[Digihubsadmin] Regional naming

[Stephen Hedges]

Chatham asked if I had any opinion about this (for what that's worth), but I don't really have any strong opinion about a coordinated regional marketing strategy.

On the one hand, I don't see a need for a single brand, for example. I base that on my experience with Libraries Connect Ohio, the partnership of OPLIN, the State Library. OhioLINK, and INFOhio to deliver statewide databases. We do our grant applications under the name Libraries Connect Ohio (as this group did this grant application for "Digitization Hubs"), and there's a website that explains a little about Libraries Connect Ohio, but each partner maintains very different branding for our differing constituencies, and even delivers the "product" in very different ways.

On the other hand, I wouldn't point to Libraries Connect Ohio as a huge marketing success. INFOhio is fairly successful marketing the databases to K-12 students and their teachers and parents, but would we all benefit from a coordinated marketing strategy? Perhaps.

Sorry I don't have something more helpful to contribute.

Stephen
--
Stephen Hedges, Director
Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN)
2323 W. Fifth Ave., Suite 130, Columbus, OH 43204
614-728-5250  ::  hedgesst at oplin.org

----- Original Message -----
> From: "Paula Brehm-Heeger" <Paula.Brehm-Heeger at cincinnatilibrary.org>
> To: "Meg Delaney" <Meg.Delaney at TOLEDOLIBRARY.ORG>, "Chatham Ewing" <chatham.ewing at cpl.org>, "Angela Oneal"
> <aoneal at columbuslibrary.org>, "Stephen Hedges" <hedgesst at oplin.org>
> Cc: "John Skrtic" <john.skrtic at cpl.org>, "Felton Thomas" <felton.thomas at cpl.org>
> Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2014 11:20:05 AM
> Subject: RE: Regional naming
> 
> I've elevated the idea, as Meg mentions, up the chain here.  I'll be more
> comfortable in commenting further early next week I believe.
> 
> We do have an existing operation here that is branded the "Virtual Library"
> so have some things to consider about how we might approach folding the new
> project into our existing brand, too.
> 
> Thanks for getting the ball rolling on this important component of the
> project, Chatham.
> Paula
> 
> ________________________________________
> From: Delaney, Meg [Meg.Delaney at TOLEDOLIBRARY.ORG]
> Sent: Friday, June 13, 2014 1:37 PM
> To: Chatham Ewing; Angela Oneal; Stephen Hedges; Brehm-Heeger, Paula
> Cc: John Skrtic; Felton Thomas
> Subject: RE: Regional naming
> 
> Great idea Chatham. This makes sense on several levels.
> I'll check with our Director and Marketing group early next week.
> Go ahead and put Toledo in the (tentative) "Yes" column.
> 
> Thanks, Meg.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chatham Ewing [mailto:chatham.ewing at cpl.org]
> Sent: Friday, June 13, 2014 11:16 AM
> To: Angela Oneal; Delaney, Meg; Stephen Hedges; "Paula Brehm-Heeger"
> Cc: John Skrtic; Felton Thomas
> Subject: Regional naming
> 
> All,
> 
> Building on the sense of regional distribution that was implicitly part of
> the hubs grant and because of pressing deadlines for establishing a
> marketing campaign, here at CPL we're closing out our branding discussions.
> We're settling into a naming strategy that would brand us as the digital
> public library for Northeast Ohio.
> 
> We'd love to be able to share our initial branding work with other grant
> partners to foster and coordinate a regional statewide marketing strategy.
> 
> Chatham Ewing
> Digital Library Strategist
> Cleveland Public Library
> 325 Superior Ave., N.E.
> Cleveland, OH 44114
> 216.213.3962 (mobile)
> chatham.ewing at cpl.org
> http://www.cpl.org  ​