Script:
Communicating Dialog value to our customers:

An interview with our Marketing team

The direction of any company depends heavily on its marketing team. Our interview this month focuses on the Dialog Marketing team, led by Vice President Libby Trudell. We’d like to introduce you to the group that works to focus Dialog’s direction to customer needs. OK, let’s get started.

Q: As my first question, what do you see as the team’s main mission?

A: Our Dialog and DataStar services help professionals find authoritative answers through precise search and comprehensive content enriched by ProQuest. As the marketing team, our mission is to reinforce that value to our customers. We see this value as precision searching against authoritative content to access global patent, scientific, health and news databases. And, with Dialog’s deep content, to provide answers to drive scientific discovery, validate new ideas and commercialize products. To support this value, we provide global consultations, education and training.

Q: Who is on the marketing team?

A: The team is composed of five permanent members who are aided by several other part-time members. Libby Trudell leads the group and has more than 30 years experience in the information industry. She has an MLS from Simmons.

The team is composed of five permanent members who are aided by several other part-time members. Libby Trudell leads the group and has more than 30 years experience in the information industry, 26 of which have been with Dialog.

• Liz Blankson-Hemans is director of market development, with oversight for strategic planning and implementation of marketing activities outside North America. She joined Dialog in December 2001 and is responsible for the development of the Quantum² program and the Dialog Customer Advisory Board in the regions outside North America. She has an MLS diploma from Ealing. Gabrielle Derriks reports into Liz, managing the Graduate Education Program (GEP) outside North America.
• Betty Jo Hibberd is director of market development for North America. She joined Dialog as a member of the Knowledge Center Product Support team in October 1998. Her later responsibilities included supervision of the Dialog Classroom Instruction Program and relationship development with information professional associations and Quantum² in North America. Betty Jo has an MSIS from Drexel University . Allison Evatt reports into Betty Jo, managing the Quantum² program for North America.
• John Gallagher came to Dialog in 2000 as a contract analyst with a focus on customer service and sales support and in subsequent roles, he implemented pricing initiatives. John currently works closely with the sales and finance teams to improve price plans for customers to derive the maximum value from Dialog products and services.
• Melissa Barney Schaufler first joined Dialog in October 1998 and held several strategic marketing and support roles during her nearly 10-year tenure. She recently returned to Dialog from LexisNexis to take on the role of manager of marketing services and promotions. She holds a B.A. from Colgate University.

Q: What tasks support your mission?

A: We work with all internal groups across the Dialog business, particularly sales, as well as customers and professional groups to keep them up to date on what’s happening throughout Dialog and ProQuest. We manage brand identity, advertising, events and trade shows, pricing plans, policies and guidelines, the Quantum 2 Leadership Development Program, the Graduate Education Program, and the global Customer Advisory Board. We also create customer and industry communications to keep our customers informed of the newest developments at Dialog and also how Dialog and ProQuest complement each other.

Some of the special projects we work on are the database promotions, regional training Updates worldwide, liaison with professional organizations like SLA and AIIP, and much more. Maintaining the Dialog Web site and planning new product and content launches is also our responsibility. Every day is a new challenge and offers unique experiences.

Q: To wrap up, why is your team’s role so important to Dialog customers? And, what makes your job at Dialog so exciting?

A: We reinforce the value of Dialog by the quality of Dialog customer service, training, account relationships and marketing support. To us, that is very important work. Our work is also extremely diverse. Because Dialog content is greatly varied and so are our customers, we could be working on a patent quick reference card or a workbook on scientific searching one day, and the next day presenting to information professionals at SLA on creating best practices for information services. We may be writing newsletters like the Chronolog each month or creating new communication tools we think our customers will find useful. Some days it’s hard to keep up with all the different types of tasks, but that’s what makes it so interesting and fun.

We appreciate the marketing team’s time to respond to questions we thought you might have about their work. Watch for interviews with other groups at Dialog in the coming months.

Watch for interviews with other groups at Dialog in the coming months.