branding for public libraries
DESCRIPTION
Elisabeth Doucett's presentation at the LYRASIS Public Library Symposium on December 4, 2009.TRANSCRIPT
BRANDING FOR PUBLIC LIBRARIES
WHAT IS BRANDING?
Figuring out the storyWhy your library matters to your community
WHAT IS BRANDING?
Figuring out how to tell your storySo it will capture people’s attention
WHAT IS BRANDING?
Figuring out how to tell your story the same way over and over
Until people “get it” without thinking
FOR CLARITY
Branding IS NOT the same thing as marketing
One of the first steps in marketing
Part of the “marketing mix”
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Marketing
Marketing Tools/Tactics
Marketing Strategy
BrandingObjectives Segment Target
Promotions Advertising SalesDirect marketing
PublicityPR
Market Research
WHAT MAKES A GOOD BRAND?
8 WHAT MAKES A GOOD BRAND?
The key elements of a good brand
Clear, meaningful story
Articulated in a short, compelling phrase (tagline)
Logo that visually supports the story
Consistent and repetitive use
9 YOUR STORY
What is your story?
Why does your library matter in your community?
STORY EXERCISE
What role does your library play in the life of your community? (2-3 sentences max)
Why does your library matter to your community?
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11 YOUR STORY
Your story
Having a story ensures that you have thought carefully about the role of your library in your community
A common direction
Make sure you can deliver
12 TAGLINE
Tell your story quickly and make it compelling
Grab attention
Get across a lot of information
Don’t make people work too hard
TAGLINE EXAMPLES
Boston Public LibraryWhat do you want to know?
West Palm Beach Public LibraryAn oasis of knowledge
Harris County Public LibraryYour pathway to knowledge
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Red CrossTogether we can save a life
United WayWhat matters
Quaker OatsWarms you heart and soul
The Library of CongressMore than a library
TAGLINE EXERCISE
Using the story that you developed in our first exercise
Write a tagline – quick, to-the-point, reflect your story
My library is special because….
My library provides me with …………. and I can’t get that anywhere else.
When I go to my library I feel ……..
THE LOGO
The logo is a visual representation of your library story
Must support the story
Help convey the story quickly
Be visually arresting
16 THE LOGO
The logo is important
As a jog to one’s memory
As the repository of the feelings about the brand
The brand’s logo becomes the users’ touchstone
Every time the customer sees the brand (logo) -reminded of the brand story
A logo helps cut through the clutter – it “tells the story” of the brand without having to be explicit
REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT
Tell your story over and over and over
Be consistent in the story and the look
Why? Your audience will eventually know your story as soon as they see your brand – that’s what you want
They know why your library matters
18 WHAT MAKES A GOOD BRAND?
The key elements of a good brand
Clear, meaningful story
Articulated in a short, compelling phrase (tagline)
Logo that visually supports the story
Consistent and repetitive use
ARE THESE GOOD BRANDS?
WHY OR WHY NOT?19
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Why does the story matter so much?
21 WHY DOES THE STORY MATTER?
1) Everyone used to understand what the library was about
Today?
It’s a lot more complicated
22 WHY DOES THE STORY MATTER?
Information is everywhere
Libraries don’t “own” information anymore
Need to define new message about our role in the community
If we can’t tell our story
Why should we expect anyone to support or fund or use the library?
23 WHY DOES THE STORY MATTER?
2) It’s a very noisy world
Average American – 3,000 marketing messages a day
American newspapers - more than 10 million tons of newsprint/year
Average person consumes 94 pounds of newsprint a year
The Internet In 1985 – 6 domain names registered
Today – 63 million domain names registered
Exponential increase in cell phone use
1985 – 340,000 cell phone subscribers
Today – 175 million!
24 WHY DOES THE MESSAGE MATTER?
All brand and market themselves and talk about what they provide
Sadly, if libraries aren’t part of the “conversation”
We get forgotten
25 WHY DOES THE STORY MATTER?
3) Puts everyone on the same page in your library
Clear message
Clear direction
A plan of action that everyone can understand
26 WHY DOES THE STORY MATTER?
4) Most importantly – good branding (and marketing) leads to increased usage of your library as people understand what your library can provide to them
Clear message
Increased awareness
Increased usage
27WHAT CAN BRANDING DO FOR YOUR
LIBRARY?
Cuts through the clutter
Gets everyone working in the same direction
Greater awareness of resources/services/programs
Helps with funding
Everyone understands the library’s role in the community
More than just a “nice to have” – instead a “have to have”
Builds opportunities for partnerships
CONCERNS
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ISN’T BRANDING ANNOYING?29
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Branding can be intrusive and annoying
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But your branding doesn’t have to be obnoxious
Keep in mind – when you brand your library –YOU have control
Story
How you tell the story
You can develop smart and interesting branding, appropriate for your library
More and more nonprofits are doing branding –and doing it well
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33 BRANDING/MARKETING IS TOO EXPENSIVE
Do it yourself
Design work for free (or almost)
Local high school or college art class or business class project
Do it yourself (http://www.logoyes.com/, http://www.logoease.com/, http://www.logomaker.com/)
Use web options (not free but cheap)http://www.logoworks.com/, http://thelogocompany.net/
Find pro-bono expertise through your Board
34 I DON’T KNOW ENOUGH
Get together with other library people and work together – make this a project for the group
Share ideas, solve problems together
Branding is:
Common sense
Focus on the message
The first step? Jump in
Have some fun
35 I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF
What would it be worth to have your patrons, your Board, your community
Know what you provide?
Value what you provide?
Fund what you provide?
A good brand and marketing can help you achieve all of this
One person can do it
HOW TO GET STARTED
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37 HOW TO GET STARTED
Do a marketing audit
Collect a representative sample of your marketing materials
Pin them all on one wall where you can review
38 HOW TO GET STARTED
Ask yourself these questions:
Can I tell by looking at these materials what role my library takes in its community? What is my story?
Am I telling that story in a compelling way?
Based on the look of the materials, am I telling the story the same way over and over so people can get it quickly?
39 HOW TO GET STARTED
Talk to your key stakeholders - patrons, Board, staff
What can they tell you about:
Your story
Logo
Confirm or deny
Your own impressions from an audit
40 HOW TO GET STARTED
An audit & stakeholder discussion will help you start to understand where you need to focus
The story
How the story is presented – Logo and tagline
Consistency in repetition
41 HOW TO GET STARTED
Once you understand the issues
Put together a team to find the answers
Just make sure you get the story right!!!
CASE STUDY
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1. Majority of community members could not tell us what our logo looked like.
2. Majority of community members couldn’t reiterate our “message”
3. Feedback was logo/brand was “dated”
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No clear message
No clear visual connection
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CASE STUDY
We needed to:
Clarify our message
Update our logo
Find a better way of visually connecting the library with its partners
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CASE STUDY
Spent a lot of time reading/considering OCLC study “From Awareness to Funding”ttp://www.oclc.org/reports/funding/default.htm
Determined that we wanted our library to move from informational to transformational
Didn’t want to lose touch completely with our community history
New tagline “A world of possibility”
WHAT DOES “POSSIBILITY” LOOK
LIKE?
WHAT DOES “POSSIBILITY”
LOOK LIKE?
WHAT DOES “A WORLD OF POSSIBILITY”
LOOK LIKE?
WHAT DOES “A WORLD OF POSSIBILITY”
LOOK LIKE?
WHAT DOES “A WORLD OF POSSIBILITY”
LOOK LIKE?
WHAT DOES “A WORLD OF
POSSIBILITY” LOOK LIKE?
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Thank you
Questions?