Branding Libraries Their Services - WebJunction...Branding Libraries and Their Services Michael...

Branding Libraries and

Their Services

Michael Leach

Harvard University & Simmons GSLIS

mrleach@fas.harvard.edu

leach@simmons.edu

7 November 2008

Look at the following& ask yourself:

• What word or words immediately come to mind when I see this logo?

• What do I think about when I see this logo?

Logo One

Logo Two

Logo 3

First Logo: Nike

• What did you first association with this logo?

– Sneakers

– Sports

– An active lifestyle

– Style in general

– Other:

Second Logo: McDonald’s

• What did you first association with this logo?– Food

– Fast Food

– French fries and hamburgers

– A clown

– Kids

– Other…

Third Logo: Mercedes-Benz

• What did you first association with this logo?

– Car

– Luxury car

–Money

– Status

– Style

– Other….

Read/Listen to the Following:Can you complete the line &

Identify the Brand

1. “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh…”

2. “My bologna has a first name…”

3. “Where’s the _______ ? (one word for a meat)

4. “Read my _______? No new ________ .”

In all the previous examples…

• The image/phrase/words conjured up:– A precise image of a product and/or service and/or company and/or person

– Was easy to associate• Almost unconsciously

• We can do this because of our collective exposure to advertisements and our pop culture immersion– Note: someone living without a TV would have difficulty with some associations

Two versions of the same logo:What does the “i” stand for?

And what does this “conjure”up?

Prior two logos

• The

– Is short hand for “information”

– Especially for tourist information

– Recognized world-wide

• The

– Is short hand for “library”

– Do you see the “L” in this logo?

– Recognized in many parts of the world

Logo & Tagline

• These are the images and words for your brand

• Reflect the values of your brand

– Your library, service, collection, etc.

• You want quick identification and association

– Between logo/tagline & actual brand

What is a Brand?

• Basically, a “mental shortcut”

– Images/words (logo/tagline) that represent a more complex object

• Your service, collection, library, etc.

• The brand should spark

– Instant recognition

• Of your service, collection, library, etc.

– Associations of

• Ideas & Concepts & Feelings

To Brand

• You need something to “sell”

– Product/Collection

– Service

– Institution/Company

– Person (usually for politics/entertainment)

• You need an audience (or audiences)

• You need a marketing plan

Brand=Something to “Sell”:A Library Perspective

• Service

– Reference

– ILL/Document Delivery

• Collection (product)

– Downloadable audio books

– Popular DVD movies

• Institution

–Meeting space

– All of the above

An Audience: i.e. Patrons

• Who would use your “brand”

– Large print books: senior patrons

– Downloadable audio books: patrons on the go (e.g. commuters)

– Instant messaging reference service: undergraduate students

– Electronic reserves: faculty & students

– The library as a whole: your citizens

Audience–Brand Connection

• One designs a brand with the audience always in mind

• So, know your audience

–What they like

–What they don’t like

– Their collective experience

• Baby Boomers and Gen X’rs have different cultural experiences

Marketing Plans helps answer:

• Who are you targeting?

– The audience

• What are you marketing?

– Service, product, or institution

• Shared icons, visuals, words, meanings, associations, etc.

– Logo & tagline

– Between audience and your product/service/institution

With all this said:

• What do you plan on branding?

• Most libraries brand the institution

– The library as a whole

• Many libraries share brands

– OPAC (consortial) or electronic resource

– A program or service

• You can have more than 1 brand at any give time

–More than one service, collection, etc.

@ Brand for Programs

Some OPAC Brands

Branding Models

• Different models depending on whom you read

• Three common brand models:

– Objective

– Emotional/Subjective

– Viral/Word-of-Mouth

• Choosing the brand model

– Depends on how you want to connect to your audience

Objective Brand Model

• You appeal to a person’s “brain”

• Image/word choices focus on

– Statistics

– Physical features

– Design

– Business “look and feel”

• Think of Volvo, IBM,

Emotional/SubjectiveBrand Model

• You appeal to a person’s “heart”

• Image/word choices focus on

– Building an emotional bond

• “You’ll just love this product”

– Social connections

– Status

• Think of Coach, Chanel

Viral/Word-of-Mouth Brand Model

• You appeal to a person’s “hip” factor

• Image/word choices focus on

– Unique

– Cutting edge

– Out of the ordinary

– Avant garde

– Short life span (fads change)

• Think of Snapple, VW Bug

• Rarely used with libraries

Colors and Brand Models• Objective models tend to use

– Cool colors

– Blues, purples, grays

• Subjective models tend to use

–Warm colors

– Reds, oranges, yellows

• Green straddles the warm/cool divide

Brand Model for Libraries

• Most libraries choose the ObjectiveBrand model

– Fits with our cultural perception

Books!!• Models can intermingle

– Objective and Subjective components

–We’ll see examples shortly

When Creating the Logo• Keep image simple

• Keep image recognizable

• Which brand model(s) works best

–Which colors work best

• Patron perceptions

–What do you want them to think about when they see your brand?

–What do you want them to feel when they see your brand?

Look at these:

Two Public Libraries

• What are they selling?

– The whole library? Books?

• What model(s) are they using?

• Which brand looks “old fashioned”

• Which brand looks “hip/modern”

–What do the colors “tell you”?

• Which logo do you like more?

–Why?

Look at this brand logo:

Cherry Hill PL

• What are they “selling”?

– The Whole Library

• What model are they using?

– Objective and subjective

– Book symbol

– Heart symbol

– Using red font colors

– Blue color also part of logo

Your reaction now to this:

Dunedin PL

• Use of objective symbols

– Books

– Keys

– CD

• Mixed color response

–What is your reaction to the plaid CD?

–What about the color of the book & keys

– Do the color choices reflect the brand model choice?

Look at these two brands

Stylized Logo

• A common trend in branding

• Image becomes abstract

– Yet still recognizable

– Both logos/brands are

• Transition between old, conservative values and new, modern values

• What about choice of colors?

What is your reaction to:

Washoe County PL

• What model are they using?

• What do the images convey?

– The open book

– The “winding road”

– The blue globe

What is your reaction to:

Medina County PL

• What model(s) are they using?

– How can you tell?

• Does this brand logo feel:

–Modern?

– Conservative?

– Inviting?

– Other?

• Do the sun’s rays resemble anything?

Now see the logo on a page

Medina County PL

• You can not read the words embedded in this logo when it is placed on their web page

• But

– The sun still shines

– The image retains its “quirky moderness”

– I.e. you recognize it

When to use your brand

• As much as you can

• Exposure is key

• People need to see a brand before they can associate with it

• That is why companies advertise

– Libraries usually don’t advertise the same way

– But there are other “ways” to advertise

“Advertising” your Brand

• Web sites

–Main site

– Photo & Calendar sites

– “Friends” sites

• All stationary

• Check out slips

• Program flyers

• Anywhere the library “is”

Final Example 1

Darien, CT, PL

• What model are they using?

– Objective

• What is the symbol?

– Open book, in motion

– Highly stylized, modern

• What colors do they use?

– Cool, objective colors

• With a bit of green

Note the use of the logo:

Further use of the logo

Final Example 2

Norwell PL

• Note the use of:

– Vase/tree/branch image

– Tag line: “Branch Out – at your library”

– Choice of colors

• Brown & green

• Supports tag line and brand

Brand with whole “look”

Norwell PL Web site

• Brand and site design align

• Whole site becomes part of brand

• Note:

– Consistent use of color throughout

– Structure and colors reflect logo & tagline

• Is this objective brand modeling? Subjective? Or Both?

Your Employees

• Focus so far has been:

– On image & words (visuals)

• People can also be a brand

– Good service = good brand image

– Bad service = bad brand image

• Despite the look of your logo & the cleverness of your tagline

• Everything must reflect the brand

– Especially if your brand = the library

Final Points• Clear

– Logo & Tagline send same message

–Message understood by audience(s)

– Staff understand & emulate brand

• Consistent

– One set of logos/tagline for a brand

• Continuous

– Over time, by everyone in the library

• Across all media

–Web, print, etc.

Thank You!

Michael Leach

leach@simmons.edu

mrleach@fas.harvard.edu