Marketing Strategy of the Year
Marketing Strategy of the Year Shortlist
Proudly sponsored by NielsenIQ BookData
There is a great variety to this year’s Marketing Strategy of the Year shortlist, which celebrates the work of eight different publishers’ teams across a wide range of adult and children’s genres. All the strategies combined smart digital marketing with eye-catching activations, retail promotions and real-world ads. From blockbuster releases to slow-burners, they made a big difference to visibility and sales in a crowded marketplace.
Winner
Rachel Partridge, Ellen Thomson and Hannah Griffiths
Sunrise on the Reaping
Scholastic
“Publishing at full power” was how the judges described Scholastic’s work on Suzanne Collins’ Sunrise on the Reaping. The publisher adds Marketing Strategy of the Year to its 2026 Nibbies haul of Children’s Fiction Book of the Year, Illustrator, and Children’s Publisher of the Year.
The Hunger Games prequel was always going to be a blockbuster, but Scholastic’s marketing trio of Rachel Partridge, Ellen Thomson and Hannah Griffiths turned it into as much a cultural moment as a book launch. They navigated tight embargoes, global partners’ needs and the absence of author publicity to produce a massive and inventive range of activity.
Retail elements included midnight openings at more than 100 Waterstones stores and store takeovers with The Works. The strategy had great segmentation, embracing Collins’ superfans on social media while drawing in new readers with vivid purple-and-gold ads. There were fun little extras, like a mock sick note for those who needed to take the day off to read the book.
While the marketing budget was big, the returns were even bigger. Sales in the week of release set a new YA record and the book spent four weeks at the summit of the TCM’s all-titles list. It went on to become the top children’s book of 2025, with sales of nearly 350,000 by volume and £4.5m by value.
The judges were hugely impressed by the scale of the marketing and sales. “There was absolute clarity of audience, a perfectly executed global rollout and not a single unnecessary move,” they said. “It delivered impact in spades and reminds us how big the publishing industry can be when everything aligns.”
The Shortlist
Daniel Fricker, Alesha Bonser, Miya Elkerton
The Adventures of Rap Kid
Simon & Schuster
The Simon & Schuster trio of Daniel Fricker, Alesha Bonser and Miya Elkerton put together a marketing campaign for The Adventures of Rap Kid that was as bright and energetic as the book itself. It built strong interest among retailers through events, proof drops and a Bookseller front cover, and made good use of author Jacob Mitchell (aka MC Grammar). Social media activity particularly helped get the book in front of reluctant readers.
Liv Marsden
Butter (Paperback)
4th Estate Books, HarperCollins
4th Estate’s Liv Marsden was shortlisted for this award last year for her work on the original edition of Asako Yuzuki’s Butter – and she is back after more superb work on the paperback. She breathed new life into a book that could have run its race, deftly repositioning it from a cult favourite to a mass-market proposition. POS, merch and ads all took their cues from the book’s iconic cover. The strapline of “I can’t believe you’ve not read it” was inspired.
Andy Joannou, Claire Bush, Katie Roden
Careless People
Pan Macmillan
Pan Macmillan’s campaign for Sarah Wynn-Williams’ Careless People was marketing at its most nimble. The book was a secret until a few days before publication, and promotion could have been wrecked when Meta secured a gagging order against the author. But the Pan Mac trio of Andy Joannou, Claire Bush and Katie Roden pivoted brilliantly, flipping the controversy to their advantage and rolling out attention-grabbing digital ads.
Ania Gordon (Cornerstone), Olivia Pither and Jess Millott (PRH Audio)
Don’t Let Him In
Cornerstone, Penguin
PRH’s marketing of Lisa Jewell’s Don’t Let Him In was a masterclass in how to lift a long-established brand author to new heights. Led by Ania Gordon, with support from agencies, freelancers and PRH’s audio marketers, it gave Jewell her first all-title number-one slot in her 23-book career. Pre-launch activity captured Jewell’s core fans, while movie-style trailers, a proof blitz and retailer collaborations pulled in new ones.
Evelyn Opoku-Agyeman
Pablo and Splash: Roman Holiday
Bloomsbury Children's
Evelyn Opoku-Agyeman’s strategy for Roman Holiday, the third book in the Pablo and Splash series, distinguished Sheena Dempsey as a brand to follow in the increasingly hectic graphic novels space. Retailer displays, schools resources, Meta ads and a cover reveal were among the ingredients of a marketing mix that positioned the book as a top summer holiday read. TCM sales were double those of the previous book in the series.
Natalie Ramm, Tom Martland, Rima Rashid, Elisabeth Whittingham
Strange Pictures & Strange Houses
Pushkin Press
Uketsu’s Strange Pictures and Strange Houses were two of the biggest word-of-mouth hits of 2025. Pushkin Press’ talented young team of Natalie Ramm, Tom Martland, Rima Rashid and Elisabeth Whittingham created a loud buzz, leaning into the mystery of the anonymous author and creating eye-catching ads, displays and social content. More than 200,000 copies have shipped so far. “The brand-building of Uketsu was an all-round masterclass,” said one bookseller.
Rachel Partridge, Ellen Thomson, Hannah Griffiths
Sunrise on the Reaping
Scholastic
Suzanne Collins’ Sunrise on the Reaping was always going to be a big deal, but the Scholastic trio of Rachel Partridge, Ellen Thomson and Hannah Griffiths took it stratospheric. They handled a tight embargo well, supported more than 100 midnight openings at Waterstones and put together creative activations with many other retailers. The result was a YA record for first-week sales, and it went on to become the year’s top-selling children’s book.
Kate Baguley
The Artist
Hachette
With a first-time author, modest budget and January release date, Lucy Steeds’ The Artist could easily have sunk. But the John Murray team of Kate Baguley, Sarah Arratoon and Alice Graham did the hard yards on a campaign that captured massive support from booksellers – not least Waterstones, who made it first their Debut of the Year and then Book of the Year. Sales across all formats are now well into six figures.
Joanna Rose, Rachel Quin
The Dose Effect
HarperCollins
The HQ team of Rachel Quin, Dawn Burnett, Jo Rose and Lauren Gardiner used publication-day stunts to launch TJ Power’s The Dose Effect with a bang. It helped to stand the debut author out from the crowded wellbeing category, and Power’s profile was raised further through promos with Waterstones and influencers. There was also excellent work on the audiobook. Sales across all formats reached six figures well before the end of 2025.
Sara Roberts
Wayward TxF Imprint Launch
Transworld
Launching yet another imprint into the intensely competitive fantasy space is a bold move, but the Transworld duo of Sara Roberts and Leon Dufour made sure that Wayward TxF made an immediate impression. In partnership with subscription service FairyLoot, they gave the brand a bold visual identity and built strong support among retailers and authors. Once announced, they built a lively community of readers via social media.
