Marketing & Communications Working Group Minutes

Minutes for the meeting held on 13 October 2008 at KCL (Guy's Campus). 

Present: Angus Brown (Imperial College), Genein Cox-DeSousa (LSE), Marysia Henty (LSE), Matthew Lawson (KCL), Frances Norton (Wellcome Library & Chair), Barbara Spina (SOAS), Catherine Walsh (UEL & Secretary)

Apologies: Annette Linton (Canterbury Christ Church), Dave Puplett (LSE),
Lisa Jolliffe (British Library for Development Studies) has resigned from the Working Group.
 
1. Minutes and Actions
The minutes were agreed as an accurate record of the meeting held on 25 June 2008.

2 M25 Annual Review
2.1 2008 update
Some final revisions were agreed. CW will liaise with Ocean Design over the final proof and this will be sent to Nick Bevan for signing off. We are aiming to have the Annual Report produced and ready for distribution by mid November. We will have 500 copies as in previous years.
Action: CW
There was a discussion about expanding the distribution list.

Action: GCDeS To post a form on the web site enabling visitors to the site to request a printed copy.

Images used in this year’s annual report will not be credited in the report itself but the libraries feature will be listed on the M25 Consortium website.

2.2  2009 edition
• SG would like us to continue to produce a printed annual report as well as an electronic version.
• We have already agreed we need a new look for the AR and we should use a different designer next year, possibly one of our ‘in house’ print and design departments. We will agree a brief for the designer at our January meeting. Action: All
• We can investigate other styles of annual report online in the meantime. Action: GCDeS & FN
• The Annual report sub group for next year will be led by BS with support from ML, CW and FN.
• The production schedule will be updated Action: CW

3. M25 Award for Innovation: next steps
FN presented a short paper which has also been presented to the SG. The Group has been asked to do some more detailed thinking about the proposal. Following a discussion about the value of a new prize we concluded that we should channel our efforts into developing the existing CPD25 prize, perhaps to offer two categories or to provide recipients with more options about the form the award should take.
Action: FN to discuss a way forward with the Chair of CPD25

4. Visual Identity
4.1 Image Archive
• It was agreed that we should try to develop an image bank starting with images we have already received from M25 Consortium members for the Annual Report. This image bank would be continually updated with new images submitted by the member libraries and would be available for M25  working groups to use, particularly for the Annual Report.
• The Group agreed that we would still need to commission some professional, high quality photography for publications from time to time.
• The image bank would be password protected and members would be asked to sign a disclaimer form allowing use of their images.
• The Marketing & Comms group would specify the size and quality of images.
Action: FN and ML will review the proposal for submission to the SG

4.2 Single Brand
• FN had circulated a paper outlining the agreement with the Chair of CPD25. CPD25 will from now on use M25 branded items except where it is essential to differentiate CPD25 – such as on certificates awarded at events and courses.
• There was a suggestion that we should provide branded bags.
Action: MH to investigate costs of eco friendly bags

4.3 Brand guidelines
We will publish these on the M25 web site.
Action: MH to draft brief guidelines on the use of the M25 Consortium brand

5. E-newsletter
There was a discussion about possible topics for the e newsletter. It was agreed that we should seek contributions from the working groups, but items must not duplicate AR content. The next edition will go out in November/December to coincide with the distribution of the Annual Report.
Action: GCDeS. to circulate a request for contributions to Chairs of the working groups.

6.1 Press/ Journal contacts
This list will need regular updating. No further contacts have been added.

6.2 Wikipedia discussion
FN proposed that there should be an entry for the M25 Consortium in Wikipedia.
Action: FN to discuss at Steering Group.

6.3 Top 10 Facts
These need revising and bringing up to date. We will need to employ student helpers to undertake the work and this will need to be budgeted for 08/09.
Action: FN to agree funding from Steering Group.

7. Merchandise update
Bags were discussed under item 4.ii. It was agreed that we need to distribute smaller notepads in future (existing stock can be split in half).

8. M&CWG Workplan
The workplan was reviewed and all actions are on target.

9. Dates for 2009 meetings

14th January at Wellcome, 2.30pm
25th March at LSE, 2.30pm
15th July at Imperial, 2.30pm
16th September at KCL, 10.30am

 

Cathy Walsh
Working Group Secretary