Zondervan has formed a special consumer research division-believed to be the first of its kind in Christian publishing-to help better shape future products.

The Office of the Consumer is led by longtime Zondervan executive Tom Betts. He said the first priority for his department is taking existing facts and data the company has on consumer preferences and behaviors and organizing them so they can be shared around the company and acted upon. After that, Betts' organization plans to create better ways to interact with consumers such as improved and increased e-mails and focus groups.

“Becoming more consumer-focused means we will do an increasingly better job of understanding, engaging and motivating consumers. This will be a major benefit to Christian retailers,” said Mark Rice, Zondervan's vice president of corporate communications. “By listening to consumers better, we will be better able to make product that meets their needs, sells through and drives traffic to stores.”

A full story will appear in the April 4 issue of Christian Retailing.