British Library

In 2015, Culture Consultants were selected to provide product development services to the British Library. This year-long project involved the design, development and implementation of a new membership scheme, including new product development, the procurement of systems, the creation of marketing and communications collateral, and staff training. It evolved additionally to include the implementation of a new ticketing software solution.

Our engagement in the project included:

• the analysis of audience research and insight
• membership scheme design and product development
• procurement support and delivery/implementation
• creating successful services structures and roles for the scheme’s operations
• devising logistics and channels
• creation of marketing and communications plans and materials
• staff training
• change management

Our approach to the project used robust project management methods guided by the Library’s own standards, practices and processes. We also utilised our knowledge and expertise of methods from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, including new product development and the seven Ps.

The project, overseen by an internal Project Board, was delivered in five phases:

• Project initiation – project set-up and planning
• Audience insight – synthesis of audience/membership research work; high level design of membership scheme options; embedding audience insight across the organisation
• Proposition development and testing – user/staff workshops; refine membership scheme options; stakeholder engagement; make scheme recommendations
• Procurement support – functional/business requirements for the membership scheme; procurement, IT and finance documentation; invitation to tender and tender responses, analysis and recommendations
• Delivery – membership scheme process documentation and roles and responsibilities; updated business processes; enabling technology, capability, resource and culture assessments; creation and refinement of marketing and communications collateral; implementation approach/plan – including training, internal communications, external communications and marketing; staff training in sales and service; membership scheme launch/go live

The membership scheme was launched in October 2016 and gives the British Library the platform to create a compelling benefit-driven loyalty-based offer for its core audience, while enhancing revenues and creating a group of advocates and potential long-term supporters.

The British Library’s Senior Responsible Officer, Graham MacFadyen (Head of Marketing and Digital Media), said: “Culture Consultants have been instrumental in helping us provide a formal way to ‘join’ the British Library for the first time. They worked hand-in-hand with our marketing, IT, finance and project management teams to turn a well-researched idea into a popular product which is meeting customer needs and helping secure the financial future of the British Library. The project was delivered on-time and on-budget.”