Deez Interviews: Meet the marketing mind behind The New York Public Library’s killer Black Friday ad & general on-brand prowess
Happy Friday, Deezers! Our first interview of the year is one of our favorites yet: we chatted with Christopher Gorman, a marketing director whose brand just so happens to be The New York Public Library, nbd.
We got in touch with him after seeing the library’s killer “free books forever” Black Friday ad campaign (which a Forbes contributor named as the best ad of the year!), and chatted with Chris about how he got his start working in hallowed cultural institutions (hint: if you tried to touch a painting at The Met, he would have had to get involved), how exactly one markets a whole library system, and what NYPL-lovers can expect this year. Enjoy!
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The interviewee: Christopher Gorman (follow him @cpgorman1)
The gig: Director of marketing & branding for the New York Public Library
Okay, so first q: how is marketing a cultural institution like the New York Public Library similar to marketing any other kind of "product" or brand? How is it different?
Like any other brand, The New York Public Library is always trying to generate awareness of what it can offer to potential patrons and users ... Goodwill and interest helps contribute to the library's goals, including increased library card signups, fundraising, and increased usage of our collections.
But beyond those high level goals, the Library is indeed a very unique brand with unique marketing challenges - we aren't "selling" a product ... The good news is that The New York Public Library has a very strong brand, and the public already has very strong positive associations with libraries in general. This allows us to start from a good position.
That Black Friday campaign from the NYPL made a huge splash this holiday season, especially with its full-page ad in the New York Times. What inspired your team to create that campaign, and what has the response been like?
For years, we have done smaller social media campaigns playing off of the intrigue and attention around Black Friday, but this year — with the support of our Chief External Relations Officer and the generous support of an anonymous Trustee — we were able to take it a step further. It was a true collaboration between all members of the communications and marketing team — and in the end, the coordinated, multi-platform approach paid off.
Taken alone as an awareness campaign that generated interest, goodwill, and increased library card sign-ups, the Black Friday campaign was an enormous success. But when placed in context with the other national-facing campaigns we have launched this year (e.g. Insta Novels), the library is proactively and creatively taking its message to sometimes unexpected places where people already are, and positioning itself as a national advocate for libraries, knowledge, and reading.
You came to the NYPL after working for more than 12 years at The Met! Can you tell us about how you got your start there?
I started at The Met as a security officer. From there, I worked in design, public Affairs, and marketing and communications. Looking back at my time in security, I realize that the daily interactions I had with visitors from around the world was the beginning of my work in audience engagement, and more broadly, marketing.
That perspective is one that I’ve tried to carry into my work at The New York Public Library. When I’m visiting one of our 92 branches, I try to engage with patrons to understand what brought them there, what they are passionate about, and what challenges they are facing.
A lot of your time is spent figuring out how to use digital platforms to talk about a traditionally "analog" institution — one that centers around good ol' fashioned printed books and well, tradition in general. Can you speak to that dynamic?
I think it’s important to note that the library is constantly providing its patrons with a multitude of ways to read, research, and engage. A recent example: over the holidays, the library released its fifth “Insta Novel,” Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The Insta Novel project, done in partnership with advertising and creative agency, Mother in NY, brought digital novels to social media, and made some of the world’s most iconic pieces of literature accessible to every Instagram user.
Meanwhile, on view right now at the library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman building, visitors can enjoy A Dickens Christmas, an exhibition of materials Charles Dickens used when he performed the story during an American tour 150 years ago. So, this season, there are two ways — one traditional and one digital — to experience this quintessential holiday classic. And, whether its an in-branch experience or a campaign deployed via social media, the goal is to serve the public and provide equitable access to information and opportunity.
Finally, what big things can our readers look out for from the NYPL for 2019?
Quite a lot! On February 14, the Library will open “Love & Resistance: Stonewall 50.” This free exhibition will examine LGBTQ life and activism from 1965-1975, exploring the events leading up to the Stonewall Riots and its enduring impact on the LGBT civil rights movement. The library is adding audiobooks to its free e-reading app, Simply-E. We’ll also be continuing our two podcast series, Library Talks and The Librarian is In.Readers can stay up-to-date on these initiatives and more by following us on social, subscribing to one of our newsletters, or visiting a local branch to sign up for a library card.
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Now, go make plans to hit up your local library this weekend (and if you don’t know how to get one and you’re in NYC, just read this!)!! See ya Monday!