A guide to Marketing your library and information service
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Transcript of A guide to Marketing your library and information service
© SD Information Services 20131
Marketing your Library and Information Service
to internal customers
Shaida DorabjeeInformation management consultant
SD Information Services
2013www.sdis.co.uk
© SD Information Services 20132
Nightmare scenario
I don’t know who you are I don’t know what your department
does I don’t know your reputation
Now, what do you want to sell me?
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Marketing
The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits
him and sells itself. Peter F. Drucker 1909-2005 Management Consultant, Author
Marketing is ‘satisfying customer needs’. It is as much attitude as action and as much perspective as planning. Marketing – An Introduction. Armstrong, Kotler, Harker and Brennan 2009
© SD Information Services 2013
Internal Customers As important as external customers Includes all stakeholders:
Users Non-usersand Budget holders Decision makers etc
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The Marketing JourneyThree steps to success
Research
Developing products and services to meet
customer needs
Identifying/prioritising; Branding and packaging
Your profile/behaviour/culture; Delivering the goods and messages; marketing plans
Organisational context; The information environment; Customers/stakeholders; Competitors and collaborators; Yourself
Communication and delivery
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What are the key industry, national and international issues?
What is occupying the minds of senior management? How has your budget changed in the last two years? What’s new in research / your graduate programme at
the university / your membership? How are these functions themselves changing?
Organisational context
Research
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What are other organisations’ information services doing?
How are the producers/suppliers of information and content operating?
Are overall budgets increasing or decreasing? Is the focus of information services changing? How is mobile technology affecting your service? What benchmarking data do you have?
The information environment
Research
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Finding out
Are you A member of any senior management teams Project groups Good at asking questions Good at your ‘lift talk’
Do you Read the top level newsletters/magazines Make friends with those in corporate
communications Talk to peers in your external networks
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They all have different needs Some stakeholders are not users of the
service Vital to segment the market and
categorise each group of stakeholders
Customers/stakeholders
Research
© SD Information Services 2013
Stakeholder categorisation (market segmentation)
By type of user and influence Staff or students Managers, Academic staff CEO, Leadership Team Budget holders
By extent of use New staff/students (users) Existing users who are established users Existing users who do not (and perhaps should)
use your services By function
Scientists in a specific discipline Staff in specialist departments
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Stakeholder analysis
List your different key stakeholder groups
Rate Interest (in service/products) and then Influence out of 10 and then add together
• This will help to clarify and prioritise what services should be provided and to whom
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Internal and external collaborators – or competitors
Who are they What can they offer Can we collaborate with them
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Your skills and expertise are also part of the information service
Do they match the characteristics required of an info pro?
What cpd is needed? Individuals have to be promoted as well You may need a plan for this
Yourself
Research
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Ideal skills and expertise
Qualifications and experience Writing, presenting, thinking on your feet Passionate/enthusiastic about the service Inquisitive mind - the wider organisational
environment Generating new ideas/thinking laterally A business mind Quick to adapt and willing to take risks Higher profile
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Personal attributes
The way you look, talk, think, and act Communication – visible,verbal and vocal Networking – understanding others Influencing – persuading, managing, and
influencing up Personal power – charisma, gravitas, self-
belief
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Information/Stakeholder AuditsUnderstanding your market (stakeholders) in order to improve
your service in line with business objectives and stakeholder requirements
Interviews, questionnaires or focus groups, social media
One-off poll on the intranet to a comprehensive study lasting a few weeks.
Qualitative or quantitative information
Resources used Usefulness, quality Behaviours, attitudes and perceptions Opinions, suggestions, issues
Don’t assume you know
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Identifying the right products and servicesPrioritising development/introductionBranding and packaging
Developing products and services to meet
customer needs
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‘Satisfying customer needs’ Look at what you offer to the customer
Identify the right products and services through analysis - Cost vs Value matrix, SWOT or PEST analysis etc
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Is it really worth doing
Value
Cost
Low
High
Low High
Plot each product/service according to value and cost
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SWOT
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Strengths
Of yourselves, a product or the service as a whole
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The marketing mixThe four Ps
Tactical tools that have to be blended to produce the desired response in the target market
• Product (solution)•Re-evaluate your offerings and address staff expectations
•Pricing (cost, or ‘price’ paid by users):–Cost of resources –Time wasted in searching–Convenience–Ease of use
• Place (convenience/delivery channel):–Mobile, I-pad, Intranet, web, etc–Project meetings, lunch ‘n’ learn
• Promotion (communication):–To raise awareness and increase demand
Plus two more…•Positioning•People
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Case study - Executive Alerts Alerts of top level activities provided to
senior management Much resource into creating and
monitoring alerts Repositioned to appeal to all executives
as a ‘backgrounder’ to give them information on specific collaborators/competitors prior to company visits
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Executive Alert
Identified executives as a new target market Spoke to them about their work and information needs
through market research Evaluated the products and identified weaknesses in
existing product Developed – and repositioned the existing product to
appeal to them Rebranded the name and look of the Alert Through product development offered an ad hoc service
rather than regular Alert Introduced a new delivery method via a mobile app tool Tested it out on a few and improved through feedback Cultivated champions and publicised its existence
throughout
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Branding in the Library
Logo Typeface, style, colour, position(N.B. organisational style guidelines) Strap/tag lines Reminders eg expensive online
databases or “From the Library” Characteristics of information staff –
you are also the brand
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Identifying growth opportunitiesProduct-marketing expansion grid(Ansoff’s Matrix)
Market penetration Product development
Market development Diversification
Existing products
Existingmarkets
Newmarkets
New productsIncreasing risk
Increasing risk
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Develop the message you want to communicate
Branding Has to be targeted Everyone has to be involved
Your profile/behaviour/culture; Delivering the message
Communication and delivery
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Delivering the messages Six approaches
The way you operate Influencing others Using social media Training Broadcasting Written communication
Your profile/behaviour/culture; Delivering the message
Communication and delivery
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A marketing strategy and planwhy, what, how
Aims of the organisation Strategic aims of the library and information
service Evidence from research activities to support the
aims and objectives Objectives for the service Segmentation of users Specific tasks and timetable for achieving the
objectives Outcomes and benefits expected Responsibilities, costs, timelines etc
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A marketing strategy and plan
Should: Reflect the organisation’s strategic aims, style,
timescales Be supported from the top Provide a framework for and guide to the work of your
service Win the hearts and minds of users Win the hearts and minds of information staff Demonstrate value, backed up by evidence
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Measures of success
Availability Access Responsiveness Reliability Credibility Authority Accuracy Understanding Value
of :The information resourcesThe service The effectiveness of the staff
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Measuring how well your marketing efforts have been
Usage of products and services is monitored and shows an increase
Formal and informal surveys give favourable and improved results
There is raised awareness of information services You are asked to participate in info-related projects You have some good examples and ‘stories’ to tell You are recognised wherever you go!
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Thank you!
Shaida Dorabjee
E-mail: [email protected]: www.sdis.co.uk
SD Information Services
Trouble-shooting your information service
2013