Customized Flip Mino Cameras for the San Jose Public Library
Usually technology projects and branding go hand in hand, though a little big shakily at times. However, when I got the go ahead to buy a set of Flip Mino digital video cameras for our libraries, I decided to brand my little heart out. The result is a “design-your-own” Flip Mino with the library’s colors and logo. I love it. Hopefully it will look as good in person as it does online!
But this does beg the question…why not take advantage of cheap branding (in this case, free branding) whenever available? Customers will see us using our cameras at events, see the logo, and that connection between “You’re gonna be on YouTube!” and “The Library” is made.
And really, it doesn’t have to be a logo. It can be something fun, like a photo of each branch library on its own camera (instead of one uniform look). Or it could be the winning design from a teen design contest. Or…., well, you get the drift. Why not take advantage of potential fun when we can?
September 1st, 2009 at 5:22 am
Excellent work, Sarah. That’s a great idea. Theo
September 1st, 2009 at 10:22 am
Great way to brand your library. I completely agree about branding services. This looks very slick.
September 1st, 2009 at 11:01 am
That looks amazing. How simple and yet elusive to most, I bet! Trackback: http://marketingthepubliclibrary.blogspot.com/2009/09/branding-equipment.html
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:37 am
Thanks for sharing great tip to take advantage of free marketing with custom cases.
However, I’ll be very interested in a technology review of these cameras after they’ve circulated (or used by library staff) for 6 months. Thus far, 30% of the Flip cameras (the original model) that we purchased have failed within 6 months of deployment. They are cheap, and therefore replaceable. But when students lose their projects due to techo-failure (video footage stuck in the camera, which fails to be recognized by a computer and therefore not-downloadable) our experience has been that they blame the lending institution rather than the manufacturer. We’re now looking at other point-and-shoot pocket camera options based on our experience (Dartmouth College Library).
September 3rd, 2009 at 5:49 pm
I want one!
September 4th, 2009 at 10:30 am
[...] Customized Flip Mino Cameras for the San Jose Public Library [...]
September 11th, 2009 at 7:15 am
We actually made a branded Flip camera in March – and trust us, it looks as great in person as it does online! We used it to film a teen game show program we put it and the kids made the connection you were referring to here… whoa, the Library has a YouTube account??
And as we don’t lend our camera, we also figured “who’d want to take a camera with our logo plastered on the front?”… so yeah, built in security. 
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:02 am
[...] 5:02 am on November 3, 2009 Reply Flips at the San Jose library tying into branding. http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2009/08/customized-flip-mino-cameras-for-the-san-jose-p… [...]