Chegg expands its engagement with students

In case you missed it. A couple weeks ago Chegg announced it was moving beyond books and launching a new site that also helps students to select courses and to receive homework help. The new ventures use technology that Chegg acquired last year when it purchased start-ups CourseRank and Cramster.

Many readers of this blog are probably familiar with Chegg for their book rental business which became a signficant driver for change in the business models in the higher education textbook market in recent years. The company also spun off Kno, which has been working on digital textbooks and a digital reader device.

Chegg's vision is to reach college students every day of the year. An ambitious challenge, but something stores ought to keep in mind in terms of managing their student relationships. As Chegg continues to branch out, stores should watch and learn. The company has some interesting ideas about engagement from which the industry could learn.