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B RANDING FOR PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Branding for Public Libraries

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Elisabeth Doucett's presentation at the LYRASIS Public Library Symposium on December 4, 2009.

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Page 2: Branding for Public Libraries

WHAT IS BRANDING?

Figuring out the storyWhy your library matters to your community

Page 3: Branding for Public Libraries

WHAT IS BRANDING?

Figuring out how to tell your storySo it will capture people’s attention

Page 4: Branding for Public Libraries

WHAT IS BRANDING?

Figuring out how to tell your story the same way over and over

Until people “get it” without thinking

Page 5: Branding for Public Libraries

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

Page 7: Branding for Public Libraries

WHAT MAKES A GOOD BRAND?

Page 8: Branding for Public Libraries

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

Page 9: Branding for Public Libraries

9 YOUR STORY

What is your story?

Why does your library matter in your community?

Page 10: Branding for Public Libraries

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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Page 11: Branding for Public Libraries

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

Page 12: Branding for Public Libraries

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

Page 13: Branding for Public Libraries

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

Page 14: Branding for Public Libraries

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 ……..

Page 15: Branding for Public Libraries

THE LOGO

The logo is a visual representation of your library story

Must support the story

Help convey the story quickly

Be visually arresting

Page 16: Branding for Public Libraries

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

Page 17: Branding for Public Libraries

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

Page 18: Branding for Public Libraries

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

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Why does the story matter so much?

Page 21: Branding for Public Libraries

21 WHY DOES THE STORY MATTER?

1) Everyone used to understand what the library was about

Today?

It’s a lot more complicated

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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?

Page 23: Branding for Public Libraries

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!

Page 24: Branding for Public Libraries

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

Page 25: Branding for Public Libraries

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

Page 26: Branding for Public Libraries

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

Page 27: Branding for Public Libraries

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

Page 28: Branding for Public Libraries

CONCERNS

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ISN’T BRANDING ANNOYING?29

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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

Page 32: Branding for Public Libraries

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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Page 33: Branding for Public Libraries

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

Page 34: Branding for Public Libraries

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

Page 35: Branding for Public Libraries

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

Page 36: Branding for Public Libraries

HOW TO GET STARTED

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Page 37: Branding for Public Libraries

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

Page 38: Branding for Public Libraries

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?

Page 39: Branding for Public Libraries

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

Page 40: Branding for Public Libraries

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

Page 41: Branding for Public Libraries

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!!!

Page 42: Branding for Public Libraries

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”

Page 47: Branding for Public Libraries

WHAT DOES “POSSIBILITY” LOOK

LIKE?

Page 48: Branding for Public Libraries

WHAT DOES “POSSIBILITY”

LOOK LIKE?

Page 49: Branding for Public Libraries

WHAT DOES “A WORLD OF POSSIBILITY”

LOOK LIKE?

Page 50: Branding for Public Libraries

WHAT DOES “A WORLD OF POSSIBILITY”

LOOK LIKE?

Page 51: Branding for Public Libraries

WHAT DOES “A WORLD OF POSSIBILITY”

LOOK LIKE?

Page 52: Branding for Public Libraries

WHAT DOES “A WORLD OF

POSSIBILITY” LOOK LIKE?

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Thank you

Questions?