Abstract

SERRANO GALLARDO, Mª del Pilar; ARROYO GORDO, Mª Pilar  and  GIMENEZ MAROTO, Ana Mª. The BCG (Boston Consulting Group) matrix for management of periodic publications. Index Enferm [online]. 2005, vol.14, n.50, pp.53-56. ISSN 1699-5988.

Documentary marketing has to address the information needs of the users in a manner that is cost-effective not only for them but also for the institution. To do this, a set of technical tools, known as Marketing- Mix, need to be used. These tools include the Product, Price, Distribution and Communication. Within the set of tools used for the Product, we find the BCG matrix (Boston Consulting Group), a tool aimed at the management of the product on the basis of where it is positioned in the market. The objective of this paper is to propose a BCG matrix for the management of a nursing periodic publication in our market sector. The BCG matrix is constructed using two variables: Market Growth and the Market Share, which have been operationalised as Average Annual Growth in the number of subscriptions for three nursing magazines (Rol de Enfermería, Metas de Enfermería y Nursing) over the last five years and Average Present Circulation of the three publications mentioned. Data provided by the "Oficina para el Control de la Difusión" (OJD), a non-profit-making organization whose objective is to provide useful and timely information about the circulation of printed media for advertisers, advertising agencies, publishers and general use. The BCG matrix can be constituted as an essential tool for the management of publications. Having clari-fied the product´s position, strategies can be established with a view to helping or promoting a better positioning of the product in the market.