Creating a New Category: Collaboratorium

A brand building concept that I keep running into is “create a new category.”   Instead of pushing the same old things, create something new that you can claim. Carve a need into a niche.

Let's consider beer:

• The leading light beer.
• The leading imported beer.
• The leading ice beer.
• The leading red beer.
• The leading German beer.
• The leading Mexican beer.
• The most hops.

Instead of saying you have the best beer, you create a new category and become the leader in it—you own it!

With Georgia Tech, maybe we could say something like, the largest engineering collection in the South. I’m not sure if that’s true but that’s advertising (right Jill?) Although I regularly disagree with hyping the size of the collection, I think it works if it is specialized. It fuels reputation and a sense of quality and prestige. Even better would be something like the largest collection of engineering conference proceedings in the US. Definitely not true, but you get the idea. To some people (like the nice folks in ILL Departments everywhere) that statement means something, to the rest of the population, not so much.

But function is important too. This idea of The collaboratorium keeps swirling around in my mind. It’s not just a Library, it’s a collaboratorium—a place to collaborate and present ideas. An open public space where people work together.

I feel we have two competitors. First is the term Library itself which has out-dated connotations And the second are other places around campus: dorms, reading rooms, commons rooms, cafes, computer labs, etc. Libraries are stogy and too quiet, we need to be noisy and chaotic. So by building the collaboratorium concept as the best place to for group work on campus, we’d address these areas. The message should be that everything in this section of the Library was designed specifically for group interaction: the tables are wider, the furniture is modular, the monitors are larger, the chairs are flexible, there are additional plugs/ports for laptops, collaborative software, whiteboards and other equipment, group rehearsal space, and even a place to eat, chat, and relax. Sure you can gather at one of those other places and do your work, but The Collabitorium is the premiere spot on campus for groups. Let’s become THE destination in this category.

As for beer, my cousin claims that Westvleteren 12 is the “holy grail of beers”— enchanting taste but impossible to find—so there you go.

Comments

[Lee LeBlanc]

Great post. Read Wulf's thoughts on this?

[Lee LeBlanc]

http://bibliodox.blogspot.com/2007/05/what-is-referenceintelligentcollaborato.html