SLO7, ARTIFACT 2:
Marketing Goals and Promotional Flyers Link to goals: Marketing goals I developed these materials during my time in Dr. Washburn's collection management class. They exemplify the marketing approach that I might use to promote an adult fiction collection such as the one shown in SLO8 (see SLO8, Artifact Four: Public Library Collection). Goals Although marketing discussions often center around promotional activities, the planning that takes place prior to promotion often determines whether the promotional work will be successful. While developing the goals, I learned how to think through key marketing principles (i.e., creating a message; positioning and promoting products; evaluating effectiveness) in a public library context. The example activities described in the goals document (i.e., popup libraries and community book discussions) are ones that I might organize in my work as a community outreach professional. Flyers The flyers illustrate my effort to create engaging library promotional messages for a broad audience. Although only one marketing flyer was required for my class assignment, I created these two additional ones so that I could gain as much visual design practice as possible during my time in the course. Putting together these flyers helped me learn how to apply the concepts of branding and visual economy in a public library marketing context. Flyer 1: We'll take you there The first flyer is aimed at fiction readers, many of whom turn to fiction as a means of pleasurable escape. I picked a picture that invokes the thought of travel to communicate that, no matter where one is, one can be "transported" to another place when reading a book. I kept the wording minimal to avoid overwhelming the reader and applied the lesson of color contrast (which I learned in Dr. Martin's class) to make the flyer visually appealing. As an outreach volunteer, I delivered fiction books to caretakers who spent many hours a day at their workplaces caring for people. While they greatly enjoyed reading fiction, their work schedules often made it difficult for them to leave work and come to the library. Thinking about this led me to include contact information for the library's home delivery services at the end of the flyer. In my future outreach work, I hope to deliver flyers such as this one to residential caretakers and other people experiencing barriers to library service, to let them know that the library is there for them, no matter where they are. Flyer 2: One Book, One Community The second flyer is intended to promote community book discussions. The chosen photo conveys a sense of togetherness, which underscores the theme of the event. As in the previous flyer, the wording is sparse but the message is direct (Let's come together and read). The hands and the rising tree are symbols of diversity and growth that could resonate with a diverse and rapidly changing community. The "One Book, One Community" concept is popular among libraries. It has the potential to promote dialogue around tough social issues, such as the racial and class conflicts at the heart of one of this poster's featured books, The Last Ballad. "Tough" discussions are a critical factor in fostering awareness of the economic challenges facing some marginalized and underserved populations. I could see myself organizing and promoting social justice-oriented book discussions and related events in my work as an outreach professional. |