Today I was fortunate to have a conversation with Tina Thomas of Edmonton Public Library. EPL recently rebranded themselves. And while I don’t have all the details, I can send you in a couple of directions for more information. Bottom line: they’ve done a good job of focusing their message and synthesizing what EPL means to their community.
I love one thing Tina had to say: “through customer-based research we figured out what customers want to hear from us.” Traditionally libraries focus on what they think customers want. I hear: “we have so many great resources, we need to tell people about them”; EPL flips that on its head and defines itself based on what their customers need to hear: what are customers looking for that allows them to hear what EPL has to say? A great marketing approach.
Check this out: spreadthewords.ca.
Tina shared a couple of other things:
1. EPL Shared Values – Who we are and what we value: In order to develop a brand that truly represents us and resonates with both staff and customers, we needed to better define what unique value we provide. To achieve this we developed a refined view of our shared values leveraging a tool called a values wheel. Enclosed is our shared values statement that puts words behind our values and a link to the video that brings it to life. EPL Shared Values: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyhgPgKAB5A
2. EPL Brand Mark and Promise: Our new logo and promise were developed based on a solid understanding of who we are and the value we provide to our customers. Talking about their new mark EPL says:
Strengths of our New Brand
Our new brand and mark are a better reflection of who we are, what we value and what we do. It will help bring unity and consistency to how we represent ourselves internally and externally.
- Current, colourful, smart, innovative and aspirational. It evokes a feeling and emotion about EPL that is currently absent. Utilizing the coloured lines and text differentiates EPL from the thousands of brands that exist.
- Diverse: Represents many ideas, interests and people without using images that inherently include some people while excluding others.
- Evolving: Grows with us. We have the freedome and flexibility to design and develop new messages as we need and want them.
- Modern.
Good to see excellent marketing rigor at work!
About Alison Circle
