A School of Dolphins - presented by Amanda Mattheson, Aberdeen City Libraries - silver CILIP PPRG Marketing Excellence Award winner 2015

1. Amanda Matheson, Events and Programming Officer

2. Aberdeen City Libraries
Prior to 2014
Events and Programming Officer role
Current marketing activity

3. How it all Began
• Wild in Art
• Wild Dolphins Trail
• Partner Charities
• Sponsorship

4. The Dolphin Trail

5. Aims & Objectives
Increase visitor figures by 5% in participating libraries
Encourage at least 250 children to visit five libraries
Encourage 50 participants to visit all ten libraries on
the trail
Increase children’s membership registrations by 5%

6. Promotional
Strategies

7. Advertising
Raring 2 Go Magazine
Audience: Parents of schoolchildren,
families, teachers
Cost: £364.50
Digital Screens
Audience: Aberdeen City Council
customers and employees
Cost: Free

8. Online Promotion
 Social Media
 Event Listings
 Aberdeen City
Libraries
website
 Wild Dolphins
App

9. Direct Marketing
Newsletters
Community Radio
Local Press
Press

10. Promotional Material
Maps
Commemorative Postcard
Commemorative Booklet
Trail Leaflets
Stamp Cards
Goodie Bags

11. Dolphin Madness!

12. OUTCOMES
Aims
5% increase compared
to 2013
250 children visiting 5
libraries
5% rise in children’s
memberships
Outcomes
29% increase compared
to 2013
1250 children visiting 5
libraries
18% rise in children’s
memberships
Visits
Participants
Members

13. Visitors & Members
29% increase in visitors
Nearly 2500 new members
Libraries each received 15-48% more visits than
2013

14. Children’s Workshops
Purpose: To raise awareness of the environmental and conservation
issues relating to whales and dolphins
Aim: Minimum attendance figures of 10 at each workshop
Result:
•229 children and 144 adults attended 11 events in total
•Highest attendance: Central Children’s Library (50)
•Lowest attendance: Kincorth Library (15)

15. Commemorative Booklet

16. Public Feedback
“We came to the library doing the dolphin trail
and ended up joining. Since then using the
library has become a weekly thing and my 8
year old has become far more interested in
reading and has completed the Summer
Reading Challenge. It has been really positive
for us.”
“The dolphins were great and
got my kids into the library for
the first time to join so I’ll get
them reading.”

17. Partners
“Aberdeen’s younger generation played a hugely important
part in making Wild Dolphins such a success. Over 30
schools in and around the City participated in the event,
and their mini sculptures well-deserved their place on the
trail. We loved seeing the pupils’ enthusiasm for what they
had learnt and how they were inspired to create their
wonderful pieces of art.”
Jess Feghali-Brown
Education Co-ordinator
Whale and Dolphin Conservation

18. Staff Feedback “We joined several new borrowers.
Everyone old and young
commented on how much they
enjoyed the project and how good
they felt it was for promoting the
city. It was good to see whole
families from grandparents to
grandchildren all doing the trail.”
“It would have been
easier if it had taken place
at a different time from the
Summer Reading Challenge
because of the
pressure on staff.”
“The main problem
was keeping up with
the prizes and
stationery to go
with it.”
“The dolphin trail was excellent
this year for encouraging
people, particularly children, to
visit the library. We now have
many members of the library
that joined after visiting to see
the dolphins.”

19. Impact
Event Planning
Events and Programming Working Group
Communication
Partnerships
ARCHIE, Whale and Dolphin Conservation
Future Plans…
?

20. Fin
(the dolphin)
Thanks for listening!
ammatheson@aberdeencity.gov.uk