Marketing an Information Service: A case study of the OECS Economic Affairs Secretariat Documentation Centre*

Abstract

This case study presents a methodology for marketing an information service which focuses on including information users in the strategic marketing planning process. It describes an attempt to rationalise development of services and to deepen and broaden the base of information products and service s offered, beginning with preparation for market growth through analysis, and subsequent limitation, of user groups. An approach to a marketing planning process is identified and the stages in this process – analysis of the environment, information audit, information needs assessment, market opportunity analysis, tactical marketing programme, evaluation – are described. The study concludes that the exercise was simple and inexpensive to implement and therefore a good choice to try out the methodology developed.