Marketing Matters! The theory and reality of marketing Presenters: Pat Cavill Wendy Newman OLA, Feb 5, 2005
What is Public Relations? l Getting the library’s message across... l This is who we are and what we do, this is when and where we do it and for whom...
What is Marketing? l finding out what the customer needs... l who are you, and what do you need, how, where and when can we best deliver it to you [and what are you willing to pay?]
What is Marketing? l The social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need through creating and exchanging products and value with others. Peter Drucker
l Finding out what the customer (client, patron, user) wants and needs and changing when necessary to meet those needs. Pat Cavill What is Marketing?
What is Advocacy? l marketing an issue... l support and awareness are built incrementally and sustained over time... l your agenda will be greatly assisted by what we have to offer...
Key Behavioural Change
Mi-mi-mi-mi Ewe,ewe,ewe,ewe
Library users tell us of: 4 the need for the librarian as a gateway and navigator to the increasingly overwhelming world of information and knowledge. 4 the need for the library as a public place for browsing and for intellectual discourse. 4 the need for the electronic delivery of full text information and graphics to the user’s desktop - yesterday!
Research results Research in public libraries tells us that users are consistently more supportive of libraries, librarians and library funding than decision makers.
Positioning Positioning is defined as “the battle for the mind”.
l positioning starts with a product: a piece of merchandise, a service, a company, an institution… l then you position the product/service in the mind of the “consumer” Positioning
l Do not create something new and different, but change someone’s perception based on what’s already in their mind; re-make the connections that are already there. Positioning
Ries, Al and Jack Trout Positioning: The battle for your mind. Warner Books, …how to be seen and heard in the overcrowded marketplace.
Brief Marketing History l Industrial Revolution l Production orientation l Selling orientation l Modern marketing
Common Misconceptions about Marketing l That we are “above” selling. l That it is too expensive. l That it is an invasion of privacy. l That it is manipulative.
Common Misconceptions about Marketing l That marketing is synonymous with promotion, advertising, public relations and advocacy l That marketing is a verb: “need to market the library better” l In fact, what the library needs to do is “position itself better in its marketplace”
A common truth about marketing and libraries: Some of this takes me out of my comfort zone!
Product Price Place Promotion People Politicians Public Policy The Marketing Mix
Product/Service l the right one for the target l always more than a physical entity (benefit package) l product life cycle introduction growth maturity decline
Price l getting it right l competition l customer reaction l psychic cost
Place l reaching the target through a channel of distribution l getting the product to the consumer
Promotion l telling the customer promotional materials personal “selling” media mix
People Your most important target group is often the smallest in number and thus potentially the easiest to reach. largest smallest
The Essence of Marketing The customer (client, user, patron) first, last and always!
l form/function l time l place l ease of possession What customers most value
Benefits of Marketing ¶ Measuring and satisfying customer needs = greater level of customer satisfaction
Benefits of Marketing · The library will attract a variety of resources, traditional and non-traditional.
Benefits of Marketing ¸ Libraries will: be more knowledgeable about their users’ needs develop their own market niche drop services which no longer have a competitive advantage
Benefits of Marketing ¹ Libraries will: develop new services in response to community need become better at service delivery more creative in funding their activities be perceived as critical to the future in the Information Age.
People do things for their reasons, not yours.
People pay attention to the things that they love and value.
Tell people what they need to know, not what you want them to hear...
Spend your time on something that works, not your money on something that doesn’t…in other words, plan!