Public Relations Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes 

November 30, 2006, 10 am - 1 pm

Sargent Memorial Library, 427 Massachusetts Avenue, Boxborough

Committee Members

Present: John Arnold, Melissa Campbell, Liz Doucett, Janet Eckert, Susan Flannery, Elizabeth Fox, David Gray, Em Claire Knowles, Rob Maier, Alex Merceron, Greg Pronevitz, Charlotte Rabbit, Laurie Risler, Frank Sestokas, Stephanie St. Laurence.
Absent: Kathy Lowe, Emily Salaun, Pat McLeod; Marketing Consultant Zamawa Arenas
Others Present: Facilitators: Liz Isherwood and Pam Cleveland

Dates for the next Advisory Committee meetings:
January 25, 2007, 10 am - 3 pm, offices of the CMRLS
January 26, 2007 - Snow Date

Proceedings

David Gray, Director of Communications & Public Information:

Meeting called to order at 10:00 am

Minutes from November 8 meeting approved and accepted.

Dave announced that Liz Doucett would be leaving to accept the position of director of the Brunswick Public Library in Maine. After thanking Liz for her contributions to the PR Advisory Committee, he stated that the resulting opening on the PR Advisory Committee would not be filled.

Liz Isherwood, Facilitator:

Polled PR Advisory Committee members concerning the availability of specific services at the majority of Massachusetts libraries regarding the Marketing Messages.

 

Deliverable Services:

Rob Maier said the MBLC is looking into developing an Internet portal to serve as an entry point to all existing statewide services for library users.

Decided:

By July '07 the majority of Massachusetts libraries will offer 24/7 internet access to databases and information resource materials.

Marketing messages promoting statewide library services internet connectivity should be used.

Portal should offer hyperlinks to Spanish collections throughout the state.

Marketing messages aimed at Parents of both infant, preschool and school age children were determined to be deliverable by the majority of Massachusetts libraries.

Marketing messages aimed at the College-Educated 20-Somethings market are also deliverable

 

Training Library Staff

Discussed that training for library staff should be considered as it will be necessary to have "buy-in" on the marketing plan if the marketing initiatives are to be successful.

Decided:

Training for library staff may be necessary, but it will not be part of the tasks assigned in the three-year Marketing Plan.

John Arnold noted that some marketing awareness training is already taking place.

 

Setting Priorities

Decided:

As parents of all ages of children would be reached by virtually the same media mix and marketing messages are very similar, that market audiences of Parents of School-Age Children and Pre-School Age Children could be combined into a single market audience of "Parents" in general.

 

Focus Groups

Decided:

Marketing Plan will include focus groups on the College-Educated 20-Somethings market to affirm that the marketing messages are appropriate for that market and to obtain credible research that will assist with the development of effective marketing strategies and tactics.

 

Timeline for the selection of a marketing firm:

  • A marketing firm will be chosen by the MBLC by July 1, 2007

  • The first phase of the marketing campaign will launch by September 2007

 

Marketing Plan Timeline/Priorities

Year I

  • Focus on marketing messages/campaign targeting Parents

  • Research focus groups on College-Educated 20-Somethings with results of focus groups research to be presented to Committee during first 3 months of year I

  • Refine marketing messages/campaign to be developed for College-Educated 20-Somethings market in second quarter of Year I

  • Marketing campaign expanded to include existing Parents campaign and introduce College-Educated 20-Somethings campaign

Year 2

  • Evaluate results of Year I

  • Introduce any adjustments to messages/additions to marketing messages to be included in Year 2 marketing campaign

  • Focus on College-Educated 20-Somethings market while continuing promotional efforts to Parents market

Year 3

  • Evaluate results of Year 2

  • Adjust marketing messages as indicated by results

  • Continue marketing to both Parents and 20-Somethings, focus to turn more to 20-Somethings

 

Evaluation of Marketing Campaigns

Decided:

Marketing Plan will require the marketing firm to deliver an evaluation of the first year strategies/tactics and results at the 12-month mark from the beginning of the launch of the marketing campaign.

Additional evaluations would be required on a 6-12 month basis for the remainder of the Marketing Plan.

 

First Draft Marketing Plan

First drafts of the Marketing Plan were distributed to PR Advisory Committee members with instructions to review the draft and forward edits and suggestions to Dave Gray at the MBLC office by Friday, December 1, 2006. A second draft of the Marketing Plan will be distributed to PR Advisory Committee members prior to the January 25, 2007 meeting.

 
 
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