In attendance:
Caleb, Beverly, Mary, Emily
Absent: Janeanne Rockwell-Kincanon
Notetaker: Mary
Facilitator: Caleb
agenda:

1. identify markets for L-Net target marketing
2. Which markets shall we focus on next?

Caleb reminded us of the ground rules of the committee: Each member will committ to be on the committee for a period of one year. This period will be up November 2008.

• Do we want new members?
• Do each of us want to continue on the committee?
• Logistics of meetings with members from around the State.
• phone meetings? perhaps every other could be a phone meeting.
• consider traveling to a half-way point. L-Net would pay travel expenses.

Caleb reviewed the marketing plan for 2006.
Handouts: Market Segments Exhibit 7 (expanded from the 2006 Marketing Plan); Target Markets from L-Net FY 2006 Marketing Plan; "Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users-demographics" from Pew Internet and American Life
http://www.pewinternet.org/∞

• Most of it is current but some portions need updating.
• statistics
• libraries as an additional target audience
• parents as additional target focus
• suggested we revise the messages to help us reframe our efforts
• use Pew Internet and American Life survey results to help define audiences:
  • results are adults, not teens
  • targets specific age groups/we can use for marketing purposes

Devise different marketing strategies/messages for different age/characteristics of groups

• Cyberseniors program-could add L-Net as a training component to curriculum

$40,000 this year for marketing

• this does not include things like adding a component to a curriculum
• would not cover hiring an advertising agency
• wants to do BIG things
• prefer that this includes all forms of media-radio, tv, cable
• hold off ideas for now (we all have plenty of ideas)

(Short discussion about current wait time for patrons on L-Net:)

• concerns about significant wait time
• Beverly reported that on some of her transcripts it looks like patrons have waited up to 15 minutes to get helped
• when 25-30 students go online, there is going to be waiting

We went through each of the "key L-net attributes" from the Plan and determined which age bracket(s) would fit that atribute:

• "ease of use"-30 and above
• "fast"-omnivores and students
• "saving time"-omnivores, product enhancers, ages 18 and up, groups who work
• "24/7"-academic/college students, maybe ages 30-49, possibly everyone?, parents
• "librarians as experts"-middle schools, over 50, 65+ (not everyone believes this or wants this)
• "free"-parents, 65+

Caleb and Emily attended a collaborative VR conference:

• VR tv commercials from Norway: patron is on the telephone in front of a computer and he's chatting online with a VR librarian to get the answers to a contest and then gives the answers he obtained through VR to the person on the telephone and wins.
• ad: teens go through a drive-through and order information "books on Romans with a side of Caesar"
• another attendee liked L-net's dog bookmark-could possibly exchange the bookmark for the use of a tv commercial?
• is the dog bookmark insulting to people? definitely won't reach all people the same way

Advertising ideas:

• consider doing ads via Comcast to MTV
• discussed how donors were found to help finance the ads-one donor gives half, then next donors give half each of what's left, etc.
• consider doing ads inside buses similar to poetry
• radio and cable tv and satellite to reach rural areas
• through state library combining EBSCO and L-net
• through Qwest bills and other utility bills

Ideas for future focus:
Janeanne-push academic/college

• ads in student newsletters
• materials for libraries to use to market to students (like a press packet?)
  • at the VR conference, American University had posters with scantily dressed students advertising VR; students liked them so much they hung them in dorm rooms
• community colleges like L-Net/private colleges do not
• U of O says L-net was not reaching students
• academics have a right to be concerned about the way L-net librarians help their students:
• what can we reasonably offer students? citation checks, fast facts?
• ask Janeanne to be involved in this focus
• how can we make sure that back-up services are as high quality as during normal shifts?
• consider hiring an intern (graphic designer or advertising) rather than an expensive consultant
• - need someone who is quick, immediate, and accessible as well as good!
• - someone who knows what we want to portray and can interpret accurately and effectively and professionally

Conclusions and actions: What do we want to focus on and what do we want to do next?

• Beverly: will research bus advertising
• Caleb: radio and tv ads
• brochure for parents in time for spring
• Mary: focus on libraries/librarians who teach computer classes
• will work on a press packet to libraries, what goes into it, etc.
• Emily: will research advertising through utility companies

Next Steps:
explore ideas for marketing to each population segment