Raise Your MQ (Marketing Quotient)

A synopsis

Are librarians providing the services which their (potential) clients need (or want). Are they effectively 
informing -- or, marketing -- what they do provide? What tools can librarians use to improve the 
effectiveness of their service? These are the questions which Dr. Evelyn Daniel addressed in "Raise Your 
MQ (Marketing Quotient)".

Dr. Daniel began with an overview of the "marketing mix elements": Product, place, price, physical 
evidence, process, people, and promotion. In particular, she noted the difficulties librarians can have -- for 
ethical reasons -- in tracking the interests and preferences of their clients. One can ask certain individuals 
and extrapolate the results; use one's own tastes; or use cohort analysis. The latter method is the best since 
it looks at people born at certain times, and the attitudes, needs, and preferences can vary greatly among 
different cohorts. Dr. Daniel also emphasized the necessity for using a variety of tools to advertise the 
services available, including public relations, publicity, advertising, and the use of incentives. She finished 
with three suggestions: Take a big picture approach to marketing; think of promotion as a necessary 
communication; and consider hiring a communications expert.