Chris Olson & Associates offers clients an in-depth understanding of marketing management strategies coupled with the hands-on knowledge of libraries and information services. Because the Principal Consultant, Chris Olson, has successfully established and managed both solo and fully staffed technical libraries, she is well aware of the unique marketing challenges information services confront.
The intangible nature of information services has grown with today's electronic world of online databases and the proliferation of the Internet . The gap between customers and libraries has widened as electronic capabilities have encouraged people to seek information on their own, without needing to step inside a library or phone an information professional. Not only are library services intangible, they are now becoming invisible. By not having forward-looking marketing strategies aimed at repositioning services and products, an information service risks the dire consequences of being invisible. Understanding customer perceptions, establishing expectations, managing the product and service lines, and implementing a strong branding program are just a few of the marketing strategies Chris Olson & Associates recommends to information professionals looking to offset threats and take advantage of opportunities.
When they engage the services of Chris Olson & Associates, clients tap the personal knowledge of a veteran marketing consultant who has worked for more than 18 years with the library and information services industry. It is this unique understanding and experience in the fields of marketing and information services that sets the firm apart from other advertising and communication agencies. With Chris Olson by their side, clients receive the immediate benefit of her extensive marketing knowledge applicable to a variety of information service settings.
Chris Olson manages and participates on every project and coordinates client project requirements with the skills and knowledge of a network of associates and suppliers. Associates augment her expertise with specialized skill sets and abilities. Designers, writers, web site administrators, editors, illustrators, research interviewers and others are sometimes called upon by Chris Olson when a client project requires additional assistance. To this rich talent pool is added the proven resources of printers, silk-screeners, internet hosts, mail houses, and promotion suppliers, allowing Chris Olson & Associates to offer the full spectrum of marketing and communications services to libraries and members of the information industry.
Consulting
Projects such as branding strategies and product launch campaigns are available as turnkey initiatives in which Chris Olson identifies, plans, coordinates and implements project activities over the life of the assignment, working side-by-side with client staff members. Other consulting assignments bring her on-board as an advisor and objective reviewer, usually for marketing teams or one-on-one management partnerships. Regardless of the consulting assignment, Chris Olson believes in sharing her knowledge and insights, teaching clients the finer points of marketing and empowering them to carry on the marketing effort after the consulting assignment is done. In addition, clients and professional groups frequently call upon her to deliver seminars and workshops created to instruct participants on a range of marketing-related topics.
Marketing Research
Chris Olson & Associates approaches its research assignments with a personal touch, using interactive focus groups and personal interviews to gather information from target markets. Because we are marketing consultants, all research assignments incorporate a marketing perspective, allowing research results to transition smoothly into focused marketing strategies. Chris Olson has personally conducted scores of research projects. From convening focus groups to interviewing c-level managers, to testing beta products and services, to conducting web site usability tests, these and other research endeavors help clients clarify their marketing initiatives and enable them to exceed objectives. |
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Design
Although Chris Olson never envisioned her Art History undergraduate degree to be a marketing consulting asset (she originally wanted to be an art museum librarian!), her knowledge of color, design, form, shape and function allows her to work easily with the designers and illustrators she has chosen to be associated with Chris Olson & Associates. Clients are encouraged to express their requirements and let Chris Olson interpret it for them in the language of design. In addition, because she embraces a client's overall marketing strategy, she is able to guide clients towards clean and memorable designs and away from design pitfalls and disasters. All of the designers working with Chris Olson & Associates have either won peer-reviewed awards, or have worked on Chris Olson & Associates projects for more than 10 years. Designs done for client logos, brochures, direct mail pieces, product packaging, stationery materials and web sites have received numerous awards.
Writing
Because we know library and information services, writing brochures, web site content, fact sheets, and newsletters comes easy to us. Clients find it reassuring to work with Chris Olson & Associates because we speak "libraryeez" and understand the messages our clients want to transmit. Once again the marriage of marketing savvy and library knowledge benefits clients as Chris Olson produces headlines and copy which capture attention, stress benefits and value, and move customers to action. Augmenting her own writing style are associates, who as writers and editors work with Chris Olson on ghostwriting articles, preparing press releases, writing conference programs, focusing web pages, and creating storyboards.
How to Engage Our Services
You are encouraged to contact Chris Olson and discuss the marketing projects you are pondering or currently planning. Depending on your requirements a pre-defined list of popular marketing projects with cost options or a brief project description and tailored price estimate will be submitted for your consideration and action. Project work and consulting assignments can be secured with letters of agreement, purchase orders, credit card payment plans, deposit accounts, and retainers. Our Contract Terms and Conditions document outlines project particulars and logistics, including payment terms and our independent contractor status. Clients are billed or sent statements each month with detailed accountings of what was done by whom, for how many hours and at what cost.
What to Expect
Upon engaging our services, Chris Olson immediately organizes the project, planning the work, scheduling deliverables, and identifying any needed resources. Each project has its own unique set of deliverables and schedule and these are carefully outlined for clients to avoid misunderstandings. Throughout the project Chris Olson works closely with individuals or teams assigned to monitor and assist with the project, making sure that both the "big marketing picture" and the task-at-hand dovetail with goals and objectives. When associates assist on a project, Chris Olson directs the work to ensure deliverables meet high quality standards and what was promised.
Chris Olson & Associates regularly uses conference calls, fax transmissions, video conferencing, electronic mail, file transfers, net meetings, and on-site visits during the course of client project work. With today's internet connections, distance is not a problem, allowing us to provide marketing services to anyone, anywhere.
You can be assured that during the course of your project Chris Olson will provide insightful, honest advice about your marketing strategies and endeavors. Her creative energies and imagination are readily available to clients looking for original ideas tempered with practical reality. |
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