KEYNOTE ADDRESS: The New Role of Market Segmentation

With $240 million in annual sales, Scholastic.com is among the 50 largest online retailers and is the third largest online bookseller, after Amazon and Barnes & Noble. And it has ambitions to become much larger. Its plans to grow involve several initiatives, including creating interactive programs to engage readers; segmenting its site to appeal to children, parents, families, teachers, and school administrators; creating areas such as the homework support center that encourage repeat visits; and posting fun information, such as news and kids' surveys. Seth Radwell joined Scholastic in early 2005 to take the online retail operation to the next level. He brings an extensive online background to the job, including stints as the CEO of Bookspan, the Book-of-the-Month Club web site; and high level positions with Internet pioneer Prodigy, music retailer Bertlesmann and consultants McKinsey & Co. Drawing on his varied background, Radwell will discuss how Scholastic.com plans to reach the next level by developing content that appeals to particular market segments, the role that non-product content plays in its ambitions and the ways the web has changed and will continue to change retailing.