Samvera Marketing WG notes 18-06-20

Owned by Chris Awre
Jun 21, 2018

Present: Chris Awre, Karen Cariani (to 12:00), Richard Green, Alicia Morris, Ryan Steans (to 12:00), Steph Taylor

Apologies: Charlotte Nunes


1. Review of previous meeting (see notes)

The notes from the previous meeting were reviewed.

2. Review of marketing/promotionsl activity at OR2018

The following points were highlighted based on the experience of those who had attended the conference (Karen and Ryan from this group).

  • Karen had given an Introduction to Samvera workshop with Mark Bussey and Robin Ruggaber.  This was the same as that previously given at Open Repositories, with gradual refinements over the past few years.  The current slides are available for review.  This has 3 main sections: an overview of the technology, the community, and how to engage with Samvera.
  • There had been less Samvera-centric presentations than in previous years.  This is not to say that Samvera was not referenced in presentations, but there were less that were specifically about Samvera and its community activity.  Those presentations that referenced Samvera were sometimes doing this in passing without branding or clear association.  More Samvera-centric presentations can help to highlight the uniqueness of how Samvera operates through its community-oriented approach and the benefits towards sustainability this offers.
  • The DCE table had provided a space to make hex stickers and information available about Samvera, but it was not being staffed for this purpose, and DCE had their own priorities re: the services they were marketing.

This experience and subsequent discussion led to the following proposals based on lessons learned:

  • The value of Open Repositories as a conference.  Also the value of being aware of upcoming events that Samvera might consider having a presence at.  This list is maintained on the wiki, and can be added to by anyone who wishes to flag a relevant event.
  • The value of having a table/stand at Open Repositories and, where appropriate, other relevant events.  This allows Samvera to promote itself in its own right and facilitate dialogue with those who are interested.
  • Better coordination of presentations from Samvera as a community, to address two aspects:
    • To have more Samvera-centric presentations talking specifically about the community and its activity.
    • To provide guidelines of embedding/referencing Samvera to others so that there is a consistency of reference.  Provision of a set of standard slides or slide deck will also be valuable that others can re-purpose.  This could usefully be informed by gathering examples of how Samvera Partners have presented Samvera themselves to date, and combine the learning from these.  Chris will email the list to ask for input.
  • The need for a marketing budget that can be used to pay for tables and other marketing materials and activities.  A case will be made based on the work of this WG to Steering for an allocation of funds.
  • Persist with the introductory workshop, which has been found useful by those attending, which includes those already using Samvera as much as those coming to it new.

3. Questions we are asked about Samvera (see list)

The list of questions was briefly reviewed.  It was agreed to theme them (Chris, Ryan and Steph to progress) to provide a more granular set that could help to inform the development of relevant messages and materials to address them.

It was noted that having a way of addressing legal queries will be useful as one of the internal audiences staff engage with.

The questions can also be used to enhance the existing FAQ on the website.

The question of how Samvera can provide an exit strategy was added to the list.  Additional contributions are welcome, and will also be requested from the community.

4. Definition of work strands

The listed work strands of developing key messages and associated marketing materials were acknowledged.  To inform these and be a third strand it will be of value to develop an associated strategy for why we are marketing Samvera and what we hope to schieve through doing so.

As part of developing materials it will be of value to make available downloadable files (e.g., slides, hex sticker designs, etc.) that those attending events can make use of even if there is no formal Samvera presence.  This also helps to address the districuted nature of the community.

We need to find a way of encouraging re-use of the brand that acknowledges the respect needed for it.

The theming of the questions will also explore how they match the proposed work strands, or whether there are others we need to consider.

5. Timeline

The initial timeline is to prepare materials for Connect in October 2018.  We will need to prioritise what activities to take ahead based on the analysis of the questions and the work strands to ensure we can deliver something useful.

At Connect, a proposal for a presentation and possibly a workshop will be made to highlight the importance of maketing and how everyone can play their part.  Chris to progress this. as well as provide an update to Virtual Connect in July.

6. Next meetings

Following discussion, the Wednesday slot works well for all in the Group.  However, July 4th is Independence Day and July 11th is Virtual Connect. Hence, it was agreed to meet again next on June 27th, and then on July 18th, and fortnightly from then.

7. AOB

It was confirmed that a T-shirt is being designed for use at Connect.  We need to determine what role the T-shirts have in the overal approach to marketing. It will also be of interest to make the past designs available via the website for print-on-demand use.  Richard will contact Lynn McRae to discuss further.