2010.07.19 Loc Presentation Final Loc

Editor's Notes

• #3: Marketing is not something that is confined to the business world, or something you should be afraid to tackle as something foreign. You are, in fact, marketing all of the time whether you know it or not. It is best to embrace this fact, take ownership of your marketing role, and utilize marketing practices to improve your effectiveness.
• #4: Marketing is strategic : There are frameworks, theory, and accepted marketing practices that can help you control how you are perceived. We will discuss some of the most basic principles. Think about how you can incorporate these principles with what you learn in the other sessions. Marketing is continuous : As service providers, we directly interact with our patrons daily and each interaction is an opportunity to bring the library’s marketing promise to life. In fact, your library is created in the minds of your patrons at each point of contact. So, it is important to ensure that these points of contact are well-managed. The reputation you choose to create is your brand, which we will discuss later.
• #5: I could have selected any top company here. In 2009, Interbrand ranked Amazon as the 43 rd out of 100 Best Global Brands, up from 51 in 2008. Marketing/business strategy: to be the earth’s most customer-centric company. Marketing reputation fulfilled through broad selection, customer reviews, and reliable delivery. Amazon would not be successful if they only delivered sporadically. Remember: We compete with companies like these.
• #6: As demonstrated here, our customers develop their expectations from companies with a strong marketing focus. So much so in fact, that their ideas and products permeate our own products and services. Here, Amazon set an expectation for customer reviews with books, which many libraries are incorporating into their catalogs. We also need to adopt a marketing mindset to compete and remain relevant.
• #7: When one thinks of marketing, most commonly, he thinks of posters, advertisements, and other promotional media. In fact, marketing is actually the sum of a number of key components. If you understand these components and make them work together, you will have the basis of a solid marketing plan. These are the core elements of any marketing plan. There is some overlap between these categories, but that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you think through each element when devising your plan.
• #8: The target market is the group of people who are the focus of our marketing efforts. It’s critical to understand your target market so that you can make decisions about the other 4 P’s that will resonate with them. We’ll now explore each of the 4 P’s in detail, and discuss how you can begin addressing each of them immediately and with no cost.
• #9: Problems evolve over time. Librarians need to be flexible and responsive as to how they apply their skills and resources to new problems. If a product no longer solves a problem, it’s irrelevant. A successful product is a unique solution to a problem (differentiation). In libraries, we have some tangible products (catalog, spaces) and intangible ones (instruction, reference, circulation, etc.).
• #10: The rolodex solved one problem: organizing contacts. But it didn’t fully solve a larger problem of connecting with fellow professionals. Technology enabled a more robust solution. The ability to see gaps such as those that LinkedIn filled can lead to great product innovations.
• #11: In libraries, we see our products evolve too. For librarians, one key product we provide is library as place. As patron needs change, so too do our spaces. 3 year and over $100M renovation. Renovations included a lot of basic upgrades (HVAC system, etc.) and greener energy features, but also lots of group and educational spaces. As libraries become less about storage and more about interactive learning, technology, and group work, our spaces to must adapt.
• #12: AADL finds new uses for existing assets to develop new service offerings. Some may believe that gaming has no place in libraries, but AADL librarians perceived a need that they could uniquely fill: they have the space, technology, and staff to provide educational and community-building opportunities for its patrons.
• #13: Assess relevance by matching services to patron needs. A gap analysis is just an exploration of where there are gaps between what you currently offer and what patrons demand.
• #16: Libraries try to reduce costs through various means. Library drive thru image source: Arlington Heights Memorial Library: http://community.ahml.info/news/?tag=drive-up-window Library kiosk image source: http://www.envisionware.com/onestop_intro
• #17: Developing relationships with key patrons and decision-makers can influence others to come to your library (reduce the social cost, or decrease opportunity costs), and reduce intimidation (if a factor). Try seeing your library through fresh eyes. Ask a friend to help if you need. Imagine you’re trying to find something or entering the space for the first time. How can you make your library more approachable? Try pushing information out to key people when you know their needs. This way, you can demonstrate your usefulness and reduce the amount of risk people may perceive in using your services. Allow people to interact in the way they are most comfortable.
• #19: Traditional channels are still common. Also, word-of-mouth and personal recommendations are important to increasingly skeptical consumers. Mobile technology has opened up an array of service delivery options not previously available. Vendors are jumping in on the action too.
• #22: Don’t confine yourself to understanding channels in a library context. How are other businesses leveraging channels that you could apply? Don’t use a channel just because it’s available. Understand that customers have specific expectations in certain channels and you can’t force your way into a channel that doesn’t suit your purposes. Example: Facebook.
• #23: Promotion is perhaps the most widely recognized marketing function, but it is really the final piece of your marketing mix. If the other pieces aren’t properly planned, promotion alone will not help you. The conversation should focus on the benefits that you provide for your patrons, not on the great new X thing you have. Also about access and transparency.
• #25: Your brand is built one customer interaction at a time. “ A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.” - Jeff Bezos Branding is especially important for librarians because we mainly provide intangibles. So, any tangible evidence of what customers should expect is crucial. Even the way you greet people should be well-managed. Example: Example: Chick-fil-A changes up the standard fast-food service script by replying “my pleasure.”
• #27: If you build your reputation as a [friendly, reliable, accessible, etc.] service provider, your logo is a symbol that you will execute on those elements of your reputation at each and every touch point. A logo is NOT your brand. Make sure your logo appears on all of your touchpoints. Build over time.
• #30: Example: I co-created the Cabell Library Undergraduate Advisory Committee (CLUAC). Example: To promote my internal blog, I conducted a survey to better understand barriers to use in hopes of overcoming them in my promotions. I found awareness was very high, but there was room for improvement in terms of setting up email alerts and readership. I found that customers wanted additional summaries/reminders of what was on the blog; Catchy subject lines; Asking questions at the end of posts to spur comments; Could use Web Monkey
• #31: In many ways, similar to what AADL is doing with gaming in libraries.