IFLA BibLibre International Library Marketing Award

“What Makes a Great Library Marketing Initiative?”

OPEN SESSION: Management and Marketing SectionWednesday 17 August 11:45 – 13:45

C210-212

“True Marketing: Defined”Dr. Christie Koontz

• Objectives of the award are to:Reward the best library marketing projects worldwide during the previous calendar year;Encourage marketing in libraries;Give libraries the opportunity to share marketing experiences.

• GuidelinesAny library worldwide that markets library products or services is eligible to receive the award.Applications must be written in one of seven IFLA languages, but as the working language of the jury members is English, they may use Google translator for translating non-English applications.  Applicants may also submit an English translation if they prefer. The version should be electronic.Applications must be submitted before xx date (including any supporting materials).

Proposals mustpresent an original project of marketing for a library of any kind;answer each question on the application 

So What is Marketing?

Marketing is a process that you do over and over again – a tried and true systematic approach for matching services and

products to a consumer’s wants, needs and desires.

In the U.S., the average person is bombarded with some 1800 marketing messages per day—it seems someone is always

trying to persuade us to buy something.

Marketing Is:• The process of identifying

customers’ needs• Assessing what you do

for maximum customer satisfaction.

• Applying common sense

• Selling • Products/services • Just promotion or advertising • About increased profit • Strictly for businesses

Marketing Is Not:

Philip Kotler’s Definition of Marketing

“Marketing is getting the right goods and services to the right people at the right place at the right time at the right price with the right communication and promotion – marketing is a human activity directed at satisfying needs and wants through exchange processes.”(Marketing for Non-Profit Organizations, 6th ed)

What You Need to Market:Organizational Mission, Goals, and Objectives(all marketing projects must be built upon these)

The Mission States Who You Are

• expresses the philosophy• illustrates core values• provides consensus• offers education• creates awareness

What do we want to do now that we are not doing?What do we want to achieve: generally and specificallyPurpose• GOALS: What you want to achieve in general• OBJECTIVES: What you want to specifically achieve

Objectives• Must be measurable, quantified• Can be process or outcome – do something, that results in

something• Limit to one process or outcome for each objective• Supported by strategy and action plan• Keep realistic

Organizational Goals & Objectives

The Four StepMarketing Model

The Marketing Model?

Step One: Marketing Research

(Environments and Markets)

Step 1: Market Research

The function that links the information professional to the customers’ wants and needs• Identifies actual and potential customer data• Designs the methods of collection• Manages and implements data collection processes• Analyzes results• Communicates findings• Marketing research is planned and systematic

MARKETING RESEARCH IS:

The Environment of Marketing for Library and Information Services

Step Two:Market Segmentation

(Customer Groups)

Market Segmentation

A market segment is a group of potential users who share similar wants and needs.

Definition of Market Segment:

Market segmentation is grouping your users (customers) so you can deliver products and services efficiently and effectively.

Current MarketsWho Are Your Current Customers?

A Market is all the people who participate in the exchange process for a good or service

E.g., all library, museum, non-profitusers

• A market segment is people who share similar wants and needs E.g., online reference users

• Market segmentation is process of groupingE.g., virtual reference, teen-space, special topics, volume of use, etc

Libraries Practice Market Segmentation for over 100 Years! Adult, juvenile Mystery readersInternet usersFreshman Distance studentFacultyCurriculaField of studyDepartment/division

Prepare to Implement:Strategies and Actions

Marketing Strategies are based upon marketing goals and objectives…which are driven by the organization’s overall mission and goals and objectives

• Organization Mission Statement• Organization goals and objective• Marketing goals and objectives

Refine your target market:

Age

Gender

Location

Who are the specific new customers you want to reach? Based on your research, you can now be specific.

Example: Preliminary Target MarketOlder citizens who are unable to visit the library

Target Market:Male and female residents 60 years or older who are literate, who live at home on the south side of town, whose income is at or below the poverty level and who have limited mobility due to age or disability.

Socioeconomic status Psychographics

Step Three:

Marketing Mix Strategy:Product, Price, Place and Promotion

Marketing Mix StrategyMarketing Mix is the development of products, price, place and promotion of materials, services and programs to serve your identified target marketEvery PRODUCT has a PRICE and must be made available some PLACE that groups find out about through PROMOTION

How these work together for optimal customer satisfaction is the marketing mix strategy.• Product• Price• Place• Promotion

Product…

GoodsBooks, cd’s, films, journal articles, online databases, videocassettes, educational games, software, Internet access, toys

ServicesComputer or manual aided searches, instruction on the use of the library, virtual reference

Booktalks, story hours, exhibits, demonstrations, document delivery, interlibrary loans

PersonReference librarian, children’s librarian, subject specialist

PlaceThe library, the website, the chat room

IdeaVRD is a professional tool for solving problems and getting information quickly

Anything that can be offered to a market to satisfy a need.

Price(Customer Costs) Nickels and Time!…price can mean the trouble of acquiring something, not just a monetary charge

• Travel time• Wait time• Inquiry time• Speed of assistance by librarian

PlacePLACE is how your organization makes its products and services available and accessible to its markets• Facilities• Bookmobiles• Units or division deposits• Hours of Access• Remote Access to On-Line Catalogs, Databases• E-mail reference• Home delivery

Cyberspace and or ‘place?’

‘Walk-in’ registered borrowers affected by geographic location of library

Hours of access affect placeType of browser affects placeInterior layout of the library affects delivery of

services

PromotionPromotion is getting the word out on your products or services through the use of : •Advertising – paid or public service-electronic media, print media, outdoor, transit•Media/Publicity– news releases, community events/announcements•Sales Promotion– flyers, posters, handbills•Point of Purchase – displays•Interpersonal – word of mouth•Internet communications – banners, pop-ups, •Intranets and websites•Special Events – fairs, exhibits, openings (online or on site)

Marketing Mix StrategyProduct, price, place and

promotion work together to provide optimal customer satisfaction.

To implement the strategy--the library must be willing to tweak the 4P’s, as well as not put the burden on the customers.

MARKET STRATEGIES: Based on your research, describe the strategies you will use to achieve each objective

GOAL: Increase services to older residents who cannot come to the library

OBJECTIVE: To design and implement a home visit program that reaches 50 homebound elders in the southeastern part of the city next year

TARGET MARKET: Male and female residents in the southside of town who are 60 . . .

The Action Plan You have identified internal and external influences - You have identified customer markets and targeted -Research You know what you want to do –

Goals You know specifically what you want to achieve –

Objectives You’ve decided how you want to approach things –

Strategies Now all you need to identify the Who/What/When of tasks

Action Plan

Step FourMarketingEvaluation

EvaluationDid You Accomplish What You Wanted?Your evaluation should… Measure whether the OBJECTIVE was achieved Be designed before the project is implemented Measure outcome or completion of process Be realistic – something within your means to assess Incorporate performance measures Include a feedback loop, a method for revising your approach

Example1. Number of eligible

participants identified

2. Number of requests to participate

3. Number of repeat users

4. Customer satisfaction based on survey

1. To identify at least 100 eligible participants

2. To provide books to at least 90 percent of all requestors

3. To serve at least 50 repeat individuals during the year

4. To achieve at least an 80 percent rating of good or excellent customer satisfaction

Evaluation CriteriaBRAINSTORM!

Performance Measure Objectives

True Marketing Incorporates all Four Steps

CriteriaApplicants will be judged on the following:Strategic approach to marketing, indicated in the

research and planning stages of a submitted project;Creativity and innovation as demonstrated by the

originality of solutions to the marketing challenges;Potential for generating widespread public visibility and

support for libraries, irrespective of the kind or amount of resources employed;

Effectiveness illustrated by measurable objectives and subsequent evaluation methods;

Commitment to ongoing marketing activities.

Proposals must present an original project of marketing for a library of any kind;

answer each question on the application;

give an explanation about the benefits of the project from a local perspective;

describe the components of the project as outlined in the application;

express the identified needs of the targeted customer(s) involved;

give a full description of the marketing strategy;

summarize the marketing project and its results.

All proposals must reflect the above. Libraries and institutions are encouraged to describe the imaginative and inventive aspects of the projects.

Share your True Marketing!

IFLA - BIBLIBRE INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY MARKETING AWARD / Prix international IFLA

- BIBLIBRE de Marketing dans les bibliothèques / PREMIO INTERNACIONAL IFLA - BIBLIBRE DE MARKETING DE BIBLIOTECAS / Internationale Auszeichnung für Marketing in Bibliotheken /  届 IFLA 国际市场营销奖 爱墨瑞

得 / الجائزة الدولية للتسويق في المكتبات /МЕЖДУНАРОДНАЯ ПРЕМИЯ ИФЛА в

области МАРКЕТИНГА

For more information contact:Dr. Christine M. Koontz

ckoontz@fsu.edu