Re: real marketing or just catchy slogans?

[Dave Neary <dneary free fr>]

Hi,

Santiago Roza wrote:
> it's not "me", it's us.  we are supposed to be a marketing team, so
> we're supposed to be focused in pretty much the same direction (not
> 100% the same, but at least the basics).  that's why i'm trying to
> gather some consensus, instead of starting yet another individual
> uncoordinated effort.

Consensus might not be desirable for the marketing team. On some things, 
sure - but we will need people acting as individuals, with all their 
quirks, as long as we're on the same page and all working.

Roughly designated target markets exist already. While you don't think 
there's a huge concensus around these, I disagree.

A big list of stuff we can do exists. We're not short actions. We need 
to put names to each of these. I'll put this list in the wiki later...

* Create personas for each of our target markets

* For each target market, identify
 - our strengths
 - market needs
 - our weaknesses
 - how we address them
 - our approach for the target

(this could be done through the personas)

* Initiate a couple of programs, with clear goals and a simple path for 
someone to spend a couple of hours on GNOME. University outreach and 
local government outreach are two that are doable with big potential.
 - University outreach: Have one person for each region get a list of 
university computer societies and contact details, and solicit their help.
 - Get them to organise GNOME presentations where someone from GNOME 
goes along to do a talk
 - Send out posters
 - Get IT department contacts for universities while we're at it. As 
the computer clubs, they'll know the people already.

* Organise for each of the target markets. We need a shared rolodex for 
distribution, government, press and momentum user contacts. We need 
people who know who they are going to try to contact, how, what their 
message will be, what questions we'd like to ask, what we can do with 
the answers.

* Develop a strategy for getting data gathered by the marketing team to 
developers.

* Around our central theme of simplicity, usability, power to the user, 
work on posters, banners, get them printed and get them out to user 
groups and university outreach groups. They're no good if they never get 
seen.

* Get involved in organising GUADEC. It's the most public face of the 
project, and some marketing is needed. People with press contacts, spare 
time, some clue about what our community expects from its flagship 
conference, subscribe to guadec-list and guadec-planning, or mail myself 
or Quim.


> ok you're pretty clear on that, but is there a consensus?

Yeah. Claus disagrees with me on a couple of them, but we're all pretty 
much on the same page.

> i agree 100%, and that's why i don't like the "let's advertise,
> marketing will come later" approach: what will you advertise (and how
> and to whom) if you don't have answers to those questions?

Well, what we have now is pretty good. We have a product, a user-driven 
design philosophy, a decent track record and a bunch of stuff we're 
proud of. Talking about what we're proud of is good.


> no i'm not waiting for anyone's direction; i have my own, thank you  :)

Grand. What would you like to do, then?

We can fix goals, but people have to drive themselves towards those 
goals. Communication is vitally important when we don't see each other 
face to face very often, so we have a list, we have a (very quiet) IRC 
channel, we have the GNOME Journal, we have the wiki, we will soon have, 
quite probably, a drupal.

So:
* Set goals
* Let people off to drive towards those goals
* Auto-correct course en route if we get off-course.

What do you want out of the GNOME marketing team? What are you doing to 
get towards that goal?

Cheers,
Dave.

--
David Neary
bolsh gimp org