a guide to marketing your library and information service

© SD Information Services 20131

Marketing your Library and Information Service

to internal customers

Shaida DorabjeeInformation management consultant

SD Information Services

2013www.sdis.co.uk


Nightmare scenario

I don’t know who you are I don’t know what your department

does I don’t know your reputation

Now, what do you want to sell me?


Marketing

The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits

him and sells itself. Peter F. Drucker 1909-2005 Management Consultant, Author

Marketing is ‘satisfying customer needs’. It is as much attitude as action and as much perspective as planning. Marketing – An Introduction. Armstrong, Kotler, Harker and Brennan 2009


Internal Customers As important as external customers Includes all stakeholders:

Users Non-usersand Budget holders Decision makers etc


The Marketing JourneyThree steps to success

Research

Developing products and services to meet

customer needs

Identifying/prioritising; Branding and packaging

Your profile/behaviour/culture; Delivering the goods and messages; marketing plans

Organisational context; The information environment; Customers/stakeholders; Competitors and collaborators; Yourself

Communication and delivery


What are the key industry, national and international issues?

What is occupying the minds of senior management? How has your budget changed in the last two years? What’s new in research / your graduate programme at

the university / your membership? How are these functions themselves changing?

Organisational context

Research


What are other organisations’ information services doing?

How are the producers/suppliers of information and content operating?

Are overall budgets increasing or decreasing? Is the focus of information services changing? How is mobile technology affecting your service? What benchmarking data do you have?

The information environment

Research


Finding out

Are you A member of any senior management teams Project groups Good at asking questions Good at your ‘lift talk’

Do you Read the top level newsletters/magazines Make friends with those in corporate

communications Talk to peers in your external networks


They all have different needs Some stakeholders are not users of the

service Vital to segment the market and

categorise each group of stakeholders

Customers/stakeholders

Research


Stakeholder categorisation (market segmentation)

By type of user and influence Staff or students Managers, Academic staff CEO, Leadership Team Budget holders

By extent of use New staff/students (users) Existing users who are established users Existing users who do not (and perhaps should)

use your services By function

Scientists in a specific discipline Staff in specialist departments

10


Stakeholder analysis

List your different key stakeholder groups

Rate Interest (in service/products) and then Influence out of 10 and then add together

• This will help to clarify and prioritise what services should be provided and to whom

11


Internal and external collaborators – or competitors

Who are they What can they offer Can we collaborate with them


Your skills and expertise are also part of the information service

Do they match the characteristics required of an info pro?

What cpd is needed? Individuals have to be promoted as well You may need a plan for this

Yourself

Research


Ideal skills and expertise

Qualifications and experience Writing, presenting, thinking on your feet Passionate/enthusiastic about the service Inquisitive mind - the wider organisational

environment Generating new ideas/thinking laterally A business mind Quick to adapt and willing to take risks Higher profile


Personal attributes

The way you look, talk, think, and act Communication – visible,verbal and vocal Networking – understanding others Influencing – persuading, managing, and

influencing up Personal power – charisma, gravitas, self-

belief


Information/Stakeholder AuditsUnderstanding your market (stakeholders) in order to improve

your service in line with business objectives and stakeholder requirements

Interviews, questionnaires or focus groups, social media

One-off poll on the intranet to a comprehensive study lasting a few weeks.

Qualitative or quantitative information

Resources used Usefulness, quality Behaviours, attitudes and perceptions Opinions, suggestions, issues

Don’t assume you know


Identifying the right products and servicesPrioritising development/introductionBranding and packaging

Developing products and services to meet

customer needs


‘Satisfying customer needs’ Look at what you offer to the customer

Identify the right products and services through analysis - Cost vs Value matrix, SWOT or PEST analysis etc


Is it really worth doing

Value

Cost

Low

High

Low High

Plot each product/service according to value and cost


SWOT

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Strengths

Of yourselves, a product or the service as a whole


The marketing mixThe four Ps

Tactical tools that have to be blended to produce the desired response in the target market

• Product (solution)•Re-evaluate your offerings and address staff expectations

•Pricing (cost, or ‘price’ paid by users):–Cost of resources –Time wasted in searching–Convenience–Ease of use

• Place (convenience/delivery channel):–Mobile, I-pad, Intranet, web, etc–Project meetings, lunch ‘n’ learn

• Promotion (communication):–To raise awareness and increase demand

Plus two more…•Positioning•People


Case study - Executive Alerts Alerts of top level activities provided to

senior management Much resource into creating and

monitoring alerts Repositioned to appeal to all executives

as a ‘backgrounder’ to give them information on specific collaborators/competitors prior to company visits


Executive Alert

Identified executives as a new target market Spoke to them about their work and information needs

through market research Evaluated the products and identified weaknesses in

existing product Developed – and repositioned the existing product to

appeal to them Rebranded the name and look of the Alert Through product development offered an ad hoc service

rather than regular Alert Introduced a new delivery method via a mobile app tool Tested it out on a few and improved through feedback Cultivated champions and publicised its existence

throughout


Branding in the Library

Logo Typeface, style, colour, position(N.B. organisational style guidelines) Strap/tag lines Reminders eg expensive online

databases or “From the Library” Characteristics of information staff –

you are also the brand


Identifying growth opportunitiesProduct-marketing expansion grid(Ansoff’s Matrix)

Market penetration Product development

Market development Diversification

Existing products

Existingmarkets

Newmarkets

New productsIncreasing risk

Increasing risk


Develop the message you want to communicate

Branding Has to be targeted Everyone has to be involved

Your profile/behaviour/culture; Delivering the message



Delivering the messages Six approaches

The way you operate Influencing others Using social media Training Broadcasting Written communication

Your profile/behaviour/culture; Delivering the message



A marketing strategy and planwhy, what, how

Aims of the organisation Strategic aims of the library and information

service Evidence from research activities to support the

aims and objectives Objectives for the service Segmentation of users Specific tasks and timetable for achieving the

objectives Outcomes and benefits expected Responsibilities, costs, timelines etc


A marketing strategy and plan

Should: Reflect the organisation’s strategic aims, style,

timescales Be supported from the top Provide a framework for and guide to the work of your

service Win the hearts and minds of users Win the hearts and minds of information staff Demonstrate value, backed up by evidence


Measures of success

Availability Access Responsiveness Reliability Credibility Authority Accuracy Understanding Value

of :The information resourcesThe service The effectiveness of the staff


Measuring how well your marketing efforts have been

Usage of products and services is monitored and shows an increase

Formal and informal surveys give favourable and improved results

There is raised awareness of information services You are asked to participate in info-related projects You have some good examples and ‘stories’ to tell You are recognised wherever you go!


Thank you!

Shaida Dorabjee

E-mail: [email protected]: www.sdis.co.uk

SD Information Services

Trouble-shooting your information service

2013

a guide to marketing your library and information service

Business