OCLC receives grant for library marketing campaign

Candi at the LibTalk blog reports on a Library Journal article stating that OCLC has been awarded a Gates grant to develop a library marketing campaign. From the press release: "The $1.2 million grant will be used by OCLC to conduct research, develop strategies, create materials and test elements of a national marketing campaign to demonstrate the value of libraries, and the need to increase support for libraries to meet the changing needs and expectations of library users. The project will aim to create a national campaign that can form an umbrella for regional- and local-level programs." It appears that this campaign will focus on public libraries.

It's all good: Any comments on the grant?

Categories: new_news

Weekly WOM: A little good karma goes a long way

An article from Adotas considers the karmic nature of WOM. Attaining Advertising Zen: How Word-of-Mouth Success is Savored Through Good Karma discusses 5 bits of advice to ensure that your good marketing deeds come back to you many times over in the form of long-lasting customer relationships. The five points are: 1. Is Your Product or Service Inherently Viral? 2. Do the Right Thing, Every Time. 3. Do Something Unexpected. 4. Keep the Ball Rolling. 5. Let it Grow Organically.

Believe it or not, I've actually thought of marketing in Buddhist terms too, although I haven't thought about karma per se. For me, marketing involves two major Buddhist principles: detachment and impermanence. Marketers should be detached to the extent that they don't cling to existing ways of doing things just because that's how they've always been done. Also, detachment can prevent marketers from getting too emotionally involved in pet projects that don't result in value for patrons, or too discouraged when taking a risk doesn't work out. Similarly, we're all familiar with impermanence. What's in one day is out the next, so we have to be flexible with how we envision our libraries, our services, and our patrons' needs as environmental changes dictate.

Is it a stretch to link Buddhism and marketing? Maybe. But library marketing lessons and inspirations are everywhere once you look for them.

Categories: random_stuff | tips_to_try

Don't just blog, blog well

If your library is still on the fence about blogging, or if you've made the leap but would like to improve your blog content and management, the following resources will be of use:

As I was doing some digging today, I found a report that is the product of a joint research project between a Northeastern University professor and Backbone Media. For this study, researchers interviewed 20 corporate bloggers to find what characteristics successful blogs have in common. The results are presented in the Blogging Success Study document and, while I haven't read all of it quite yet, what I have reviewed is quite helpful. Lead author Dr. Walter Carl wrote about the findings in his own blog where he mentions five themes that emerged from his investigation - culture, transparency, time, dialogue, and entertaining writing style and personalization.

Also, if you already have a good blog but aren't sure what to do with the comments it attracts, the MarketingProfs Daily Fix blog offers some good advice. In a nutshell, the author advises bloggers to embrace comments, including the bad ones, as opportunities to build relationships and improve service. (The comments on the article are worth reading too).

Categories: research_and_reports | technology_tools

Going mobile

A press release from the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) describes the latest update to its Mobile Advertising Guidelines (PDF). The Guidelines include banner and content guidelines, technical requirements, and a glossary. There are also examples of the various kinds of banner ads out there.

I suspect libraries will be using these mediums for promotion purposes, and this document does a good job of explaining how it works.

Categories: promising_promotions

Marketing tips from the future

If you've noticed that I've been a little behind in posting, you're right. Last week, I was busy getting together a presentation for VLA on podcasting. While I was at the conference, I attended the keynote speech given by Thomas Frey, Senior Futurist and Executive Director of the DaVinci Institute. Frey, appropriately enough, spoke on the future of libraries and I was pleased to find he confirmed many of the trends I've noticed and discussed here on LM, and he also introduced me to some new possibilities. You can read Frey's report, The Future of Libraries: Beginning the Great Transformation on your own, but here are the marketing-related trends that stood out to me:

• Search technology will become more complex: As Google and other competitors continue their quest to include everything, the nature of search will consequently become more involved and librarians will be important resources for helping patrons find the specific information they need.
• The rise of the experience-based economy: People are caring less about the products they buy and how they stack up to their neighbors', and are more concerned about the experiences they consume. What information experiences will the library be able to provide?
• New target markets emerging: As more and more people work from home full- or part-time, they suffer from one or two problems, according to Frey - isolation or distraction. What these people need is a "third place" like the library. What services and facilities would a library offer these patrons?
• Patrons take center stage: Frey argues that a library's physical space is its greatest asset. The library of the future will need to accommodate the creative ambitions of its patrons and their desire to produce their own information by offering spaces with facilities like blogging/podcasting stations, rehearsal studios, art studios, theaters, etc. While I haven't discussed physical spaces much on this blog, Frey's ideas coincide with my argument that librarians are going to have to design services that allow patrons to be successful at their endeavors, whatever they may be. Doing so entails going outside of our traditional services to find new opportunities to help patrons with our information resources.

Frey's overarching point is that our vision of the future shapes the present. To me, this means that if we as librarians don't have a vision for ourselves and what we hope to accomplish, we're not going to be able to create coherent and meaningful experiences for users in the present. While today is a time of great transition for libraries, it's important to take a step back to look at the big picture from time to time and envision a future where libraries are the cultural centers of their communities.

Categories: neat_trends | usable_theories

12 customer values for technology-related services

A common topic among library circles is how to use technology to deliver value to patrons. The problem is, it's pretty tough to know what it is our patrons value most. Is it ease-of-use? Community? One research and consulting firm recently conducted some research to get at answers to this question. A firm called Social Technologies studied what people want from future technologies and what qualities they appreciate. The result of their work is a list of 12 consumer technology values: user creativity, personalization, simplicity, assistance, appropriateness, convenience, connectedness, efficiency, intelligence, protection, health, and sustainability. You can read an analysis of these findings on Marketing Profs Daily Fix, where the author has kindly assembled these values into a nice graphic (PDF) suitable for your most prominent wall space. Heck, you can even frame it if you want to! But more importantly, as the author advises, is to make sure your technology innovations address at least some of these items.

Categories: must_reads | research_and_reports

Thanks a bundle, librarians!

Kathryn Greenhill of Librarians Matter demonstrates how librarians are becoming expert bundlers by using technology to gather relevant materials for patrons and making it easily accessible. In her post, Librarian bundles for philosophy scholars Kathryn describes how she used Google's Custom Search Engine, toolbars, and RSS to assemble philosophy resources for patrons. She includes examples of each of these tactics along with how-to's - very neat!

In marketing terms, I see this as adding value to our services by packaging them so that they make sense to patrons while making it easy for them to find just what they need. For me, helping patrons make meaning of the massive amount of information out there is the most important and marketing-savvy thing we can do and I hope we'll see more initiatives like what Kathryn describes.

Does anyone have other examples of packaging like this to share?

Categories: creativity_and_inspiration | technology_tools

A nation of generations - Tips from CRM

On the KnowThis.com Marketing Forum, Paul points out a terrific CRM piece about the generations that make up our nation and how best to market to them. The author states, "This special issue of CRM magazine presents an overview of population trends for consumer strategists that covers various generations: the War Generation (and older), Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y--a nation of generations, if you will. The handiest way to approach this overview may be to regard it as a united state of measurements, methods, and tools that will help marketers navigate the complex sales and marketing waters that swirl around targeted campaigns for each of these segments." By clicking on the links to each generation, you'll find descriptions of each group as well as ideas for effective promotions, their buying behavior and more - very nice!

Categories: resource_roundup

Marketing and social networking sites - important lessons

On the ACRLog, Steven Bell considers a recent WSJ article about users' growing disenchantment with social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. Steven also points out a related article from Wired News that describes how students are getting wary of the online world. Users are choosing to close down their profiles on these sites for a range of reasons including that the sites have grown too large for comfort, they don't protect privacy, the "friendships" made there aren't genuine, and commercial interests are proving too distracting as they infiltrate the networks through spam and fake friend requests.

These and other articles that are cropping up are evidence of some important technology/social trends taking shape and they provide many lessons for librarian-marketers. Here's I'm taking away from these developments:

Most services will fail once they try to be everything to everybody. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all product or service, particularly considering that the overall marketplace seeks customization and close relationships with organizations. Why then, would Facebook willingly throw open its gates to let anyone in and sacrifice its position as a place just for college students? It seems as though Facebook gave up its competitive advantage for the sake of being big, which is exactly what's turning a number of existing users against the service. When it comes to building relationships, big isn't always better. Big in this context can make these sites more threatening and less genuine. In the WSJ article for example, one 19-year-old sophomore tells of how she was compelled to leave Facebook after a creepy incident involving a near-stranger who tracked her down using the site. These sites should do a better job of trying to understand where the value lays for their users and zealously protect that value in everything they do. This approach may mean targeting smaller segments of users, but serving them better.

Another lesson that comes out in these cases is that marketing clutter can do a lot of damage. As the articles describe, network users are increasingly inundated with spam ads and companies that try to befriend them in hopes in increasing sales. To me, this is the dark side of marketing. Bad marketing will fill any new vehicle to reach people with meaningless garbage, making it difficult to get relevant messages across. For their part, site owners are encouraging this kind of commercialism to improve their bottom lines. Once again, the sites are looking at value from the perspective of the service providers, not the users. On a related note, this is why as a librarian I'm reluctant to blindly adopt the "go where the users are" mentality. I hear this phrase a lot and it's a good idea on the surface. I agree that we should make it easy for patrons to interact with us by reaching them when and where it's convenient for them. However, being there is pointless if we don't offer anything useful to them wherever "there" is. If, for example, we toss up a profile in MySpace just because patrons happen to be there, we're just adding to the clutter, giving patrons yet one more thing to sort through. We'd be better off not being involved than in portraying ourselves poorly. If, on the other hand, we put up a profile in MySpace because we have great information about the local music scene, then we're adding value to people's experiences in a way that is respectful and appropriate given the context. Force fitting ourselves into these communities and approaching them as a means to push stuff on people is doomed to failure because they will find a way to filter out this junk thereby cutting off another avenue for reaching them in the process.

The final thought I take away from all this is that people's relationship with technology is continually evolving. The Wired article states, "As the novelty of their wired lives wears off, they're also are getting more sophisticated about the way they use such tools as social networking and text and instant messaging -- not just constantly using them because they're there." This trend presents librarians with a perfect marketing opportunity. As information experts, we are well-positioned to help patrons make sense of technologies and what they're best suited for, as well as how to protect their privacy, and how best to manage all kinds of information. Furthermore, this trend tasks us with the responsibility to research our target patrons to determine which technologies are most appropriate for serving them and in what circumstances. If we hope to reach users as they become more technologically sophisticated, we need to get to know them and their preferences. Putting up profiles in every social site that comes along won't be sufficient to truly reach patrons.

Ultimately, technology isn't the answer to anything - it's a tool to apply to finding and implementing answers. The answers come from our relationships with people and an understanding of what they need and how we can help them. Because most librarians I know are genuine in their intent to make people's lives better and have intimate knowledge of their communities, they already have a big advantage over most competitors out there. The key is to not squander it by neglecting to put our patron's needs at the forefront, online or off. Technology is merely another way of demonstrating our commitment and value, but it doesn't create that value. Whatever we do in the tech world should have its roots in our understanding of our patrons.

Go out there and play with every tool that's out there. Experimentation is necessary to discover better ways of doing things. Some technologies will stay, some will change, and others will disappear, but don't forget why we're using the technology in the first place.

Categories: new_news | random_stuff | technology_tools

More marketing tools for kids @your library

An ALSC press release announces the addition of new materials to its promotional toolkit. The new materials include games, PSA's, and a specialized Web site.

Categories: new_news | promising_promotions

Weekly WOM: Honesty counts

There's a lot of discussion brewing in the WOM world over PR firm Edelman's questionable marketing tactics on behalf of its client Wal-Mart. Apparently, Edelman created fake blogs for the retailer that related the stories of two people traveling cross-country in an RV and camping out in Wal-Mart parking lots. You can get a recap of the story and the ensuing debate at Church of the Customer, but the most significant development so far for librarians who may be considering WOM strategies is WOMMA's response - The Association created an Ethics Assessment Tool that gives marketers 20 questions to consider before launching a WOM program. The questions are supposed to help marketers avoid doing anything unethical and they are related to the following topics: honesty of relationship, honesty of opinion, honesty of identity, taking responsibility, respecting the rules, and when hiring an agency. Integrity is particularly important with respect to WOM because once you abuse people's trust, it's difficult to win it back. Without trust, WOM doesn't work.

In other WOM news, you may want to check in on how Starbucks is using the social networking site Gather.com to promote the book for one more day. Despite the issues of authenticity these SBUX tactics call into question, using social networking sites to augment or substitute for in-person events is an appealing option for librarians to explore further.

Categories: new_news | promising_promotions | technology_tools | tips_to_try

New tool for locating marketing info on the Web

KnowThis.com assembled its list of top marketing Web sites into its own search engine using the Google Custom Search Engine. This search option allows you to search only those marketing sites deemed to be high-quality by the site's editor. I've always had a high opinion of the resources offered on this site and I've found this search engine to be a useful tool. You may want to check it out the next time you have a burning marketing question.

[In the interests of full disclosure and all that, I'm a Founding Member of the site's Marketing Forums.]

Categories: resource_roundup | technology_tools

When a brand just doesn't cut it anymore

Librarians continue to debate the library-as-books brand. Should we change our brand? Can we change it? If we do change it, what should a new brand look like? Whatever side of the fence you're on, or even if you're on the fence, these are important questions to ask. Marketers, in fact, must contend with brand issues like these all the time. The new MarketingProfs article, Why Rebranding Often Fails points out the pitfalls in undertaking such an ambitious effort. Here are some of the author's points that stood out to me:

• "A brand is the sum of perceptions people have about your company and its products and services. Ultimately, a brand isn't something you have, it's something you do."
• "Rebranding should always clarify and refine your positioning. Your goal in rebranding should be to make it easier for customers and prospects to understand exactly why your company should be one of their top choices—why there are few credible substitutes for your company in the market.
• And my favorite: "If, when rebranding, you're not scared, that [sic] rebranding probably won't create meaningful change in your organization or in the marketplace.

If librarians become committed to the idea of building a whole new brand based upon something other than books, simply tacking on additional services won't do. To change people's minds about who we are, we have to fundamentally change what we do and how we do it, without going so far as to alienate people entirely or lose sight of our special role in society. Difficult? For sure. Worthwhile? I believe it probably is, though I hope we continue to discuss this topic.

Categories: must_reads | usable_theories

Starbucks aesthetic on the march

Alice remarks on the continuing Starbucks expansion into the entertainment/cultural landscape on It's All Good. Alice points to a terrific NYT article called The Starbucks Aesthetic. I won't repeat the post or my comment on it, but both Alice and the article raise some important points about marketing and authenticity. Personally, I am increasingly disenchanted with SBUX's presumptuousness, though I do appreciate many of the marketing lessons the company teaches by example. It's insulting to me that they expect to dictate to customers what aspects of culture are worth paying attention to and which are not. As Alice suggests, perhaps libraries' strength is that they are a refuge for authenticity. I agree that I think one of librarians' competitive advantages is our ability to understand and work collaboratively with the communities we're a part of, and that our transparency and lack of a profit motive makes us very strong in the authenticity arena. Granted, we have a ways to go in the cool arena, but we're getting there. :)

Categories: must_reads

Google launches customized search engine

Google launched a custom search engine service that promises to be a very neat tool for adding value to Web sites and service offerings. It could be yet another way librarians can showcase their expertise by building search engines for target audiences.

You can read more about it on Search Engine Watch.

What immediately drew my attention is the ability to collaborate with others on building the search engine. Specifically, "Contributors can add additional sites to be included or excluded in your Custom Search Engine and annotate them with any refinement labels that you have created." This could be a great way to interact with colleagues as well as patrons.

I have to play with this to comment on it more fully, but I'm definitely excited about this tool. As you experiment with it, I'd be glad to hear about your thoughts on how this might be applied for library marketing purposes.

[Thanks to KnowThis.com forums for the tip!]

Categories: new_news | technology_tools

Weekly WOM - Tools to fuel the WOM fire

When doling out advice, WOM specialists usually tell practitioners to give people the tools they need to spread WOM. This is a pretty vague directive, but I recently stumbled upon an example from library land that might help make this idea more concrete.

I was playing around in the database Engineering Village, and noticed that when you click on an abstract, you'll find a button labeled "Blog This." When you click on it, you're given a piece of code that you can plop into your blog or Web site so that you can share the abstract with others. How great is that?! This functionality makes it easy to share a chunk of information that could otherwise be buried in a database and it allows bloggers to supplement the record with their own thoughts. It also helps to highlight the Engineering Village product. I really love this approach to raising the visibility of our high-quality library resources, and it's an excellent example of how we can help patrons to spread the word.

Ford tailgates customers as part of their market research

CNN reports on how Ford is using ethnographic research to build customer personas, which in turn form the basis of their car designs. Through survey research, marketers closed in on people who might like a particular kind of car and gave these people a name like "Phil." They figured out what the Phil's of the world like and dislike, and what their lives are like, etc. They then followed around a sample group of Phil's as the article describes, "They were followed in their homes, cars, offices and on shopping trips by researchers carrying note pads and video cameras. Their tastes in clothes, home furnishings, even beer, were noted. Everything they did with their cars, or wanted to do but couldn't, was noted and studied." Ford then built a car around Phil's lifestyle (which turns out to be a Ford Edge).

Of course, I'm wondering what librarians could discover about patrons by applying these research methods. What I like about this technique is that it puts researchers in the shoes of the customer to flesh out what survey data says. I'm not sure if this is a method that librarians would adopt, but I do think it's important when possible to step out of the librarian role to understand how patrons experience the library.

Categories: neat_trends | real_life

Creativity clips

If marketing is about adapting to ever-evolving customer needs, then marketing is also about change and risk - two things that don't come easy to most organizations. Maybe that's why so many Web authors write like crazy about how to overcome obstacles to creativity and innovation. Here are some of the pieces I picked up on this week:

1. Aaron Schmidt of Walking Paper addresses questions about how to beat organizational resistance to adopting new technologies. The questions came from audience members who attended the SirsiDynix presentation, "Engaging Youth on their Own Terms: Instant Messaging and Gaming in Libraries."

2. Blog About Libraries' Steve Backs asks if your workplace is a "Culture of No" or a "Culture of Maybe" (both are bad news for innovators) and points out Five Rules of Creativity from the Weiden and Kennedy ad agency.

3. Creativity guru Paul Williams offers a Mixed Tape of Weblinks that points out two books for those seeking to break free from the mold: Zag: The Number One Strategy of High-Performance Brands and The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary Into Extraordinary.

4. BusinessWeek online explains the danger of copycatting: "The lack of individuality makes it hard to remember, understand, or talk about brands. They lack the emotional appeal and intellectual trust needed to keep us loyal."

Categories: creativity_and_inspiration | resource_roundup

New skills, new services, new opportunities

Librarians, I've argued, aren't in the information warehousing business - we're in the improving people's lives business. We help people find, evaluate, and use information so that they can accomplish those things that are meaningful to them. Those "things" could be learning a new skill, completing major research projects, learning about a new or personally interesting topic, finding employment, doing self-exploration, filling in the family tree, communicating with friends, creating works of art or any one of countless activities that enrich patrons' lives. How exactly we go about our life-improvement business is changing. Patrons want and expect different things from us and they have more alternatives than they did in the past. These changes may be a little scary because they create a lot of uncertainty, but they are also incredibly exciting because they give us the opportunity to find new ways to apply our talents and resources. And we're not the only ones doing a lot of introspection these days.

Duct Tape Marketing blog author John Jantsch advises small businesses on marketing. In this post, John offers the following bit of advice, "This principle is one that every business can and should think long and hard about. How can you become more valuable to your clients. What can you offer to do, even if it's not really your job, that would help them be more successful, get better results, solve more problems. Do that, and you will find the universe will make you more successful in the process.[emphasis mine]" I agree. On a related note, I was doing research for an assignment and found this article about how the financial services industry is struggling with its own sense of purpose. The gist of the piece is that wealthy Baby Boomers demand more services from their financial planners. These clients don't just want financial advice anymore, they want input on their life goals, career choices, and help with how to achieve their dreams. Essentially, Baby Boomers want help with being successful in the big scheme of things, and right now they're unsatisfied with what planners have to offer. To meet these new demands, planners are going to need to develop entirely new skill sets and operations. They will have to broaden their areas of expertise and discover new ways of managing clients. Does any of this sound familiar?

The point of these two business examples is that we're not alone in confronting the question of how to redefine ourselves given the realities of the modern marketplace. Some of what we've always done will remain, but I believe that librarians will have to develop new skills (like marketing?) and uncover new opportunities to turn our stuff into meaning for patrons. We will have to become adept at finding ways of helping our patrons be successful in their pursuits. Doing so means that we will have to leave our comfort zones, continually refresh our skills, and become indispensable partners with our patrons. Our success, it seems, is directly linked to our patrons' success.

Categories: random_stuff

QR: The next big thing?

[photo from SlashPhone]

Wireless: Mobile Marketing in an Ink Blot discusses a technology already commonplace in Japan and South Korea - QR codes. QR stands for "Quick Response." These codes are like bar codes, but they look more like ink blots and they contain a lot more information. Customers read the codes by taking snapshots of them with Internet-enabled cell phones. For example, the article mentions that grocery shoppers can take pictures of QR coded meat packages and learn where the meat came from, what the cow ate, and where the meat was processed. The codes are also finding their way onto business cards and McDonald's food packaging.

I can only begin to imagine the potential uses for this in libraries. We could code signs, exhibits, promotional materials, and on and on. What I like is that the codes are interactive and that they add value and layers of meaning to objects. Consider how even the simple act of consuming hamburgers is changed just by knowing all about the cow they came from! I'm enthusiastic about marketing applications for tools like these that allow us to provide a richer experience for patrons.

What do you think about QR and it's possible applications?

Categories: technology_tools

Weekly WOM: Making friends online

If you only do one thing today, read today's NYT article that investigates how marketers are making new "friends" on sites like MySpace and Facebook. The tactics are certainly creative. Marketers are developing characters that people can befriend, and they sponsor games and give away prizes for referrals. Networking sites are also making accommodations for advertisers: "MySpace is even willing to change some of its standard features to help advertisers. For example, it normally lets members display photos of their top eight friends on their main profile pages. But people who added the movie "X-Men: The Last Stand" to their friends list were given the right to show 16 top friends." The impetus behind these tactics is to integrate marketers into social networks so that they can take advantage of their WOM-friendly features.

Categories: must_reads | neat_trends | promising_promotions

Brush, floss, and market

It's always interesting to see how professionals in other fields approach marketing. Dental Economics has a nice piece on marketing to patients based on the generation they're a part of including Matures, Boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y. The characteristics of the groups are described along with customized marketing tips for each. For Gen Y patients, for example, the author advises, "Gen Y patients do not want to be instructed on what to do, but steered through the decision-making process. Help guide them through it, while appealing to their search for passion and identity. As they begin taking ownership of their health, provide them with enough information to make educated decisions." Many tips are general enough that they have some applicability to the library community as well, but you'll want to take them with a grain of salt since the author is pushing her wares throughout this article and there are no references listed. Nevertheless, it's a good starting point for thinking about marketing focused on particular age groups.

Update: I found this in yesterday's New York Times: Not Getting Older, Just More Scrutinized provides an in-depth look at Baby Boomers and the challenges advertisers face in reaching them - a great read.

Update #2: USA Today reports on Gen Y: Gen Y sits on top of consumer food chain.

Categories: resource_roundup | tips_to_try

Listening-centered marketing

A Click-Z article, Time For a New Model: Listening-Centered Marketing, calls for a new way of thinking about marketer/customer relationships. The author, Pete Blackshaw, notes that there is a tension between marketers' and customers' perceptions of the marketplace and their roles in it. To alleviate this tension, Blackshaw advocates a new marketing model whereby marketers continually listen and respond to needs as they arise. He goes on to offer building blocks for this model. Blackshaw describes the proposed model this way: "Listening-Centered Marketing thinks about measurements and metrics as continuous, and not mere time-stamps. It's about managing in a world where real-time conversation is held in equal esteem with a click, or a page view, even an actual "transaction." It's where the consumer "voice" gives us a much needed aperture to make better, more informed brand decisions."

Listening is a difficult still to master. It's even more difficult to do on an continual basis. It is, however, key to being ahead of the curve and proactive in addressing needs, which in turn creates value for customers.

Categories: tips_to_try | usable_theories

Defending libraries - Are new tactics the key?

This is probably old news to many of you by now, but since I've been out of the office and away from the computer for awhile, I'm playing catch up and found a piece that absolutely belongs on LM. John Blyberg of the Ann Arbor District Library wrote a strong and compelling response to a discussion surrounding an op-ed piece whose author argues against building a new downtown library. Sarah Houghton took a lead in defending the value of libraries in her response (way to go!) and the article has rustled a lot of other feathers, as evidenced by the 61 comments it generated to date. John's analysis is outstanding, and I won't endeavor to repeat it, so give it a read. Two points stand out to me after reading his piece - 1. The op-ed piece is extremely enlightening as to why some people are disenchanted with library services. I agree with John that it's important to listen carefully to these arguments because we need to be prepared to address them with words, actions, and/or new services. 2. Librarians are going to need be increasingly proactive, risk-taking and marketing-savvy to create value for people and to promote that value. As John says, "I think as we push further into the 21st Century, a lot of librarians are going to have to reconcile their expectations of what they think a library should be with what a library needs to be. This is hard, because in order to effect the changes needed to do business in this new, emerging market (yes, we're part of a market), and find a place among the commercial giants we need to be much more nimble than we are now." I agree that being in a defensive, reactionary position is detrimental to our work, and I was glad to read the thoughts in this post. What do you think?

Categories: must_reads | real_life

Peek in on marketing conversations at KnowThis.com

I was quite excited and grateful when Dr. Paul Christ, editor of KnowThis.com, invited me to be 1 of about 25 Founding Members of the site's brand new Marketing Forums. The Forums launched today and are intended to be, "a place where marketers can share experiences, receive advice, discuss current happenings, meet other marketers and much more." There are forums on all kinds of topics like marketing basics, research design, marketing plans, and technologies and trends, to name just some.

No, I'm not getting paid to do this and no, I'm not shamelessly self-promoting, but I do think the Forums present a worthwhile opportunity for librarians to peek in on the conversations and advice offered. There's no fee to read the entries and it looks like there are top-notch marketers participating. I'm sure I'll learn a lot and I hope you do too.

[In case you were wondering, I post under the mysterious pseudonym "jill the librarian" - creative, no?]

Update: I just received word that the Forums have not yet launched publicly due to a last-minute glitch. I didn't notice it on my end, so I apologize for any confusion. The goal is to resolve the problem today and if not, to launch tomorrow.
Update #2: Everything's up and running!

Categories: new_news | train_yourself

Time: Too high a price?

In library land, our services entail little or no direct monetary costs. Other costs, however, are quite high for many of our patrons. Specifically, I'm talking about time (and the lack of it). Research is a skill and like any other skill, it takes time to develop. Even pleasure reading is a trade-off of time for a variety of personal benefits. Unfortunately, time is what today’s patrons lack. I'm sure that this statement is hardly news for any of you who probably suffer from your own time deficits. What's newsworthy to me is the extent of this problem. The other day, a patron approached the desk in search of a golf pencil. When I asked if she was finding everything else alright, she responded, "Yeah, except the inside of my eyelids." It was about 9 or 10a.m. This statement reminded me of other conversations I'd heard recently. For example, a group of undergraduates were talking about the challenges of balancing full-time jobs with full-time schoolwork. One girl commented that she remembers breaking down into tears some days because she was so exhausted she didn't think she could function. Perhaps you've heard similar sentiments. How, then, can we expect even the most well-intentioned person to devote valuable time to leisurely or scholarly library pursuits?

In marketing, one of the much beloved 4 P's is Price. Marketers set a price that is a reasonable exchange for the benefits a product or service offers to a target market. When it comes to time, how can librarians set appropriate prices as time becomes increasingly valuable? I don't have a magic bullet answer to this question, but I do have a few ideas and I welcome your own:

• Set realistic expectations: We don't want to promise too much or too little to our patrons when it comes to how much time something will take. It's great if we can speed up processes, but some services take a fixed time to deliver. We should do all we can to get patrons what they need quickly, but if we over- or under-promise, we risk dissatisfying them. Furthermore, it's dishonest to portray research or learning new skills as quick and easy. They're not. And I doubt any amount of technology or automation will make a substantial difference time-wise for many of these endeavors.
• Promote the benefits: Sure, attending a library workshop or program will cost patrons 60 minutes, but focus on what they'll get in return. A new skill, a good time, better grades, or new insights are just some benefits patrons seek in exchange for spending their time. Promotion materials should focus on those benefits and the service should be carefully designed so as to be worth the cost.
• Segment by time: In the for-profit world, marketers use characteristics like income to segment markets. In the library world, why not segment patrons by how much time they have to spend? On-the-go businesspeople, sleep-starved students and busy moms will likely prefer quick and convenient services at their points-of-need, whereas retirees may be more willing to attend longer programs. Of course, market research will be required to make these determinations, but segmenting by time is worth investigating.
• Help patrons make more time: Highlight resources you have on topics like time-management or sponsor workshops on time-saving themes.
• Creative distribution: Technology offers exciting opportunities to deliver what patrons need when and where they need it. RSS feeds allow patrons to get the news they want quickly when then want it, for example. Librarians are already investigating how they can get small, quick chunks of information and tutorials to patrons on demand by way of screencasts and podcasts. These strategies put patrons in control of how much time they spend on tasks and when they engage in them, thereby offsetting the time costs of services.

Have any other price-reducing tips?

Categories: real_life | tips_to_try | usable_theories

From push to pull - Ads on demand

EContent has as nice write-up about how customers are becoming content creators in the ad world. The article describes how customers are no longer satisfied to sit idly by as ads are pushed at them. Rather, they now seek to make ads the way they want, and watch them when they want, as user-generated content continues to shake up the marketing landscape. The author, Steve Smith, asserts, "The forward thinking (but too few) advertisers who are embracing this user-generated ad format appreciate that their products take on the personality and voice of the host, becoming part of the spirit of the show itself. What these marketers intuit, if not realize consciously, is that media are shifting from a content-centric to an audience-centric model." Smith contends that customers are now media explorers, not consumers.

I think it's an open question as to how librarians are to adapt to this trend, both in terms of services and promotions, but it's clear that we should recognize the desire for patrons to exercise greater control over the marketing messages they take in. As we devise our own promotions, how do we involve our patrons and engage them as co-creators?

Categories: neat_trends | promising_promotions

Weekly WOM: Increase the fun factor

The Church of the Customer blog reports on how one intrepid Southwest Airlines gate agent took matters into his own hands to perk up flyers after the A/C broke down at the terminal. The agent soothed weary travelers with his jokes, goofy hat and greeting everyone by name. According to the report, the heat was quickly forgotten, but the fun experience was not. As Jackie Huba sums up, "It was still hot as hell at the gate, but most folks made their way onto the plane with a smile on their face, as I did. The freedom to be fun. Yet another reason why Southwest has such strong word of mouth versus its competitors." The post also includes a chart from a HBR article, The One Number You Need to Grow (Hint: It's customer referrals).

This story reminded me of another one I read from the NYT that describes how one hotel is training its employees in the finer points of etiquette: "The program, begun in August, is meant to set Loews employees apart by their behavior, dress and personalized approach to sales." The intensive two-day training covers all manner of social and sales skills. As part of this new strategy, the hotel's sales people encourage their potential clients to have fun, try out the bed and use the bath products. It seems to be working as one client said, "'I saw a big change,' Ms. Cricks said. "I used to see the hotel as stiff and sterile. The site visit was very whimsical. It was definitely fun." And more important for the Regency, she said she planned to expand the list of clients she would steer there."

As these two examples suggest, there would seem to be a direct WOM-fun relationship. I know we're not in the entertainment business, but if airlines and hotels can insert a bit of humor into their routines, libraries can too. I can't speak for everyone, but a sense of humor is a very endearing quality to me in both people and companies. Fun, however, doesn't just happen. As these examples demonstrate, for fun to work, it has to be a part of the organizational culture and front-line staff have to feel empowered to take certain liberties depending on the situation. Doing so may not just be good for the funny bone, but also for fostering positive word-of-mouth.

Categories: creativity_and_inspiration | real_life

Why WOM?

I mentioned earlier this week that I wanted to revisit the idea of word-of-mouth (WOM) communications and why WOM is a particularly important concept for librarians to understand and put to good use. Today, I'm offering a brief intro into this idea that I'm going to develop further.

First of all, I have to say that I think every librarian should be required at some point in his or her career to take a course in services marketing. I'm doing just that this semester and though it's still early on in the course, I can't tell you how valuable what I'm learning is. We've covered topics about what makes a service a service, how customers form their expectations, and how to manage service operations, to name just a few useful topics - good stuff!

The piece that's relevant for this post has to do with service models, namely, a model for understanding service qualities. In a nutshell, this model suggests that there are 3 kinds of qualities for goods and services: search, experience and credence. Search qualities are those that you can easily evaluate before you consume a good/service. Tangible goods are usually high in these qualities. For example, it's pretty easy to figure out what the features, design, speed, etc. of a computer is before you buy one. Services/goods high in experience qualities can be only be evaluated during or after purchase. A good example of this would be a haircut. You don't know if it's good one until after the deed is done. Finally, goods/services high in credence qualities are hard to evaluate even after you've purchased them. How, for example, would you evaluate medical services? How do you know you got the best check-up possible? Tricky...

The point of all this is that I would argue that most library services are rich in credence qualities. To use reference as an example, most patrons have no clue if they received the "best" answer (and a lot of librarians struggle with that issue too!). This ambiguity makes the reference transaction a somewhat risky one because patrons don't know how to evaluate the help they're given. How do they reduce the risk and figure out a way to assess us? Answer: word of mouth. As authors of one research study state, "The role of WOM communication is considered to be particularly significant in a service context because the predominance of experience and credence qualities in services suggests that consumers experience a higher degree of perceived risk in making a purchase decision." It makes sense to me that patrons rely on other patrons to help them figure out how good of a job we're doing. Not only that, but social technology like blogs and online communities helps them spread the word fast and to a large number of people. For those of you who are regular LM readers, you know that WOM frequently pops up in business news as marketers try to figure out how to manage WOM in an increasingly connected world. WOM, then, is important. And it's very important for librarians. For these reasons, I'm going to dedicate a substantial amount of this blog's real estate to investigating WOM further. I'm aiming for a post a week dedicated to WOM research, news and strategies to help us get a handle on WOM in a library context. I'll also look forward to hearing about your own WOM insights.

Categories: neat_trends | promising_promotions | usable_theories

Forthcoming book on citizen marketing

FYI: I received a notice today from the Church of the Customer authors about a forthcoming book they wrote entitled Citizen Marketers: When People are the Message. The the authors, Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba, state, "The forces of democractization are strong, and they are fueling what's happening online with content created by everyday people. We'll document the democratization of technology and personal expression and explain the sociological and psychological rationales of why creative and passionate people (the 1 Percenters) contribute their time and attention to brands."

I pass this notice along because this customer-generated content marketing trend is in the news quite a bit and this book looks like a promising way to make sense of it. For librarians, this could be an uncharted avenue for engaging patrons. The book will be released in early January '07. If and when I get a chance to read it, I'll pass my two cents along to you. [Update: Per Jackie's comment, the new release date is Dec. 1, 2006 (yeah!).]

Categories: must_reads | neat_trends

Quality service starts from within

The Quality Service Marketing blog highlights the key findings of an internal marketing best practice study that examined the marketing practices of companies in various industries across the U.S. Among the findings are that employees are extensions of the brand, all employees regardless of rank can make a difference, and a strong corporate culture can translate into a strong competitive advantage. The last point about competitive advantage stood out to me because it hadn't occurred to me before. It makes sense that if "garbage in" = "garbage out" that the reverse is true and that our internal processes can make a significant difference in our service delivery and how we stack up to competitors. The Quality Services Marketing blog promises more discussion of the study in upcoming posts.

Categories: must_reads | research_and_reports

WOM gone awry?

The Boston Globe questions the future direction of marketing, and specifically promotion, in light of popular deceptions like lonelygirl15: "Whether or not lonelygirl15 is art, it certainly owes its popularity to its willingness to blur the line between fact and fiction. It's a strategy that, online and off, has been popping up increasingly, not only in underground publicity stunts but formal advertising campaigns." The article goes on to talk about word-of-mouth marketing and whether or not honesty trumps trickery for advertisers who are frustrated with traditional channels and seek some novel way to captivate their target audiences.

This issue is an important one for anyone engaged in marketing, including librarians. For reasons I will talk about this week on LM, word-of-mouth (WOM) has great potential for promoting library services. But, it needs to be done right. There's a difference between creating a little bit of mystery to engage people in marketing tactics, and outright lying to people. Contrary to what popular opinion may be, good WOM is honest. Good WOMers acknowledge their relationship to companies and don't misrepresent their products. The Word of Mouth Marketing Association has even developed a code of ethics that spells out appropriate WOM protocol. Ethical WOM marketing is important if consumers are expected to trust marketers and pay attention to what they have to say. Too much deception could further exacerbate the problem of getting people to tune in to marketing messages and damage brands in the long-term.

This week, I'll discuss why the good kind of WOM could be a great approach for librarians and one that merits more study and practice.

Categories: must_reads | train_yourself

RSS that makes sense

MicroPersuasion points to a helpful post that explains how to use RSS in a way that actually makes sense. For those of you promoting your libraries' RSS feeds, this post could give you some ideas about how to describe the benefits to users.

Categories: tips_to_try

Is Facebook diluting its brand? (And are there lessons for librarians?)

Knowledge@Wharton addresses a concern I've had about the wisdom of Facebook's decision to expand its network beyond the realm of colleges/universities. I highly recommend reading the article Losing Their Cool: The Downside of Expanding Hot Social Networking Sites for an excellent analysis of Facebook's change of direction. The author asks, "Underneath Facebook's expansion plans is a conundrum facing any social networking site: How do these companies expand into new markets without losing what originally made the site popular and alienating their existing customers? This question hit home for me since what I liked about Facebook was the very fact that it wasn't as open as communities like MySpace and I felt like I had at least a little bit in common with members. In fact, as the article points out, sites like Facebook may be losing their "air of exclusivity" that draws in audiences. The author points out that perhaps a "portfolio of brands" model, such as that utilized by P&G could be preferable, "A company like Facebook could do the same thing. According to Bell, the primary brand could focus on college students and a new site could follow young professionals. "That way, there's little concern about diluting the main brand. There are elements of other industries that are analogous to this one."'

The danger here, as I see it, is that Facebook is devolving into a me-too product that doesn't offer a competitive advantage over MySpace. Certainly, companies are entitled to expand their businesses, but the lack of a clear purpose may make it difficult to convince people of the service's benefits, which could result in alienating many current and potential users. Is there a lesson here for librarians? Possibly. With all the talk about how we can make ourselves more Googlesque, shouldn't we instead be discussing what makes libraries libraries? What distinguishes us from other information providers, and why would people want to use what we offer? The answers to those questions should be the driving force behind our service decisions, and not the impulse to duplicate what exists elsewhere. Furthermore, books are not the answer, at least not all of it. The stuff we have is not what we are. We are stewards of information and members of our communities; we create possibilites for people where they didn't exist before. These are the kinds of qualities that will endear us to patrons. Books can be found in numerous places. Opportunities are harder to come by. I consider myself a very open-minded person who seeks service inspirations from everywhere: restaurants, advertisements, car dealerships, psychology and business literature and, yes, Google and Amazon and every other place that makes me consider another way of doing things. As we adapt some of these inspirations to what we do, I hope we'll continually ask ourselves which adaptations dilute and which adaptations distinguish what libraries are. Even better, I hope that we continue to evaluate and improve upon aspects of what we do that are uniquely libraryesque, and that other service providers derive inspiration from how we conduct ourselves.

Categories: must_reads | random_stuff

B is for branding

We all know that branding is important. Branding can be a strong competitive advantage and can also reduce patrons' perceived risk of using our services.

Because branding is so crucial for those of us in the service industry, I'm passing along a few helpful branding pieces I've read recently:

• MarketingProfs has two branding articles in its latest newsletter. One entitled, Strong Brands Always Have More Brand Credits Than Debits: A Starbucks Lesson describes how SBUX uses a credit/debit system in deciding whether or not a marketing move will add or detract from the brand. The author describes the four key questions SBUX marketers ask to make this determination and recommends making one for your own business.
• In the second article, The 10 C's of Branding, the author gives ten qualities of strong brands (all starting with "c" of course): competent, credible, clear, compelling, consistent, constant, connected, committed and current.
• KnowThis.com points to a fun article from CNN Money about product mascots and how they communicate the brand. This strategy can also be used for character-free brands for which the main focus is on story-telling. On a related topic, the Marketing News blog asks, If your brand were a person, what kind of person...? The recommended exercise is fun and worth a try. The authors says the technique is "a means of seeing the brand in three dimensions in a way that mere descriptive terms can'’t illustrate, and conjuring up a whole person is more likely to get at the flaws as well as the strengths of the brand."

Update: I realized that the 10 C's article from MarketingProfs is missing #7, so there are only 9 C's listed. I've contacted the author so we can find out what this mysterious seventh C is. I'll keep you posted. :)

Update #2: I just heard from the 10 C's author, William Arruda, what the 7th C is. Here is what he wrote: "7. Confident
Confidence is attractive and it is an attribute of all strong brands.
Strong brands are not wishy-washy. They make decisions with conviction and
deal with the consequences. They have a vision and believe that the vision
can become reality.

Marriott was confident in their decision to go no-smoking. They instituted
the policy world-wide – taking a stand and attracting attention. Strong
brands aren’t bashful. They are confident and that confidence permeates the
entire organization."

Thanks, William!

Categories: creativity_and_inspiration | must_reads | resource_roundup

Customer care - learn from those who do it right

This is neat: FastCompany released its 2006 Customer First Awards. The winners, "transform ordinary transactions into entertaining experiences -- delighting customers and showing everyone else the way." What's great is that the Fast Company site not only lists the winning companies, but it also describes why they're worthy of the honor so it's an ideal place to find some pointers and ideas. Also featured are podcasts from the winners as well as related articles.

Speaking of customer service, don't forget about internal customers as well. Employees are the people who actually take all of the strategies laid out in marketing plans and make them happen...or not. To be successful, employees must understand what the organization is trying to accomplish and be given the tools and support to get the organization to where it aims to be. Services, unlike goods, involve employees creating the service along with the customer. This unique aspect of services gives employees a promising opportunity to shape the service to meet or exceed customers' expections. However, if under-trained and unprepared, employees can fall short of what customers want. Obviously, the role of front-line staff is extremely important in any service, including library services. For these reasons I was very excited to find the blog Quality Service Marketing that specializes in internal marketing and internal communications. It's written by a former Chairman of the American Marketing Association who is currently a marketing and organizational advisor. Of course, we all know of more good blogs than we can keep up with, but this one appears to fill an important internal marketing niche. As an added bonus, the author writes with an accessible, educational tone for non-marketing types. I'm already finding some terrific ideas (take a look at this post for instance).

Categories: creativity_and_inspiration | resource_roundup

Marketing in higher ed

NPR, Morning Edition, reports on how colleges and universities are ramping up their marketing to attract students. Have a listen!

Categories: new_news

Pop-ups (not the book kind)

Pop-up retailing is hitting the streets of Canada, according to a CBC News article. In efforts to cut through the clutter (THE ultimate promotion challenge), retailers like Evian and Target aren't waiting for customers to come to them - they're taking their products to customers in attention-getting ways. Evian, for example, established pop-up spas where people could drop in for a bottle of water, a hand massage, or other relaxing treatments. Interestingly, these awareness-grabbing tactics hearken back to traditional means of distribution as one retail consultant describes, "Having stores and firm places of business is more recent than the history of retail would have you believe."

In my library, I've always argued that librarians should "pop up" in unexpected locations delivering unexpected services. It's important that we change up the contexts in which patrons view us as relevant and free ourselves somewhat from associations with the library building itself. Information doesn't have boundaries, so why should we? I think we librarians could do a great deal more with how we manage the place/distribution portion of our marketing mix.

Library as place, however, is still a powerful service offering, but how well do we manage it? An article from USA Today might make you rethink how you approach your library spaces. The piece describes how retailers manipulate everything from scents to layouts to sounds in order to encourage purchases. The books Call of the Mall and Why We Buy by Paco Underhill explore the intricacies of the retail environment in depth. For retailing from a library perspective, check out Jeannette Woodward's Creating the Customer-Driven Library: Building on the Bookstore Model.

Categories: new_news | promising_promotions | resource_roundup

Get the skills to succeed...@your library

Trendwatching.com reports on an emerging trend that's right up librarians' collective alley: Status Skills. The report defines Status Skills this way: ""In economies that increasingly depend on (and thus value) creative thinking and acting, well-known status symbols tied to owning and consuming goods and services will find worthy competition from 'STATUS SKILLS': those skills that consumers are mastering to make the most of those same goods and services, bringing them status by being good at something, and the story telling that comes with it." Skills are a product of information and training, and librarians fit squarely in the skills-providing business.

For me, one of the strongest appeals of this profession and of libraries generally is empowerment, which I suppose is a close cousin of status, but I'd never thought of it in those terms. I often talk to faculty and students about how empowering and plain cool it is to be able to find information on any topic that tickles their fancy. As a librarian, I'm enthralled by how almost any kind of information a patron may want is find-able. If it doesn't exist, then the resources are out there to make new knowledge to fill the gap. Amazing.

I've thought a lot about empowerment, libraries, and Web 2.0, or, whatever you call people's increasing tendency to want to generate/add to/customize information online via blogs, wikis, communities and so on. What I see is an emerging niche for librarians, which the Status Skills report does a good job of describing. Patrons don't just want to locate information. They also want to adapt, modify and transform information. We information experts can help them to be successful in those pursuits. We already dabble in this to greater or lesser extents. At VCU, we offer RefWorks, which allows patrons to store and manage their citations. Most libraries also offer basic software packages that allow patrons to manipulate information to create presentations, videos, and other projects. We're no longer gatekeepers of information; we're professionals who assist our patrons in achieving their best, whatever that may be. Doing so may lead to status for some patrons, but it will also hopefully increase the status of our profession in their minds. In other words, it's positioning ourselves to be relevant in an evolving information world by doing what we want to be doing anyway: helping people with information and expertise.

Recently, I've been struck by how powerful positioning ourselves in this way can be. The example I have from my work is far from Web 2.0 and equally far from innovative, but the results have surprised me nevertheless. This fall, our university began promoting a set of study skills that they expect incoming students to master, including time management and being prepared for class. In support of this worthwhile initiative, I created a brief study skills resource guide that addresses the university's expectations with supplemental library resources. Essentially, I've tried to give students tools they can use to improve their skills so they can perform better in classes, which differs from the traditional discipline-based guides that help people find stuff for their papers. It's nothing earth-shattering to those of us who make these guides all of the time, but here's what's happened in less than a month since I made the guide: A university administrator asked that instructors explore ways to incorporate this guide into their coursework; a residence hall advisor asked me if he could disperse the guide throughout his dorm because he wished he had those skills as a freshman (I said yes :-) ); I asked the RA if I might have a chance to talk to students in the dorm about these resources (he said yes :-) ), and I'm now planning a program for the dorm along with a colleague who heads up tutoring on campus; and I'm working with library colleagues to beef up our study skills collection. I also made a similar guide for members of student organizations with resources on topics like leadership, planning meetings and events, etc., and I've been invited to talk to organization advisors about what we can offer as a result. Granted, much of this has to do with the welcoming, collegial atmosphere here and trends on campus, but marketing is all about environment. I want our patrons to understand that we have resources for all kinds of information needs that can make them more effective in whatever they're doing on campus in addition to writing papers.

If you'd like more ideas on repositioning, I highly recommend Drew Racine's thought-provoking article in the latest American Libraries called "Bifurcate to Survive!" He suggests some pretty drastic changes to move patrons away from "libraries as books" to "libraries as information." You may or may not agree with him, but his ideas will shake up your thinking.

Categories: creativity_and_inspiration | must_reads | neat_trends | real_life | tips_to_try

Marketing inspirations abound

I've found that learning about and exploring marketing ideas is downright inspirational. Today, I've stumbled across so much inspirational stuff that I can't give all of it its fair shake here in this blog post, but I can at least stick them in a list so you can take from it what you will. Here goes:

• The New York Times reported on a new trend taking shape in the marketplace called Social Shopping. According to the article, social shopping sites "tr[y] to combine two favorite online activities: shopping and social networking. These sites are hoping to ride the MySpace wave by gathering people in one place to swap shopping ideas. And like MySpace, the sites are designed for both browsing and blogging, with some shopping-related technology twists included." These retailers are trying to do something that librarians often try to do: allow people to discover resources when their needs are still somewhat vague and they're not quite sure what they want, but they know they can't find it through the usual suspects.
• Real-life RSS Marketing from ClickZ isn't necessarily unique, but there are lots of idea-generating examples of RSS at work (I found the Apple widgets described to be particularly interesting).
• How to Be a Compassionate Designer for Passionate Customers from MarketingProfs outlines 4 practical ways to nurture compassion for users: get out of the office, talk to someone, eat, sleep dream, curiosity, and do what they do. Also, you all know I'm a fan of MarketingProfs' content. Recently, there was a technology-related mix-up that resulted in subscribers like me being deluged with e-mail messages we weren't supposed to get. I really didn't think too much of it, but MarketingProfs lost some subscribers as a result and profusely apologized for the mistake. It's a terrific example of service recovery when things go bad (they even responded personally to each person who complained and thanked them for complaining - wow!).
• Blog About Libraries author Steve Backs initiated Naked Reference Month at his library. This September, desk staff are forbidden to bring non-desk work to the reference desk but instead they are to be 100% focused on providing reference and related desk duties. Though I am extremely conscious to never appear to be too busy to help someone if I'm working on other tasks on the desk (which there's rarely time to do anyway), I know I would probably learn a lot more about needs, be more approachable, and discover more service opportunities if I ditch the non-desk stuff entirely, so I'm joining in.
• Trendwatching.com has two recent and highly-recommended reads: Customer-Made Update and Status Skills. The former is an update to the first Customer-Made report that came out in May 2005, which was an excellent description of how customers are taking on marketing roles. The latter merits its own post, which I hope to work on tomorrow.

Whew! That's a lot of inspiration, at least for one day. Hope these examples get your gears turning like they did mine. If you have inspirations of your own to shre, please feel free to do so!

Categories: must_reads | resource_roundup

It takes two

Marketing services is different from marketing tangible goods in many respects. One major difference is that in services, customers take part in creating the service along with the service provider. This means that if the resulting service offering is going to be any good, the customer needs to be prepared to do his or her part.

There's been quite a bit of discussion in several forums about simplicity vs. complexity, which hinge on whether not libraries should model Google/Amazon. However, this discussion represents only half of the equation. The other half has to do with preparing the patron to take part in the service. Let's face it, even "intuitive" services require some kind of learning on the part of the consumer. I doubt anyone is born knowing how to use an ATM machine or shop online. As service providers, we're responsible for teaching patrons the basics of using the library, such as reading call numbers, etc. Some would argue that if a task requires that someone be taught how to do something, that the task should be simplified to the point that no instruction is required. I disagree. Some of the most fun or enjoyable service experiences are so because we have to be taught how to use them. Take, for example, Starbucks (I know. It's an overused example, but it often works). Starbucks provides a guide for customers on how to order a drink complete with definitions for the "latte lingo" involved in the transaction. Does Starbucks need to call a "small" a "tall" or its staff "barristas"? Wouldn't it be more simple and easily understandable to ditch the specialized vocabulary? Perhaps. But here the language helps to build the brand and once customers know the lingo, they are "in" with the culture of Starbucks, which can give people a sense of belonging (a popular motive behind purchase decisions). To make sure that customers can engage in the service transaction successfully, Starbucks (and even its regular customers) offers instructions to novices. When the Starbucks Gossip blog posted one customer's complaint that too many choices made getting coffee there too confusing, Starbucks fans replied that people go to Starbucks because they can get exactly what they want. One customer stated, "The reason Dunkin Donuts has only "plain black coffee" is because they are a donut shop and not a coffee shop. That's like complaining there are too [many] kinds of underwear in an underwear store and comparing it to the small underwear section of a department store."

I don't want to suggest that we should make navigating our libraries unnecessarily complex or elitist in any way. I know that in our library, most people are here because they need to get time-sensitive work done and don't want any annoying holdups that impede their progress. However, it's important to remember that there are such things as market segments, and that we should be respectful of the fact that there are members of our patron base who don't want just any article-they want the best article. Finding the best article often requires time, patience, and tools that allow patrons to do sophisticated searches. The research process is complex and so is information. We can and should take steps to mitigate frustrations, but we shouldn't pare our offerings down to accommodate the segment of our users who want fast and good enough at the expense of users who want quality and the best fit. Training, then, is a vital marketing function needed to ensure that users can achieve the level of service that best suits their needs. Patrons, for their part, should expect that they will have do some amount of learning that is appropriate for what they hope to achieve, and we have a role to play in setting those expectations.

Update: I neglected to mention that I believe most patrons are used to having to learn to use services, even services as straightforwad as getting a haircut.

Categories: random_stuff | usable theories

Pssst! (It's a secret!)

The NYT reports on a new (or renewed) trend in advertising: secrets. Companies are encouraging their customers to share secrets with them and also sharing company "secrets" with customers. The article points to the Post-it and Secret deodorant campaigns among others.

Why would anyone want to share the intimate details of their lives with a corporate entity? I don't know, but apparently it taps into the natural allure of learning and telling secrets. From the company's point of view, secret campaigns, "give giant companies, which are often perceived as impersonal, a chance to address consumers "in an approachable way,"' says one brand manager quoted in the article.

I also believe that this tactic feeds into WOM by giving people something to talk about, and reminds me of the mystery campaigns I've mentioned before.

Perhaps this trend will give librarian-marketers some food for thought. I like the Post-it approach in which customers share their secrets for being successful using the product. Likewise, it could be fun to have patrons share their secrets to doing research and hidden gems they've found. Librarians could turn it into a contest for the best secret and post the secrets on their sites. Also, it could be fun to do a library mystery tour, particularly in older libraries that have lots of stories and secrets to tell.

Want to share your best-kept library marketing secret? Leave it in a comment!

Categories: creativity_and_inspiration | promising_promotions | tips_to_try

The difference a note makes

Nothing appeals to me more as a customer than the sense that a business cares about me as a human being. Usually, I can get basically decent service most places I go, but it's the added touch of personality that endears me to a store and compels me come back. Most of the time these touches require very little extra effort on the part of the service provider, but they do require a great deal of extra thought. Here are some examples of what I'm talking about:

Cards
Church of the Customer displays a personalized note that the author received from a J. Crew salesperson after a recent visit. The salesperson even remembered that the author was a Steelers fan - now THAT'S personalization! I've received a similar note from a saleswoman at a jewelry store. Even though I didn't purchase anything, she thanked me for stopping by with a hand-written card. I still haven't returned to make a purchase, but I'm 100% sure that when I finally get around to making a decision, I'm going to buy from her.

Calls
Calls from salespeople are usually nothing more than a minor nuisance. But I was impressed when one retail store gave me a call to remind me that my coupons were about to expire and that I should stop on by to use them. Far from annoyed, I was actually glad for the call because I did in fact forget about the coupons I intended to use. Plus, the girl who called was quite friendly, which reinforced my positive experiences with the store. Granted, they just wanted to get me to spend more money that I intended to spend anyway, but it was money I felt better about spending because they took the time to contact me personally.

Gifts
Everyone likes getting free gifts, but it has to be the right free gift. Not too long ago, I bought a new car from Mazda. It was my first new car in fact and so it was a pretty momentous decision for me, particularly since I switched to a new-for-me make of car. How was I rewarded for taking this financial leap of faith? With peanuts. That's right...peanuts. I'd heard stories of new car buyers getting showered with flowers and all manner of nice gifts, but I got an ugly tin of stale, inedible peanuts. They were probably better off sending me nothing rather than this "present" because it said a lot about how they valued me as a customer (not much).
[Update: In retrospect, I was a little hard on Mazda here, given my less-than-comfortable sales experience. The company has redeemed itself over the past year. They sent me a nice note on my birthday and a letter on the one-year anniversary of my purchase. Their service is outstanding too. So, overall, they do a good job with customer service despite the icky peanuts.]

The point for librarians here is that you don't have to spend a lot of time or money to impress upon patrons how much we value them. Sticking to our promises, personalizing our interactions as much as possible, and surprising our patrons from time to time with a little something extra can help to demonstrate our appreciation for them and go a long way toward differentiating ourselves from alternatives. From a purely marketing standpoint, it's also important to remember that customers evaluate a service every single time they use it (and in-between uses). Encouraging patrons to use our services once doesn't mean they'll come back a second time. We need to offer continuous evidence that they're making a good decision to come through our doors. A small gesture can make all the difference.

Update: Yet another example of the little ways in which organizations show they care (and mean it), from Panera Bread.

Is your brand Web 2.0 compliant?

An article on AllAboutBranding.com delves into the implications that Web 2.0 has for organizations' brand identities. The author argues that Web 2.0 makes understanding and implementing the basics of good branding a paramount concern, even among small businesses and non-profits. Specifically, he believes that brands need to adapt to the Online word of mouth that Web 2.0 facilitates. He states, "It's [word of mouth] not just for corporates. In fact, smart SMEs and not for profits will also see opportunities here to lift the goodwill they enjoy in the community. It's not necessarily an expensive strategy either - although it is exacting, because it requires your business, regardless of size or sector, to actively monitor its interactions, impressions, perceptions, likeability and deliverables." He also offers up 12 considerations to prepare your brand for WOM including, "What sort of reputation do you actually want?," "Are you listening?," "Are you intriguing?," and "Are you ready to be hijacked?."

My two cents: I'm studying Services Marketing this semester, and I'm already bubbling over with fascinating information to share with you. One such nugget is related to this discussion of brands. As we talked about today in class, services by their very nature are risky products. You often can't see, touch, or try them out until you're experiencing the service, and by then it's too late - you bought it! This is true of library services as well despite the fact that there is little to no financial risk. There are, however, risks such as the risk of looking silly by asking a question. It turns out that many kinds of risk can be mitigated by a good, solid brand. In other words, if patrons associate your library with trust, professionalism and good service, for examples, then they'll likely feel reassured by your brand and venture taking advantage of what you have to offer. Until now, I've mainly looked at brands as a way to shape identity and perceptions, but now I see that brands have an even more functional purpose in that they can remove a major psychological hurdle between patrons and your front door. As the article I mentioned illustrates, the prevalence of online word of mouth only makes branding more important and challenging because we share control of our brand with patrons more than ever.

AllAboutBranding.com has a number of free articles online that appear to come from marketers with good credentials. You may want to take a look at them as you think about how to make your brand Web 2.0 compliant.

Categories: must_reads | neat_trends | usable_theories

Technology tidbits to try out

MicroPersuasion is a terrific blog whose author, Steve Rubel, "explores how social media is transforming marketing, media and public relations." I haven't mentioned it in a while because Rubel happens to be prolific blogger and it takes me some time to catch up with his posts. Nevertheless, I uncovered some marketing tidbits on his blog worth sharing with you:

• PodcastingTricks.com - I was excited to find this gem of a blog, and if podcasting is a prominent piece of your promotion plan (say that 5 times fast!) you'll probably want to explore it for handy tips and resources to make your podcasts effective and entertaining.
• Web 2.0 Workgroup - This site is a "network of premium weblogs that write content about the new generation of the Web." There's a definite and direct relationship between Web 2.0 (or whatever you want to call it) and the latest trends in marketing, so hopefully the sites listed here will help unleash some library marketing innovations. Oh, and MicroPersuasion and Library Stuff appear on the list.
• Most of you have probably already seen WikiCharts, but I mention it just in case it slipped under your radar. It's an interesting (if not a little unsettling) peek inside the topics people want to know more about.
• Will All of Us Get Our 15 Minutes On a YouTube Video? - This WSJ Online (free) article discusses who's using YouTube and why. One interesting stat: "70% of YouTube's registered users are American and roughly half are under 20 years of age." This information could certainly help inform your marketing efforts if you're looking at YouTube as a promotion vehicle.

That's it for now! I wish you a nice holiday weekend and equally nice weather to those of you who, like me, are pretty sick of Ernesto.

Categories: resource_roundup | technology_tools

Improving PR

MarketingSherpa posted a brief article/interview with the VP of Communications for Stonyfield Farms, Cathleen Toomey. Toomey shares her experiences in landing a job at Stonyfield as well as two tips for getting your PR work to be appreciated by upper management.

Speaking of PR, the famed Publicity Hound Joan Stewart has a free PR tutorial, 89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Release that takes the form of an e-mail per day for 89 consecutive days (via LibTalk blog). I signed up for the tutorial but, admittedly, I've had trouble keeping up with the one-per-day regimen, though the ones I've been able to read are practical and succinct.

If 89 PR tips isn't enough for you, I found a new-to-me marketing site called Go-To-Market Strategies that offers a free newsletter called The Resource. What's nice is that the tips contained in The Resource are available online arranged by subject. The categories listed include PR and also Marketing Planning, Branding, Marketing Communications, Promotions and Lead Generation, Product/Services Launch, and Sales Planning and Management.

Enjoy, PR enthusiasts!

Categories: resource_roundup | tips_to_try | train_yourself