Marketing Proposal - Text Message Reference

8/7/2019 Marketing Proposal - Text Message Reference

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Thomas KozakLIS 688: Marketing of Library and Information ServicesDecember 2010

Marketing Proposal:

Text-Message Extension toVirtual Reference Services

Executive Summary

Objectives and Existing Situation

Rollout of SMS Text Message Reference Service to supplement

existing chat/IM reference offereings

Additional access point improves learning environment

Draws on existing infrastructure and staff resources

Assessment of Current Library situation:

Physically in excellent condition, some minor concerns with space designated

Website in need of minor improvements to interact smoothly with the new service.

Generally high standards of customer service, with room for improvement with existing

digital reference

Demographics: 17-25, middle-to-upper class, diverse regional backgrounds

Usage trends show very strong growth for digital reference services

Analysis and Recommendations

Competitors are online search applications and other library services

Therefore, position the library as leaders in expertise and authority, available on-call for

student needs

Primary obstacle to increased use of the service is lack of awareness of its existence

Therefore, design on-message promotional materials to provide ubiquitious reminders of

the service in key areas


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Thomas KozakLIS 688: Marketing of Library and Information ServicesDecember 2010

Marketing Proposal:

Text-Message Extension toVirtual Reference Services

Introduction

High Point University Libraries offer academic services to the

University's students and faculty, ranging widely from standard (or

perhaps old-fashioned) face-to-face reference work to rapid interlibray loan to training in

research and writing methods. Recently, the library has developed technology-based extensions

to these services (particularly reference), including online chat and instant-message

communication options. This initiative corresponds to the library's mission, which includes

providing students and faculty with an information rich environment in which to pursue

research topics or to complete the research studies that are pertinent to their discipline.

The library's current focus is on a new service which only recently went public. The chat and

IM utilities mentioned above have been extended to include the ability to contact a librarian via

SMS text message from a mobile phone or smartphone. The goal of this report is to outline the

potential of the service and suggest options for promotion and further marketing.

Objectives

The focus of this proposal is based on the values and missions discussed above. Specifically,

promotion and marketing of the SMS text message service are the primary consideration.

Improving awareness of the library and it's services ultimately goes towards improving the

quality of educational support provided by the library. Specifically, the ufinal objective of this

marketing effort is to produce the following key benefits:

Central Benefits of the Service

High Point University Libraries have introduced a new service, offering text-message

communication for reference questions and other informational transactions. This supplements

existing library resources and serves as an additional access point for students and faculty.

Community Benefits

The campus community (consisting of students, graduate students, staff, and faculty) will


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benefit from improved research abilities and knowledge for students, resulting in improved

performince on class assignments. This will create a better learning environment, enhancing

the value of tuition as an investment by the parents, who are a very significant stakeholder

group

Data And Current SituationThis section outlines assessments of the existing status of the High Point University Libraries,

with an emphasis on factors that are relevant to the texting service. This information provides the basis

on which this proposal was designed.

Existing Resources

The library currently pays for a subscription to the LibraryH3lp service, which allows us

to access the joint account from any computer on campus. All computers involved also have

installations of the Pidgin chat software. Staff are on call 24/7 to handle questions. What isneeded for the new service is primarily the activation of text-message option, which involves a

slight cost ($0.03) per text message sent. In addition, it may be necessary to provide a certain

level of staff training for the specifics of providing excellent service under the new text message

format.

Physical Assesment of the Library

Overall, all library locations are in very attractive physical shape, with well-maintained

furniture, up-to-date signage and a generally opulent atmosphere. In the main library, this also

includes ample power outlets, computer access, and seating for both quiet individual study and

group work. The University Center Learning Commons suffers somewhat from a lack of power

outlets, and a design that lends itself to group work but is designated as quiet-study-only by

University policy.

Specific to chat service and the upcoming text-messaging service, it is significant that

the university offers true ubiquitous wireless internet connectivity. Furthermore, cellular

reception is strong across the entire campus for most service providers.

Virtual Environment Assessment

The library website is well-designed and usable but has some minor formatting

problems due to interactions between the web site style sheets and catalog software. Students

sometimes indicate problems finding some resources (this is a common chat reference query)

but this probably has little to do with the virtual environment itself since these resources are in

fact visible from the front page. Specific to the services currently under examination, it is


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notable that the online interface for interacting with a librarian is visible from multiple locations

on the website, including the front page. This is findable by students, as indicated by the fact

that about a third of queries do come in through this interface.

Assessment of Customer Service

The library, as the University in general, places a strong emphasis on customer service,resulting in a high level of performance. Telephones are answered promptly and politely, and

every user receives in-depth help. An unofficial motto for library staff is that telling a user

their question can't be answered is unacceptable resources are made available to provide

thorough service in this regard.

Unfortunately there is some room for improvement for virtual reference services at

certain times, low levels of staffing can result in slower response times, and some staff members

may be insufficiently alert and consequently miss incoming questions, leaving them

unanswered.

Service's Stage in Technological Life Cycle

Currently, this service could best be described as an experimental application of an

established technology. In other words, text-messaging is a well-known and highly functional

communications method, but the specific use for library reference is still being refined by this

library and other libraries worldwide.

Demographics of Target Market

The target audience for the service consists primarily of university students averaging

17-25 years of age. Students at High Point University come from diverse backgrounds, hailing

from many states (and also including a small populations of international students). Income

level is generally middle-class to upper-middle class (again, with some outliers). Education

level for underclassmen is a high school education. Secondary populations are graduate

students and to a very small degree (based on current usage) university faculty and staff.

Current Perceptions of the Library

High Point University Libraries are currently engaged in surveying students (graduateand undergraduate) and faculty to assess perceptions of the library and library services.

According to informal customer interviews, the library is seen as a valued source for

information and answers to questions. In fact, many students come to rely primarily on the

library for academic answers to the exclusion of independent research. This speaks well for the

positioning of the library as a provider of first-sought services.


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Significant Library Usage Trends

As can be seen in the included charts, expansion of chat reference usage during the

previous fiscal year has been sizable. Peak pre-exam usage for the fall semester is roughly

quadruple exam-time usage in the previos spring, when the service was brand-new. In-person

reference questions have not shown significant decrease, however, which indicates that chatreference is capturing new users, or allowing for more frequent use of the service.


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Existing Promotional Techniques

Currently-available services are being promoted largely through the library website and

physical signage. The library administration is currently approving surveys to assess the

effectiveness of these marketing methods, which will have a strong impact on what methods

should be used to promote the new text-messaging service.The library is also engaged in promotion via the University's daily concierge system

which delivers poster-like images to various locations on campus as well as via email to

students and faculty. This is currently being used to promote new fiction and media available at

the library. Circulation data on the advertised items suggests that customers are absorbing

information presented in this context.

Analysis and Identification of Problems

Demographics With Marketing ImplicationsThe primary demographic (college students) are likely to be digital natives and, given

the (high) socioeconomic averages of the university, tend to be adopters of technology. This

means that marketing initiatives must take into account a certain level of technological

proficiency and availability.

Demand and Sources of Demand

The target population's desire for connectivity and flexibility of options is driving

demand for this service.. Based on the usage of chat reference, there is a growing demand for

this class of service.

Sources of Competition

For reference services in general, the main source of competetion is online search engine

technology and internet resources in general. For the newer services (chat reference and, soon,

text messaging reference) there is a possibility of some competition from peer communication

(that is, in situations where there is time pressure, students may ask peers rather than referring

to the library for assistance). This is an opportunity for promotion of the speed of current

technological options. Finally, there is internal competition between library services, which is

actually a strength for the library but can skew results for specific services.

Barriers to Use Associated With Service

The primary barrier to chat reference in general (and the future text-message reference

service ) is unfamiliarity with the service. In other words, educationg students about the range

of services offered by the library is a current marketing priority. There is also the potential for


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some digital-divide-based access issues. Fortunately these are rare due to student demographics

and the availability of public computers and internet access across campus.

Special Training

Minimal additional training is needed for these services. The primary skill needed is

simply how to use the chat interface, and staff in the relevant positions are hired partly based onfamiliarity with similar technologies.

Customer Service Training

Again, the University does not provide significant customer service training, but hiring

takes experience with providing customer service into account.

Monetary and Nonmonetary Costs

As mentioned above, the library incurs a small fee possible for text messaging service.

Users obviously are also paying for their own telephone usage, but this cost is truly minimal per

instance of communication with the service. There is also a certain time investment involved in

using any library service, to allow for the librarian's searching and response time. There is a

posssibility for user frustration at pac and richness of responses (limited characters per text

message), but it is hoped that this can be balanced by the convenience of the service. In

addition, setting expectations is part of the marketing process for the service.

Proposed Strategy and Implementation

The new text-messaging service is being incorporated into existing marketing and promotional

schemes. Primarily, it will be announced to students via the Concierge service, and added to the library

website as part of an improvement to the search page. Based on the results of planned surveys

(discussed above) indicating how students learn about library services, additional promotional materials

will be developed, such as (hypothetically) dorm-specific signage and bookmarks/fliers distributed with

checked-out materials.

Based on the information summarized above about current usage and user demographics, it will

be advantageous to focus on digital promotional methods for chat and text-message reference services,

since the primary users of these features will be comfortable with those communication methods.

Dealing with Competition

The library has a powerful strength when compared to the primary sources of

competion, web search and other online resources. Fortunately, libraries are positioned as

leaders in this area due to our demonstrably authoritative information and our ability to align

services with faculty expectations of students Students are already guided to use library


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services by the nature of their class assignments.

However, part of the ongoing strategy for the library's digital reference services, and the

library as a whole, must be to reinforce these strengths, and to maintain visibility with the user

population. The primary hurdle is to remind students in need of reference or other

informational assistance that the library is their most reliable and convenient option. Overcoming Barriers to Use of the Service

Again, the main barrier to the goal of widespread use of the SMS reference service, as

with other library services, is simply familiarity. Students who know about the services

generally use it. The chief goal of this marketing effort is to make reminders of the availablity

of the service ubiquitous in areas where students are likely to encounter a need for the service.

However, it is also important to properly design the impact of these promotional products, as is

outlined in the next section.

Promotional Materials

Emotional Response Design

Product: Text Message/Chat Reference

Features: access 24/7, from anywhere

Perceived Benefit: on-call

Emotion/Belief: Feeling of support and backup from team of experts

Keywords and Concepts

User Base

Wants: Authoritative Answers

Fears: Missing Information Situation: Time Pressure, unusual situation or location

Brand Personality

Expert, knowledgeable professionals

Mission Control

Prepared

Active Verb

The Library answers your questions

Media Considerations

Target users need quick, visual reminders

Print media seen as slower, less flexible

Infrastructure for electronic publication

Need to integrate with prior promotionals

Choice of Media

Website Banner Advertisements

LCD Poster Displays in library branches and across campus

Large posters and signage in library branches

Tabletop information signs in all study areas


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Designs for Promotional Media

Campus Concierge/Monitor Display Images:


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Banner for Library Website:


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Double-page print sheet for display on table-top signs in study areas:


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24x36 Poster for display in library branches

Documents

Marketing Proposal - Text Message Reference