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Image from: NYPL |
Mission Statement
A critical component of marketing efforts lies in having a clear understanding of the brand which is being represented. An institution’s mission statement sheds light onto its brand, and should be the intention behind what drives all their actions. In reviewing New York Public Library’s mission statement and core values, we are able to establish a framework from which they operate and design their marketing, branding, and outreach efforts.
The mission of The New York Public Library is to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge, and strengthen our communities.
To deliver on this promise, we rely on three great resources—our staff, our collections, and our physical and virtual spaces—as well as on a set of core values.
ACCOUNTABILITY.
We take responsibility for delivering on our commitments and for the stewardship of our materials and spaces.
EXCELLENCE.
Only the finest of everything is good enough for the least of us.
EXPERTISE.
We are relentless in our efforts to better understand our communities, our collections, and our users.
FREEDOM.
We are free and open to all. We treat everyone with respect and compassion.
INNOVATION.
We are always learning. We are constantly exploring new ways of doing things better and doing better things.
PASSION.
We love the Library, we love New York, and we love what we do.
TEAMWORK.
We celebrate the diversity of our experiences and build connections. We trust each other.
The message under their mission statement indicating “To deliver on this promise, we rely on three great resources—our staff, our collections, and our physical and virtual spaces—as well as on a set of core values” (NYPL, 2011) also clearly points to their recognition of “virtual spaces” as a valuable marketing tool.
Marketing Efforts
When accessing the New York Public Library’s homepage, we are immediately presented with bold and simple graphic representations of the words ”Discover,” “Connect,” and “Get Inspired,” under which the three main points of their mission statement, “Inspiring lifelong learning, Advancing knowledge, Strengthening our communities” are listed in bold typeface.
Main area of NYPL’s homepage:
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| Image from: NYPL |
Practically every clickable link on the homepage aside for two brings the user to a webpage that ends with the same bottom footer area, which again repeats the three word categories of ”Discover,” “Get Inspired,” and “Connect”.
Footer example:
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Image from: NYPL |
The area under “Connect” lists a variety of ways in which patrons can follow the library online through a simple click on the various graphic icons. It is evident here that the library has accounts in Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, YouTube, iTunes, Tumblr, VoiceThread, and the ability to sign up for RSS feeds from their blogs, and e-newsletters.
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| Image from: NYPL |
The link and page entitled “Connect with NYPL” showcases all the ways in which their patrons can choose to connect with them including, e-newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, FourSquare, YouTube, iTunes, and Flickr.
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Image from: NYPL |
In addition, there is a link that connects them to the many blogs by the library, and another link to their VoiceThread page.
Although the format and layout of each page varies, many of the pages that have a right sidebar column area will include buttons to “Donate Now!” or chat with a librarian, or “Like” the library on Facebook. This area will also include feeds from their blogs or feature areas of interest.
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Image from: NYPL |
A most notable strength of their marketing effort lies in their offering numerous avenues and access points in which their patrons can connect with them online beyond their website. They not only offer a wide variety of other outlets, but they repeatedly offer them on practically every page or account associated with them. Every account associated with the library offers ways to connect to their other accounts, or is linked in some way with each other.
The main area of their home Facebook page for example features links to “share” on Facebook, “follow” on Twitter, and “watch” on YouTube.
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Image from: NYPL’s Facebook |
The left sidebar area of their Facebook page also offers numerous other ways for patrons to connect:
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Image from: NYPL’s Facebook |
A posting on their Twitter account mentions and links to their Facebook page:
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Image from: NYPL’s Twitter |
The right sidebar area of their Tumblr page for example also features feeds from their Twitter account and links to their other accounts:
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Image from: NYPL’s Tumblr |
The marketing effort by the New York Public Library far exceeds my expectations, and it is difficult to see any shortcomings. Perhaps one observation made while examining their website is how surprising it is that they do not offer any quick links to directly connecting to their other online forums from their main homepage.
Branding Efforts
In line with their marketing efforts, the key to the New York Public Library’s successful branding efforts lie in their ability to repeatedly offer a consistent message in their various media forums. The strength and consistency of their brand resides in their ability to incorporate their library’s mission and values into every aspect of what they do and create. Although the content, format, and authors of the various online forums they maintain are varied, they are able to maintain a common voice through their unified values. Repeated imagery and a few choice words in all their various platforms also help maintain their brand.
The most powerful tool in branding efforts often lies in the institution logo. The logo must be consistent and strategically placed on every representation of that institution, as is the case with the logo for the New York Public Library:
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| Image from: NYPL |
As mentioned earlier, in addition to repeating their mission throughout their library webpage, their mission statement is also repeated on their various other online platforms as well.
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Image from: NYPL’s Facebook |
The same mission statement repeated on their Tumblr account:
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Image from: NYPL’s Tumblr |
The mission statement again, yet this time on their YouTube page:
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Image from: NYPL’s YouTube |
Suggestions
If I were hired by the library as a social media consultant, the one small suggestion I would make is to perhaps add quick links to their various online forums and ways for their patrons to connect right on the bottom of their homepage. Other than this, I think the New York Public Library is doing an excellent job in their marketing efforts, and can only suggest that they continue on with the inspirational work that they do.
Looks like the New York Public Library System is doing a lot of great things online! Did you get a chance to look at each of their social networking pages (i.e. Facebook, Flickr, Tumblr) to see how active they were? I critiqued the Denver Public Library and while they had a LOT of ways to connect they weren't updating all of them. So while one of their Twitter accounts was updated 4-5 times a day, their Vimeo page hadn't been in touched in a year. Just was curious if you knew how well NYPL was keeping up. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Erin
ReplyDeleteYes, they are quite active in their many forums. Their Twitter and Facebook pages are paticularly active, with postings almost every hour or two. The ony account I noticed that seemed to cease in activity since 2009 is their Flickr account, but it could be construed that it was their initial intention in 2003 to capture and share only a fraction of their historical image collections. Thanks!
What a great idea to look at the library’s mission statement as a basis for its brand—it certainly should be used that way, but I hadn’t thought of it. And I would guess not every library has thought of it that way either.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeanine! I think a critical aspect of branding involves having consistency in the message being delivered.
ReplyDelete