CILIP PPRG Marketing Excellence Winners Announced!
Stand-up comedy, student incentives and an innovative literary map were among the winning initiatives in the 2011 CILIP PPRG Marketing Excellence Awards.
The silver award was made to Cardiff Central Library for a year-long events programme which drew in significant numbers of new customers. A series of well-targeted projects, which included comedy workshops, world foods and a very popular pairing of beer and poetry, generated a great deal of participation and media interest. The PPRG judging panel felt that this was an excellent example of creative partnership in action and a great way to maximise limited resources.
View the presentation here:
Laura Wood and Nicola Richards: Cardiff Central Library Marketing and Events Programme
What the judges said
This entry represented a huge amount of work and commitment undertaken by a non-specialist marketing team.
Typical of all effective marketing campaigns, there was a clearly defined set of objectives. It is to Cardiff's credit that they established specific objectives for individual events.
We were impressed by the partnerships developed to ensure resources for the individual events and the ongoing commitment to build on success and lessons learned, particularly in the use of electronic and social media.
The sucess of the Events Programme is founded on enthusiasm of all the staff involved. This has resulted in the formation of a cohesive service-wide approach to marketing, the Central Library Marketing and Events Team being included in the Library Business Plan for 2011. We hope they go from strength to strength.
Edinburgh Libraries picked up a bronze for Edinburgh Reads, an interactive online book map, which not only flagged up works of fiction set in the city, but also linked directly back to the library catalogue. The project helped to reinforce the library service’s role as a key part of the city’s literary and cultural landscape, both for residents and for visitors.
What the judges said
The historic city of Edinburgh has been the setting and inspiration for a wealth of fiction and this in turn has inspired Edinburgh City Libraries to create an online fiction map
The merit of this entry is impressive considering the minimal resources; the use of social and traditional media; the partnership with authors to spread the word about the project; the willingness to make changes in response to feedback and the drect links to the catalogue.
You can view the Edinburgh Reads Literary Map here>>
The University of Warwick’s well planned, well executed and carefully evaluated Check it Out project also took a bronze award. This student induction marketing campaign used a range of media to successfully engage staff and students, delivering an enormous increase in participation.
View the presentation here:
Katherine Widdows, University of Warwick: Check it Out (the hottest session on campus)
What the judges said
You have to have a convincing strap line if you are going to convince Freshers of the credibility of your offer in Freshers' Week. There is a lot of sophisticated competition out there!
Check it out - the hottest session on Campus was catchy enough to increase attendance at the general library induction sessions by 717% at a relatively low cost.
The team used the concept of branded complimentary tickets to encourage Freshers to come along. These particularly impressed the judges, as they were designed in the style of nightclub fliers that carried the library's unique offer.
The entry revealed that they had narrowly missed their target attendance but we cannot attribute this to lack of effort. We noted the inclusion of evaluation of the project and the commitment to use the evaluation to inform future marketing.
PPRG Chairperson, Linda Smith said: “Choosing outright winners was difficult: we received high quality entries from libraries across the public and academic sectors and from all over the UK. All the entries reflected the commitment and enthusiasm of staff to promote and market the importance of libraries. They are a credit to their organisations and this is a great inspiration to us all.”
About the Awards
Now, perhaps more than ever, it is vital that we spread the good news about what our libraries offer and the real difference they can make.
While the commercial sector boasts large marketing budgets, library services make a little go a long way by using imagination, commitment and creativity. From stock promotions to storytelling projects, new online services to the launch of major new library buildings, the PPRG awards exist to celebrate achievement at whatever scale it may be.
Winning entries are recognised by Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards for campaigns that involve several elements, which may include print, promotional events or displays, e-marketing and use of media. The judges look at evidence of the campaign’s impact and effectiveness.
The PPRG Awards are widely acknowledged as the showcase for initiatives that fly the flag for libraries of all sizes and in all sectors. They offer national exposure for your project and help communicate the value of what you’re doing among funders, partners, media, peers, managers and customers.