Teach Yourself brand to relaunch
30.09.09 Catherine Neilan in The Bookseller

Hodder Education brand Teach Yourself is relaunching next January, with a new look and a number of new features to "reinvigorate self-improvement".
The brand, which has been running since 1938, is being "completely transformed" to meet modern needs. The publisher plans to launch 500 new titles throughout the year, which will include new content and features such as author "insight" boxes for both print and online, and a new cover design and page layouts.

Katie Roden, director of consumer education, said it was a "transformational step" for the entire market. "As a result of our intensive consumer research, conducted by BML, Teach Yourself will now offer genuinely flexible and motivating courses," she added. "We all know how hard it is to finish a self-learning title, whatever the publisher – we’re confident that with the reinvented Teach Yourself range, readers will get to the end and achieve their goals.”

The new website, created by Magic Lantern Productions, will launch in January 2010 and will be updated throughout the year. It will include author blogs, video and interactive quizzes, and will be made available free to third-party sites "as a key focus of the marketing activity".

The new look, which will be unveiled on 2nd October, has been developed in conjunction with consultant Damian Horner and the Next Big Thing agency. It is hoped the relaunch will better establish the brand in areas such as education, creative writing, small business and parenting.