Case Overview
St. John’s Bible case: This case study is about the challenges in identifying a
target market for the Collector’s Editions of The Saint John’s Bible, the first
handwritten and illuminated Bible in 500 years. This case is focused on how to
market a very unusual product to the wealthiest among us as part of a strategy
to cover the costs of a $4 million dollar project
The Saint John’s Bible was born out of a lifelong dream of one man, Donald
Jackson, to hand-write the Word of God. In 1998, after many months of
collaboration and prayer, St. John’s University and Abbey commissioned Jackson
to create this hand-written bible. This Bible, The Saint John’s Bible, is a $4
million dollar, 8-year project creating a bible for the 21st century.
In the Middle Ages, monasteries helped preserve knowledge and culture for the
sake of the greater community. By commissioning a handwritten Bible, Saint
John's revives a tradition and affirms its commitment to the study of scripture,
to the book arts and to educational, artistic and spiritual pursuits. St. John’s
University is a Benedictine school in Collegeville, Minnesota. The Benedictine
abbey, home to about 200 monks, is one of the largest abbeys in the world. The
commissioning of this work is a monumental undertaking by the school. However,
this project fits in with the university’s long-standing commitment to Scripture
and book arts. The Hill Monastic Manuscript Library is housed on the campus and
has one of the most extensive microfilm collections of rare and ancient books
and manuscripts in the world.
Available by December 30, 2007