Download - Creating Your Library Brand
CreatingYourLibraryBrand
Agenda
Creating your library brand
What is branding?
Why should I care about it?
How to get started branding
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WHAT is branding?
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For clarity
Branding IS NOT the same thing as marketing
It IS one of the first steps in marketing
Marketing
Marketing Strategy
Planning
Marketing Tactics
Execution
Marketing
Marketing Tactics - Execution
Marketing Strategy - Planning
Story: Feeling: Tagline: Logo:
Goals Audience Branding
Promotions Advertising SalesDirect marketing
Publicity
PR
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Defining your audienceWho do you want to talk to about your
library?
before branding
Ask yourself
When you do any marketing:
Who is my audience?
Are you talking to everyone in your community?
Or are you talking to one or more specific sub-sets in your community?
Moms & dads?
Seniors?
Teens?
People who don’t use the library?
People who do use the library?
Book lovers
Computer users?
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Why does this matter?
If you know who you are trying to reach
You can make sure your story is said in such a way that your audience can “get” it
And you can make sure that your story is said in such a way as to be relevant to your audience
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Would you tell a story about your library the same way to each of these two audiences?
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But the library is for everyone!
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What is branding?
Figuring out the storyWhy your library matters to your community
Story
Your story is telling your community - WHY DOES THE LIBRARY MATTER?
Appeal to the emotions
Don’t list services
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Exercise: what is your library’s story? Think about “Why your library matters
in your community” (however you define community)
Two to four sentences at the most
Try NOT to list the services that your library offers
Instead, ask yourself:
What makes your library special or unique in your town?
What would be missing in your community if the library wasn’t there?
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What is branding?
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Identifying a feelingThat you want people to
get when they see or interact with your brand
Branding is: A feeling
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Emotions are powerful and evocative
That’s why they are important
If your brand has an emotional connection to your library patrons then you have developed a powerful connection
Once you define how you want your users to feel about your library, everything you do should be to promote those feelings
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EXERCISE
Identify 10 words that describe how you want your library’s users to feel when they interact with your library “brand”
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What is branding?
Developing a taglineThat will tell your story
in a short, attention-grabbing way
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Exercise: Pick the best, Pick the worst
1)Boston Public LibraryBooks are just the beginning
2)West Palm Beach Public LibraryAn oasis of knowledge
3) TysonWe’re chicken.
4)Red CrossTogether we can save a life
5)Quaker OatsWarms you heart and soul
6)The Library of CongressMore than a library
7)CameraWorld For negative people.
How to write a tagline
Start with your library’s story that you wrote out a few minutes ago and the words you used to define your brand “feeling”
Pick out the most critical words
Think about alternatives to these words
Are any of them more powerful than the original words you used?
Do the words articulate what makes your library unique?
Try putting together one sentence that tells your story, using whichever words seem most powerful to you
Ask yourself
Am I getting across my story?
Is the story compelling and interesting?
Will this story be relevant to my community?
Is the tagline easy to say?
Test the tagline
Show it to people – do they get it quickly or do you have to explain it?
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What is branding?
Putting it all together in a logoThat you use over & over again, until
people “get” your brand without having to think
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
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What do you think of these logos/taglines?
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How do you develop a logo?
I always suggest using a professional if you can fund it
They understand the need to have visual elements reflect your story
They get the use of color, design, shape
It is a lot harder than you might think
A creative design can make a huge difference in a logo
If you don’t have $ to hire a professional, I’ll give you some tips further about how you can still get a professional logo
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Finally –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
SO…
Branding = (define your audience)
story + tagline +
FEELING + LOGO
repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat 29
We’ve talked about what branding is
Now, let’s talk about what a STRONG brand is
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A strong brand
A strong brand has:
A story and tagline that are compelling
And relevant to the audience
A logo that conveys that story without words
The ability to get the chosen audience to respond to the logo/brand with feeling
Consistent use – over and over and over 31
VOLVO SAVED MY LIFE CLUB
The letters have been coming to us for years. Men and women writing about how they believe a car helped save their lives. The Volvo Saved My Life Club recognizes these "survivors'" faith in Volvo, as well as Volvo's dedication to building cars worthy of such admiration. In fact, the only downside to the Volvo Saved My Life Club is the condition for membership.
Once it's determined that an accident was severe enough that the performance of a Volvo did, indeed, help save the lives of the passengers, they become members of the Volvo Saved My Life Club.
And, while we're very proud to be able to sponsor an organization like the Volvo Saved My Life Club, we hope for the day when potentially fatal car accidents will be a thing of the past.
Until then, we end with this heartfelt wish and advice: Drive safely.
Tastes great
Less filling
Lite Beer from Miller: Everything you've always wanted in a beer. And less.
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Remember – a strong brand has:
A story and tagline that are compelling
And relevant to the audience
A logo that conveys that story without words
The ability to get the chosen audience to respond to the logo/brand with feeling
Consistent use – over and over and over 35
WHY should I care about branding?
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We aren’t the only game in town anymore
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It’s a very noisy world
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If we can’t tell our story, why should anyone care?
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HELPS WITH FUNDING
Facilitates teamwork
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Brings more people in the door
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Case study
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Brand audit
Our story
Our core audience
Library users, seniors, parents
People who are community oriented
Interest in “the common good”
We developed our story
Curtis Memorial Library matters because we offer “possibility” to our community
Community pride = possibility
Library as antidote to closure of naval base and economic depression
We open doors to the world
“A world of possibility”
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Tagline
Possibility was “the” word
Curtis Memorial LibraryCreating a world of possibility
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Our logo
Our logo was old and out-of-date
No one understood why the ship
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What does “possibility” look like?
What does “possibility” look like?
What does “A world of possibility” look like?
What does “A world of possibility” look like?
What does “A world of possibility” look like?
What does “A world of possibility” look like?
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How to get started
How to get started
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1. Do a marketing audit
How to get started
During your audit
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 with a tagline?
Does my brand evoke a feeling?
Does my logo accurately reflect my story & emotion?
Am I telling the story the same way over and over so people learn the message and get it without thinking too much?
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How to get started
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2. Talk to your constituents
How to get started
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3. Compare audit & conversation
If there is no playback of a consistent story, then you need to start by working on that
If there is playback but it is confusing, make sure your story is clear
If the story is there but no feelings are be evoked, you need to revisit how you are trying to articulate those feelings
If playback is consistent, then move on to the next step…your brand tagline
Writing a tagline
Review your story
Start with the ten words that you identified as summarizing the “feeling” that you want people to have when they interact with your brand
Reduce your story to one sentence
Try using different words to get the right feeling
Look at what other libraries/brands have done
What you end up with should answer the question “why does the library matter”
Come up with 3-4 options. Try them out with family and friends. Do people “get it”? Keep it simple.
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Inc. Magazine article:
http://www.inc.com/guides/201101/new-rules-of-writing-a-memorable-slogan.html
http://www.inc.com/ss/5-tips-for-writing-an-effective-slogan#0
Tagline generator
http://www.yudkin.com/generate.htm75
Designing a logo
Unless you are a design artist – don’t try to do it yourself
A logo needs to reflect your brand via its visual elements: color, shapes, energy
Good article about how designers think about developing a logo – very useful
http://www.netmagazine.com/features/10-steps-perfect-logo
KISS
http://www.marketingsource.com/articles/view/2011
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Ways of getting design work done – 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
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Support each other
Get together with other library folks and work together – make this a project for a group
Share ideas, solve problems together
Branding is:
Common sense
Focus on the story
The first step? Jump in
Have some fun – it is a creative process!
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You can develop smart and interesting branding
And it will have a real and positive impact on how your community views your library!
GOOD LUCK!
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