I think one of the biggest problems libraries have with marketing and promotion is the idea that we can’t let go of the idea that we need to tell our customers everything. Each attempt at conveying a message should have one primary message, whether it’s come to this workshop that we have, or that the librarian doesn’t mind answering questions. There may more more messages “hidden inside” but there needs to be one obvious, clear message. Watch this commercial for the VW Phaeton — it’s only illustrating the fact that the car is “hand-crafted”. Nothing else. Nothing about price, handling, fuel economy, etc. You may infer other things about it if you want but that’s all they are saying: This car is beautiful. A very simple message that the audience can internalize. We need to do that more.

The number two problem is that sometimes, the message isn’t about communicating some piece of information. Check out this recent ad by Coke. Nowhere in the commercial does it say anything about how Coke can help you. It’s all about style. That’s pretty much what Coke (and Pepsi and MacDonald’s and Old Navy, etc.) always advertises: we are cool — talk about us.

Our collections are filled with books that are designed and coloured to sell, periodicals that are filled with ads, textbooks about marketing, and customers that we can ask what they think… let’s check them out.