremental course on Powering Your Boat

• Flotilla: Has ten students• Seminar: Teaches one e-Book

(chapter)on Powering Your Boat

• Flotilla charges the student a fee of $20

• Flotilla purchases 10 codes @ $4.95 per student in lieu of physical books (usingexisting USCG Aux procedures for physicalbooks).

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Example - continued

• e-Book total costs 10 X $4.95 = $49.50 (student downloads to their own device)

• Seminar revenue:10 X $20 = $200

• Net revenue to flotilla = $150.50

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Support

• TRAINING: New Instructor Guide (for using e-books)

• TRAINING: New Student Guide (for using e-books)

• HELP: National Help Desk – questions will be forwarded to appropriate DSO-PE or directorate

• Help: McGraw-Hill Help Desk tasked with direct support of instructor and/or student technical question.

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Support continued

• Articles/public service announcements: 20 newspaper-ready articles designed to attract boaters to our classes (currently on the E Directorate’s web site)• Best practices: Ongoing idea exchange

utilizing Job #1 – RBS, our new RB consolidated e-Magazine– Teaching techniques– Marketing war stories developed in the context

of utilizing the Flotilla Marketing Plan that’s provided

– And more…

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What about BS&S?

• The present BS&S, with the printed textbook, may continue

to be taught as is. NO CHANGE

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What’s the timeline?

AVAILABLENOW!

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Questions