Integrated Marketing Design Collaterals Promote Library Author Series 2016

An integrated marketing design campaign created to promote the Alachua County Library District's 2015 Author Series will return again in 2016 to build upon the strong visual branding it established previously (view the 2015 marketing collaterals here: http://librarymarketingdesign.blogspot.com/2015/01/integrated-promotional-marketing-design.html).

45x45 inch large format poster used for in-library display.

This year, I was very pleased to receive head shots of each author that included their entire head, as well as most that also included their shoulders. These kinds of shots enabled me to create silhouetted knock-outs of each author rather than have them all appear inside of boxed photos on their promotional pieces. The presentation of complimentary collaterals in a campaign usually work better when all photos are consistently treated the same from one author to another and from one promotional piece to another, so I was happy that complete heads and shoulders on all images allowed me to feature them as consistent silhouettes rather than boxed head shots with a range of different image backgrounds. Having the option based on the images I received, silhouetting authors out of their photo backgrounds opened up the presentation space on each collateral piece, allowing them to be integrated into the design more directly, which in turn made for a more fluid, pleasing design solution.

8x11 sign, quarter page handbills, and print advertisement.

This year's author series is scheduled to take place from January through May, so I will be continually working on creating and fulfilling publicity requests for each author as their scheduled events approach. Lauren Groff is scheduled to be the series first author to appear. Other authors include Victoria Christopher Murray, Cynthia Barnett, Meg Waite Clayton, Amanda Conner with Jimmy Palmiotti, and Amy Stewart. The first three scheduled authors appeared on the cover of the library's Winter 2015-2016 newsletter, THINK... and as its featured article (view at: http://librarymarketingdesign.blogspot.com/2015/12/library-newsletter-think-winter-2015-16.html).

For each of the author events, many of the same design collaterals will be used. Maintaining a consistent, integrated look among the campaign collaterals will help to build quick recognition of the event series, whether they be seen in print or in digital formats for websites, social media or television.

11x17 and 8x11 signs cross-promote library online services.

Design collaterals created for each upcoming author to promote the series includes (+ quantities):

24x18 inch speaker podium sign (1) 
3.25x5 inch newspaper ad (1)
Quarter page handbill (300)
8x11 inch sign (45)
21x28 inch poster (5)
45x45 inch poster (1)
Cross-promotion of online library database service, Newsbank 11x17 inch display sign (1)
Cross-promotion of online library database service, Flipster 8x11 inch display sign (1)
Library website banner ad (1)Library website blog icon (1)
Television public service announcement (1)

Library website banner ad (left) and blog icon (right).

Television public broadcast announcement (PSA).

Library Newsletter: THINK... Winter 2015-16 Issue

The library’s free, 12-page winter edition of THINK... newsletter arrived in December. The issue covers quarterly news and over 800 scheduled events from December through February. A printed edition of 2,800 copies was delivered not only to all twelve library branch locations but also to select non-library businesses to extend its reach further into the community. Online copies are also available on the library’s website at www.aclib.us/news. 

Development of the newsletter begins with library staff entering their planned quarterly events into the library’s electronic calendar system during a 30-day period prior to beginning the editorial production process, which in turn takes an additional 30 days of production prior to delivery of the publication to the public. Printing services are outsourced to a local printer, taking five to seven days before receipt of the printed product back to the design department for separating and shipping different quantities to the 12 district libraries and local businesses.

Events published in the newsletter are the same as seen on the library’s website calendar of events. Due to limited space in the newsletter, complete descriptive information about the events are not published, however, those details remain available on the online branch calendars.

Project collaterals created in association with publication of THINK... include (+ quantities):

12-page print edition (2800)
Library website digital edition (1)
Library website blog icon (1)
Television broadcast public service announcement advertisement (1)

THINK... Autumn 2015 Library Newsletter Design

Television Public Service Announcement
promotes the arrival of the library newsletter.

A blog icon is used
on library website
as a hot link to find
the download page.

The library's free Autumn newsletter issue of THINK... arrived in October. The issue covers quarterly news and over 800 scheduled events from October through December. A printed edition of 2,750 copies is delivered not only to all twelve library branch locations but also to select non-library businesses to extend its reach further into the community. Online copies are also available on the library's website at, http://aclib.us/news. This issue's visual theme uses both public domain and local library event photography to depict patrons reaching out to make connections at the library by discovering and participation in any of the many library events and services.

Development for the newsletter begins by having library staff enter their upcoming quarterly events into the library's electronic calendar system (called Evanced--presumably for "Electronic Advanced") during a 30 day period before it is collected prior to beginning the editorial production process which in turn begins an additional 30 days prior to delivery of the printed publication. Evanced entries are the same listings seen by the public on the library's website calendar of events. They include event name, time and date, branch location, age group specifications, and descriptive information about the event. 

Once the comprehensive, district-wide Evanced listing gathered, an issue theme is developed based around a common association of events and feature article writing assignments are issued to appropriate staff for creation of written content. During the same time that content creation is taking place, the comprehensive event listing is also electronically copied and flowed into the newsletter layout for styling and fitting. Design development is also simultaneously underway to source for photography and illustrated images. Once story content is submitted by writers and edited, it is flowed into the articles pages for styling and fitting. A full-page design proof is submitted to all content editors to review and make comments on, then final revisions are made before sending to the printer. Printing takes an additional 5-10 days before receipt of the final product back to the design department for separating and onward shipping to the twelve district libraries and local businesses.

Newsletter cover appears on library website news page 

as a hot link to download a digital version of the 

print document.

Marketing a Successful Single Annual Library Teen Art Show into TWO Annual Art Shows

Library website banner ad.

Top L-R: PSA & certificate. Bottom L-R: Lanyard labels & medals

Youth Services staff at Headquarters Library of the Alachua County Library District held an annual Teen Art Show for the past 10 years. It had become so successful that staying on top of all the organizing—and finding floor space for the attending crowd and all the entries—had become a challenge. So for its 11th year, they decided to divide the art show into two separate art shows, one in the autumn for youth aged 12-15, then another one in the spring for youth aged 16-19. Of course, this meant that the event couldn't be referred to the 11th Annual Teen Art Show. Instead, the events would be called "Teen Art Show (for ages 12-15)" and "Teen Art Show (for ages 16-19)." Thus began a new era of annual Teen Art Shows for the Headquarters Library.

For promoting this new direction, I decided to leverage the design sensibility already in place from previous Teen Art Shows. This would help aid in the transition from one established event to two similarly related events. Design work would continue to use winning artwork from the previous year's show featured as the base art of the new publicity materials. The winning artwork would be featured in its entirety on each marketing collateral item, and also serve as a border treatment surrounding the various designs. Moving forward, a different display typeface font would be used, and the winning artwork would be shown as an image on an artist's easel to further impart the idea of it being physically on display. The only changes between the two different age group collaterals would be the use of the previous year's winning artwork and reference to the different age groups.

Below are the different collaterals created (+ print quantities):

Quarter page handbills (600)
8.5x11 inch sign (25)
8.5x11 inch vote for favorite sign (3)
23x34 inch poster (1) 
Broadcast media public service announcement ad (1) 
Website banner ad (1) 
Microsoft Publisher judge lanyard label template (1) 
Microsoft Publisher artwork label template (1)
Winning artwork medal labels (12) 
Winning participant certificates (12) 

Entrant categories for this art show were: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place with four (4) Honorable Mentions, plus five (5) overall prizes for: Best in Show, Logo Winner, Best Photography, Best Sculpture or 3D artwork, and Crowd Favorite.

L-R: Quarter page handbill, 8x11 / 21x28 inch sign, and 8x11 inch vote sign.

Library Marketing Designs Promote Author Ilyasah Shabazz Event

45x45 inch display poster.

Author Ilyasah Shabazz will visit the Alachua County Library District to sign books and talk about her work as a community organizer, activist, motivational speaker, and author of the critically acclaimed Growing Up X. She is also the daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz.

She is co-editor with Herb Boyd of The Diary of Malcolm X, worked with illustrator AG Ford on The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X and with Kekla Magoon, on the Novel X. 

Marketing collaterals designed to promote this event include (+quantities): 

45x45 inch display poster (1) 
21x28 inch display poster mounted on foam core board (4)
8x11 inch sign (45)
Quarter page handbill (300)
3.25x4.25in newspaper print advertisement (1)
Broadcast television public service announcement advertisement (1)
Website banner advertisement (1)
Social media banner advertisement (1)

Newsletter, sign and poster, handbill, and newspaper print advertisement.

Website banner advertisement.

Broadcast television PSA advertisement.

Library Marketing Designs Promote Author Greg Neri Event

Library website banner advertisement.

Newsletter pages and internal publicity.

Author Greg Neri will visit the Alachua County Library District on September 16 to talk about his work. He has written several children and young adult books, including Ghetto Cowboy, The Knockout Games, Chess Rumble, Yummy and True & Nelle. Neri’s work has tackled difficult situations kids and teens can find themselves in, such as peer pressure and bullying, and how they can find positive ways to move past those issues.  

Neri provided the library with an illustrated image of himself that had previous been used for a "READ" poster elsewhere. 

In order for the image to work within my variety of different design layouts, I silhouetted his body out from the background. I also took a detail portion of the background to enlarge then ghost it back in varying percentages—depending on what size of text would need to be read over top of it—for use as larger backgrounds on different collateral pieces.

Broadcast television PSA.

Collaterals created for this event include (+ quantities):

Quarter page handbill (250)
8x11 inch sign (35)
21x28 inch poster (4)
3.25x4 inch newspaper advertisement (1)
School publication print advertisement (1)
Magazine print advertisement (1)
Website banner advertisement (1)
Newsletter cover and interior page 
(1 page each) 
Broadcast television public service announcement advertisement (1)

Three external publicity collateral advertisements.

THINK... Library Newsletter, Autumn 2015 Issue

Newsletter cover features visiting authors.

The library's free, 12-page autumn edition of THINK... newsletter arrived in September. The issue covers quarterly news and over 800 scheduled events from September through November. A printed edition of 2,750 copies is delivered not only to all twelve library branch locations but also to select non-library businesses to extend its reach further into the community. Online copies are also available on the library's website at, http://aclib.us/news.  

Development of the newsletter begins with library staff entering their planned quarterly events into the library's electronic calendar system during a 30-day period prior to beginning the editorial production process, which in turn takes an additional 30 days of production prior to delivery of the publication to the public. Printing services are outsourced to a local printer, taking five to seven days before receipt of the printed product back to the design department for separating and shipping different quantities to the 12 district libraries and local businesses.

Library website blog icon.

Events published in the newsletter are the same as seen on the library's website calendar of events. Due to limited space in the newsletter, complete descriptive information about the events are not published, however, those details remain available on the online branch calendars.

Project collaterals created in association with publication of THINK... include (+ quantities):

12-page print edition (2750)
Library website digital edition (1)
Library website blog icon (1)
Television broadcast public service announcement advertisement (1)

Television broadcast public service announcement.

SIX Winning Library Marketing Designs at the 2015 American Library Association / LLAMA PR Xchange Awards Competition

I was pleased to receive news that SIX of my marketing design projects for the Alachua County Library District won national PR Xchange Awards at the 2015 American Library Association annual conference held in San Francisco, June 25-30. Announcement of these awards brought my receipt of national PR Xchange awards from the ALA to a total of nine awards in three years. From what I gather, it is also the very first time any library has ever received six—the most ever—PR Xchange awards in a single year.

The annual PR Xchange Awards recognizes the very best public relations materials produced by libraries in the past year. Entries are evaluated based on content, originality, and design by a team of experts in public relations, graphic design, communications, and marketing who select winner(s) in each category. The PR Xchange Awards are sponsored by the Library Leadership Administration and Management Association's Public Relations and Marketing Section of the American Library Association and are overseen by the PR Xchange Committee. More information about the PR Xchange can be read here: http://www.ala.org/llama/awards/prxchange_bestofshow .

In May, a panel of 7 judges oversaw selection of print entries and 5 other judges oversaw selection of digital media entries. In all, 374 entries were submitted from libraries across the country, of which 120 were digital media projects.

Although I wasn't in attendance at the conference, a slide show of winning entries was presented to attendees, as were certificates of recognition to winning entrants during the PR Xchange event sessions Sunday, June 28, from 11:00am-1:30pm. The PR Xchange sessions also enabled libraries to both display and share samples of winning and other marketing projects with conference attendees. 

Designed communications don't happen in a vacuum all by themselves. They require the input and collaboration of others who provide both the content of projects as well as their potential aesthetic preferences as a framework from within which the designer must seek solutions in order to fulfill the requirements of the project. So for those who were involved with each of these recognized projects, I share these kudos with you too.

2015 PR Xchange Awards I received were for the following projects 
(each were in the $15,000,000+ annual library budget category):

1): THINK... Spring 2014 Online Newsletter & Program Guide, Calendars of Events / Newsletters category. ( you can read my blog post about it here: http://librarygraphicdesign.blogspot.com/2014/04/integrated-marketing-designs-for-kids.html )

2): Kids Summer Reading Game Brochure, Reading Programs: Children and Family category. ( you can read my blog post about it here: http://librarygraphicdesign.blogspot.com/2014/04/integrated-marketing-designs-for-kids.html )

3): Teen Summer Reading Bookmark, Reading Programs: Teen and Young Adult category.
( you can read my blog post about it here: http://librarygraphicdesign.blogspot.com/2014/04/integrated-marketing-designs-for-kids.html )

4): Adult Summer Reading Brochure, Reading Programs: Adult category. 
( you can read my blog post about it here: http://librarygraphicdesign.blogspot.com/2014/04/integrated-marketing-designs-for-kids.html )

5): Volunteer Luncheon Event Program Booklet, Special Programs, Exhibits and Events category. ( you can read my blog post about it here: http://librarygraphicdesign.blogspot.com/2014/05/design-collaterals-for-2014-library.html )

6): Youth Services Directional and Collection Signage System Redesign, Services and Resources Available / Patron Orientation Materials / Policy Materials category.
(you can read my blog post about it here: http://librarygraphicdesign.blogspot.com/2014/04/new-signage-design-for-library.html )

Images of winning entries from the 2015 PR Xchange Awards are posted online at:
www.flickr.com/photos/prxchange-awards/21066240645/in/album-72157652883684574/ 
and at:
www.slideshare.net/markaaronpolger/2015-pr-xchange-award-winners

You can also view images of winning entries from the 2014 awards at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/97060948@N06/ (of which I had two winning entries) and winning entries from the 2013 awards, located at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/97060948@N06/sets/ (of which I had one winning entry).

THINK... quarterly newsletter & programming guide

Kids Summer Reading Game Brochure

Teen Summer Reading Bookmark

Adult Summer Reading Brochure

Volunteer Luncheon Event Program Booklet

Youth Services Directional and Collection Signage System Redesign