Make It Here Do It Here
Lexington Public Library, Ky.
Innovation Synopsis
A multifaceted storytelling campaign showcased individuals and their personal success stories. Spokespeople were unexpected yet relatable – a formerly homeless woman who used Job Help and a woman who found grant funding to help others. The campaign focused on how people use the library’s resources to achieve their dreams.
Challenge/Opportunity
It is difficult to communicate the plethora of resources available at the library, so marketing endeavors have traditionally been broad enough to encompass many different things. For this campaign, we highlighted specific services which had made a tremendous impact for individuals in our community. We celebrated our spokespeople and their accomplishments as achievable and tangible results in order to encourage others to explore the many resources available through Lexington Public Library.
Key Elements of Innovation
Tangible, real-life examples were essential in this multifaceted campaign. By zooming in on a few specific services, we helped would-be customers understand the types of things they can accomplish with the library’s resources. The campaign reinforces the library’s new tagline of “Make It Here, Do It Here,” which highlights the library as a place for active learning. The message was adapted for print, television, billboards and social media to infiltrate all aspects of the community.
Achieved Outcomes
Staff have noticed an increase in requests for job assistance, the grants collection and classes have become more popular, and customers frequently mention the ads during their visits. Perhaps most importantly, “Make It Here, Do It Here” positions the library as a destination for active learning. With new analog and expanded digital makerspaces and plentiful hands-on programming, the campaign showcases the Library in a manner that empowers the customer to dream and explore.