Re: Marketing, GNOME 3.0 and subteams

[Claus Schwarm <clschwarm googlemail com>]

On Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 10:59 AM, Dave Neary <dneary gnome org> wrote:

Hi,

 

You've said quite a bit about what's useless Claus - any suggestions on
what would be use*ful*? Preferably, referring to what GNOME is, and what
GNOME 3 will be, rather than what you think it should be?

Well, I also said quite a lot of useful stuff: Nobody mentioned a budget so far. Nobody mentioned that we you have to decide what do you want people to do. See my mail to Brian how to turn a feature to potential benefit and headlines around "accessibility". If you'd like an emotional campaign about "freedom", I can upload a mock-up.

But you guys make this all too complicated.

GNOME 3 is a large major update that is supposed to hit the streets one a certain date. Let's advertise that. It simplifies the development platform. Let's advertise that. It will be easier for third-party developers (so I understand) to make language bindings and thus applications. Why not advertise that? So, in a five -- ok, ten -- minute brainstorming and the usual caveat about English being not my first language:

Potential Campaign
==================

    Slogan: Fundamentally Different.

    Image: "Strange" people that look sympathetic to a young audience, for example. Or a couple that is obviously different and doesn't fit. (This builds on "difference") Or use something more abstract, not so effective but more agreeable: Colored Lego blocks, Photoshopped "strange" houses, etc. -- something that plays with "foundation", "basement", "grounding"...

    Sub-Slogan: Different Software For a Different Generation.

    Text: TODO.

    Action line (for print stuff): "Visit www.get-gnome3.org today and get the difference (or: be different). No price tag. No strings attached. Just FREE.

This is obviously for posters where some additional text for explanation might be useful. No big deal turning this into a flyer with more text inside to explain the difference, using some benefit headlines about the stuff you want to communicate. Some examples that builds on the previous discussion:

    H1: (Finally ?) Understand What Your Computer Says. 
          (Text mentions Usability and i18n stuff.)

    H2: Get a Growing Selection of Software for FREE.
          (Text mentions Open Source Stuff.)

    H3: Share Your Ideas and Software With Your Friends.
          (Text mentions Open Source stuff, again. Also compatibility.)

    H4: Be Your Own Creator.
         (Text mentions free development tools and languages and how easy it is to start making your own stuff.)

The backside of the flyer could get an action element, a sort of coupon: "Register at get-gnome3.org today and receive (whatever)." There could be a code so we can learn which media/location was most successful. Hard data, no more HiPPO.


Potential Campaign elements
======================

    * Media Partnership (as mentioned in my first mail)
    * Web Banners: Build on the above image and slogan, to be used in blogs, third-party websites, etc. Start maybe 6 or 3 months before release with a countdown.
    * Web Site: Reiteration of the main points but different action line: "Download Now". Also back-end to organize Supporters to organize Booth Presentations, Media Distribution, etc.
    * Media Distribution: At universities and schools to distribute Posters and Flyers.
    * Booth presentations: At universities and schools (thus the focus on young people in the images) to distribute media partnership CDs.
    * Video Contest: "Are You Different?" Side Campaign On GNOME users to explain why they  are differnet and why they use GNOME.

Of course, we could throw in other stuff when the visuals and text is ready. A Standard Presentation for Developers, for example. We can also throw out stuff when there're no volunteers.

Wasn't that complicated, was it?

Now I'm curious whether you can come up with any other idea. Let's be creative and have some fun.


Best Regards,
Claus