The five part planning worksheet to follow is not a comprehensive marketing plan - it does not deal with resource allocation, for example. What it is meant to do is to get you to think in a certain way, a different way, as you begin planning any marketing activity.

Marketing, as previously stated, is "finding out what your customers want and need and changing when necessary to meet those needs." Your marketing strategies will require a interaction of the components of the marketing mix: a new or revised product or service (Product) leading to a new or changed service delivery mechanism (Place), resulting in a new budget item or a new fee-for-service structure (Price) and requiring some publicity to let people know of the changes (Promotion). These are the famous Four "P’s" of marketing, and are centred around the 5th "P": the needs of People (customers or clients).

You likely have some customer research, need assessments, service evaluations or strategic planning goals which require a marketing solution. Your objective can come from these other initiatives.

Objectives: Make your objectives SMART: Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, with Responsibilities stated and Timed. If you don’t know where you are going, how will you know you have arrived? (The product / service portion of the Marketing Mix will often appear here.)
1. Target Groups: Identify the individuals and groups who are essential to the achieving of your objective. (This is the People part of the Marketing Mix.)

   Put them in priority order according to their importance as a stakeholder in the outcomes. Find out every thing you can about the most important groups and individuals. Some information may already exist; some you may be able to find out from a quick phone call, but, for many you may need to do further market research. (For example, focus groups, surveys, interviews.)

   People do things for their reasons, not yours. You will not get their attention by promoting the things that you love and value. This is why it is essential to find out what their priorities and agendas are.

2. Develop Strategies: What?, Where?, When?, Who?, How?
   What are the obstacles?
   It is very important to invest a considerable amount of time on discussing obstacles to achieving your objective. Too often we charge ahead with what we want to do, without taking the opportunity to look at the other person’s agenda and other factors that could get in the way. You must try to anticipate obstacles so that your success is not thwarted by an unexpected development.
   • Do you have enough money? (the Price part of the Marketing Mix will always appear under obstacles.)
   • Is there enough time? (It’s the decision-makers time constraints that count.)
   • Is there anyone in organized opposition to you? Or in competition?
   • Do either you or any of your target group have any personal biases that may get in the way? (Their out-moded perception of the library, for example, or your basic disagreement with new corporate directions.)
   • Are there differing perceptions or expectations? (Does your marketing solution "fix" their problem?)
   You will better overcome obstacles in marketing strategies by understanding the environment of your stakeholders and decision-makers. While your issue is vital and important to you, it is just one of many that they have to consider on a daily basis. It is imperative that you are able to view your issue through their eyes if you are going to be perceived as credible. This applies equally in the corporate management structure or within a university, public library or a school board environment.

   Where is the most appropriate place for you to communicate with your target audience? (The Place part of the Marketing Mix.)

   It is safe to assume that your stakeholders are busy people. For example, having a meeting or an event away from their workplace is be more time-consuming, and thus easier to cancel. Also, people’s offices often contains the trappings of their power. It makes more sense to meet with a decision-maker in a place in which he or she is most at ease and feels most in control of the situation. A high comfort level will make he or she more receptive to your message. Most of the time, then, where implies "on their turf."

   When is the most appropriate and convenient time for your target group to hear from you? Without exception, it is their calendar and their schedule which takes precedence.

   Who should deliver your message? Who is your best presenter? Your best writer? Who has the most credibility? Who is the best "match"? between you and your target audience?

   Library users and supporters have an important role to play because, unlike library staff, they will not be perceived as acting in their own self-interest.

   "Mr. CEO, we represent Research Department, the Information Technology Department and the Marketing Department and we are here to support the library’s request for funds and to work with the library on implementing the proposed new Knowledge Management System."

   How? (the message) Your message, in order for it to be remembered, must be short and simple; no more than you would fit on a postcard: "Having a good time, wish you were here."

   You best express your objective to your target audience by determining a personal, relevant, simple and consistent message that you can repeat many times and in many ways. Ensure that the message is positive and memorable, and makes the point that you intend. For example, decision-makers' time is extremely precious because there are so many demands upon them. You show respect for these busy people by clearly stating your request and providing concise backup data. Tell them what they need to know, not what you want them to hear. (There’s a large quantitative difference!)

3. Communication Tools: It is finally at this stage in the process that you choose which communication tools you will use. (Traditionally we have started our planning with the communication tool: this is how marketing planning is different. This is where the Promotion part of the marketing Mix is considered.)) Only after you have determined your strategies can you find the best communication tool to do the job. Now you can match the objectives, the audience, the budget, the timing, the location, the messenger and the message: your communications are going to be "on target."

   You will find that some really creative communications ideas emerge if you brainstorm first. (e.g. billboards, sky-writing, library facts inside a fortune cookie, an annual report on a coffee mug.) Then, re-visit your strategies and see which of the tools you have listed are actually the most appropriate and effective for target group.

4. Evaluation: Decide now how you will measure if you achieved your objective. If you can not figure out a way to measure your success, you might want to re-consider doing it the first place...

   Evaluation serves to identify those activities that were effective and those which were not. It also provides a means of accountability for organizers, and a basis for the tailoring of future marketing activities. However, measures to determine effectiveness must be established at the beginning of the process in order to ensure that success criteria are known throughout the process. Also, if measures such as counts or surveys are to be taken, plans to put them in place need to be made at the outset.

Patricia M. Cavill
Pat Cavill is a library consultant from Calgary. She is an adjunct professor at the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies, UBC, where she teaches two courses in Marketing and Management. She is a Past-President of the Canadian Library Association and the Team Leader for Library Advocacy Now!, a program to train library users and supporters to speak up for libraries.

The Worksheet

© All articles are copyright by authors, Last updated: 30 April 1998
URL: www.sla.org/chapter/cwcn/wwest/vin3/cavilb13.htm