On BrandingAndrew Colgoni, Services LibrarianMcMaster University, Hamilton, ON

& creator Ad/Lib: adlib.info@adlib_info | facebook.com/adlib.info

What is a brand?

LogoVisual Identity

Store Design & Layout

Customer Service

Quality of Product

Mission& Promise

Cost

Ethics

Availability

User Experience

Slogan Advertising

Taste Preferences

PersonalExperiences

Opinions of Others

External Trends

Reputation

Cultural Associations

Media Coverage

Historical Associations

What is a brand?

“A brand is the amalgamation of all the different experiences and encounters a consumer has had with products, salespeople, marketing, advertising, and retail experiences (if there are retail stores). That’s why a brand is a promise…” (Leibtag, 2013)

Why brand?• Position organization within user’s lifestyle•Differentiate your product from competition• Foundation for marketing•Deliver consistent design and look/feel•Demonstrate relevancy to users•Define and lead conversation about your product / service• Say more with less(Doyle, 2011; Leibtag, 2013; Potter, 2012; Webber, 2007)

Telling the story of your library

brandingFrom 20,000 feet in the air.In five steps.

1. research

Talk to your stakeholders:• Find out existing associations• “What three words do you associate…?” (Potter,

2012)

• Discover apparent strengths• Understand future wants and needs

2. Write your story

• Back to basics: Mission and Values• What do you want people to think about

when they think of your library? What will you want them to think in five years? Ten?

Image credit:Armin Vit; Brand Newhttp://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/the_lawrence_public_library.php

3. Determine scope

• Will you do a brand ‘refresh’ or total rebrand?• Will the branding rollout with:• Web redesign?• Marketing campaign?• Physical space changes?• Alternate service goals?• Etc.

Wells County Public Library Rebrand was profiled on Ad/Lib:http://adlib.info/wells-county-public-library-rebranding-2013/

4. Find a designer

• My advice: find a professional designer• Give them your research, tell them you

story, outline the scope• Create something unique and memorable

Image credit:Jef Catapang; Design Edge Canada http://designedgecanada.com/news/kitchener-public-library-turns-page-with-intent-rebrand/

“An abstract asterisk is the library’s new centrepiece icon, playing on the idea that an asterisk signals more to come.” (Catapang, 2014)

5. Implement & Assess

• Did you set measurable goals?• Gate counts• New membership• Check-outs• Event attendance• Media coverage

• What will success mean for you?

NYPL’s 2009 lion logo was redone in-house led by Art Director Marc Blaustein.

Image credit:Armin Vit; Brand New

http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/an_iconic_lion_for_an_iconic_institution.php

refs

Catapang, Jef. 2014. “Kitchener Public Library Turns Page with Intent Rebrand.” Designedge. Accessed October 8. http://designedgecanada.com/news/kitchener-public-library-turns-page-with-intent-rebrand/.Doyle, Charles. 2011. A Dictionary of Marketing. New York: Oxford University Press.Leibtag, Ahava. 2014. The Digital Crown : Winning at Content on the Web. Waltham, MA: Elsevier.Potter, Ned. 2012. The Library Marketing Toolkit. London: Facet Publishing.Webber, Alan M. 2014. “What Great Brands Do.” Fast Company. Accessed October 8. http://www.fastcompany.com/29056/what-great-brands-do.