Marketing Plans:
One
SIZE does
not fit all
Marketing Plans: Outline
• Marketing 101
• Market Research
• Who are your customers?
• Marketing Methods
• Tracking Efficacy
Marketing 101
What is Marketing?
• Marketing at its very core is…
The process through which
Value
is exchanged
What is Marketing?
• Managing the demand for goods and
services
• The Four P’s
-
Product
Price
Place
Promotion
and #5 - People
Marketing is...
• Product
– Consumer products industry
• Marketing plays major role in defining product (ex.,
Crest, Tide)
– Libraries
• Marketing plays a different role (ex. BASF - “We don’t
make the products you buy, we make the products you buy, better).
Marketing helps define consumer perceptions of
products.
Marketing is...
• Price
– Consumer products industry
• Marketing determines price of product based on a
number of factors including costs of manufacturing
and “what the market will bear.”
– Libraries
• Marketing plays limited role.
Marketing is...
• Place
– Consumer products industry
• Marketing determines product placement with store
locations and “store shelf” placement in relation to
competitors.
– Libraries
• Marketing plays major role in product placement on
library shelves. Where and how are the products
placed in relation to others that create a “point of
sale” approach
Marketing is...
• Promotion
– Consumer products industry
• Marketing determines promotional strategy in line
with business plan and executes same
– Libraries
• Marketing determines promotional strategy in
tandem with organizational strategic plan and
executes same.
Marketing is...
• People
– Consumer products industry
• Marketing recruits, trains, and supports and tracks
effectiveness of direct sales force.
– Libraries
• Marketing has traditionally not instituted direct sales
approach but rather uses “soft” sales or indirect sales
approach (P.R. events, etc.)
What is Marketing?
• The marketing plan must be linked to the
overall goals and objectives of your
organization…..your business plan
customers
circulation
both
What is Marketing?
• Brand/Image Management
• How do you manage your library’s brand
and image in the minds of your consumers?
How can you differentiate your
library in the marketplace ?
What is Marketing?
• Positioning
The intentional description of a product or
service that creates a meaningful and longlasting positive impression on the minds of
target audiences.
What is Marketing?
• Positioning
– Positioning Statements
• Genesys
• Port of Toledo
“Intensive Caring”
“Your link to world markets”
What is Marketing ?
• Product Line Marketing
How does product line marketing fit with
brand identity?
Product line marketing should work in
concert with brand management and should
never conflict
What is Marketing ?
• Libraries have product lines
- Children’s section
- Adult learning section
What is Marketing ?
• Product Line Marketing
Product line marketing for each of your
library’s sections may take a different
approach
One SIZE does not fit all
Market Research
Market Research
• Primary Research
- Quantitative methods
Telephone surveys, direct mail surveys
- Qualitative methods
Focus groups, personal interviews
Market Research
• Secondary Research
- Existing data sources
U.S. Census (demographics)
Community-based needs assessments
Market Research
• Market research can help you…
- Identify new customers
- Solidify your current customer base
- Understand customer satisfaction
- Determine new product offerings
- Defines SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
Who are your customers?
Target audience identification
Target Audiences:
• Internal audiences
- Employees
- Publishing companies
- Other libraries
Target Audiences:
• External audiences
- Library patrons
- Donors
Methods
Marketing Methods
• Advertising
– Television, Radio, Print, Outdoor, Direct mail
Marketing Methods
• Advertising
• Internal and External Communications
– Newsletters, Electronic Media (e-mail)
– Relationship marketing
Marketing Methods
• Advertising
• Internal and External Communications
• Public Relations
– Community-oriented event & program
sponsorships, partnerships
Marketing Methods
•
•
•
•
Advertising
Internal and External Communications
Public Relations
Media Relations
– “free advertising”
Tracking Efficacy
Tracking Efficacy
Contrary to popular belief...
Tracking Efficacy
…not all methods work
with all target audiences!!
Tracking Efficacy
Well…DUH?!
One SIZE does not fit all!
Tracking Efficacy
• You may find that print advertising works
best for one product line
• Or that media relations works best for
another product line
• To learn what works best…use a “call to
action”
Tracking Efficacy
• All marketing methods should have a “call
to action”
– Gives you and your audience an opportunity to
“exchange value”
– Could be a simple statement…”for more
information call…”
– Could be a business-reply postcard to receive
the next issue of your newsletter
Tracking Efficacy
• The purpose of a “call to action” is to test
what works best.
Marketing Plans:
One
SIZE does
not fit all
Questions?