The Marketing Environment Dr Anthony Olden Thames Valley University NMPLIS Summer School, July 2010

2  Adrian Palmer, Introduction to Marketing: Theory and Practice (2 nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), differentiates between: The micro-environment The macro-environment

3 The micro-environment  This includes stakeholders such as:  The Ministry of Education  Local government  Donors such as the Carnegie Corporation of New York and INASP (the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications).

4 Intermediaries like national library associations which are working to promote libraries and improve the quality of library service within the country.

5 The macro-environment  The political environment  The economic environment  The social environment  The technological environment

6  The political environment After its election in 1997 the Labour government in the UK promoted ICTs in public libraries through the People’s Network, which provided free Internet access. Development in areas where war has taken over from politics is hard and sometimes impossible: Afghanistan and Somalia.

7 The economic environment  When the economy is in difficulties it is hard for libraries to make significant progress: UK libraries are facing cuts in the coming years.

8 The social environment  In some cultures it is difficult for women to leave home unless accompanied by their husband or by a close male relative. There are examples of this in the Bangladeshi community in London. However the public library is considered to be a safe space, and women who take their children there may find opportunities to improve their standard of English.

9 The technological environment  Libraries without IT seem old- fashioned nowadays to young people who go to Internet cafes to access their .

10  Book borrowing has been on the decline in public libraries in the UK, but visits to the library have been on the increase. This is because refugees and asylum seekers use the library to access the Internet. Some librarians complain that helping people with computers is not what they were trained to do—but this is not a positive attitude to have.

11 The internal environment  Marketing is everyone’s job within a library service, not just the job of someone with a title such as Library Marketing Manager. The attitude of the receptionist can tell you a lot about an organisation when you enter the building for the first time.

12  Staff need to maintain a positive attitude. Staff morale is improved by Working in an organisation that is seen to be making progress. Working in an organisation that takes an interest in its staff, for example by giving them opportunities for training and advancement. Working in an organisation that recognises the contribution that staff are making.