Fwd: [Marketing] OSGeo Marketing Strategy part 2

Tue Oct 9 18:44:25 EDT 2007

Forwarding to new list for archives

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Dave McIlhagga <dmcilhagga at dmsolutions.ca>
> Date: October 9, 2007 1:11:51 PM PDT (CA)
> To: Marketing Discussion List <viscom-dev at lists.osgeo.org>
> Subject: Re: [Marketing] OSGeo Marketing Strategy part 2
> Reply-To: Marketing Discussion List <viscom-dev at lists.osgeo.org>
>
> Jeroen,
>
> I think what you have outlined here is a terrific start -- and we  
> all are crossing our fingers that this early momentum will continue  
> into the future. :)
>
>
> My one comment is concerning Sponsors -- I think it is important to  
> keep in mind that there are a few different types of sponsors that  
> we should be considering and that our messages need to be tailored  
> to these various groups.
>
> 1. Users -- I think what you have below covers this well.
> 2. Service Companies around OSGeo software -- This group needs to  
> have a clear message of the benefits sponsorship can bring them -  
> in particular, promotional benefits of association with OSGeo.
> 3. Software Companies around OSGeo software -- keeping in mind that  
> many of these companies follow hybrid approaches to open source /  
> proprietary technology, the message needs to be tweaked again to  
> reflect this. For these organizations -- high quality software  
> development environment, and marketing in the form of recruitment  
> of other like minded organizations to contribute development  
> resources will have the most appeal. INGRES was encouraged to  
> sponsor for exactly this reason -- and we should look to that model  
> for future software companies.
>
> Dave
>
>
>
>
>
> On 9-Oct-07, at 3:58 PM, Jeroen Ticheler wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>> Thanks for the supporting messages! I really want this thing to be  
>> a successful process with a lot of consensus, so if at any time  
>> you feel I am missing the boat or ignoring relevant issues, please  
>> let me know immediately!
>>
>> I had a lunch meeting on the topic again with the marketing/design  
>> people I work(ed) with. I tried to explain what I thought were  
>> some of the key objectives OSGeo should achieve in the coming  
>> year. I'll list those here for comments and further discussion/ 
>> refinement. We agreed we'll get a first proposal together to  
>> assess what is reasonably achievable considering the available  
>> budget. I have indicated that in this whole process I need the  
>> community support and as such the implementation of the work will  
>> be different then when they deal with just me and a small GN  
>> community.
>>
>> Here's what I put up as goals (as I see them, considering what we  
>> discussed in Victoria etc...)
>>
>> - In rough terms we have two groups OSGeo serves. (1) the  
>> developer communities of the different projects, and (2) the user  
>> broader community of geospatial applications. Both have a business  
>> component to them; the first is to have a healthy community and  
>> thus product, the second is a good, professional image that helps  
>> drive business.
>> - We take fairly good care of ourselves for what the developer  
>> community concerns
>> 	I suggested we do not forget this part of the community, but not  
>> focus on it at this stage from the Marketing point of view.
>> - We have to transfer a message of trust and professionalism to  
>> the user community (the people, businesses and governments that  
>> buy the services/ use the tools)
>> 	Ingredients:
>> 	- Healthy, well established projects that work in a professional  
>> manner (PSC, workplans, release strategy, bug reporting and  
>> fixing, etc..)
>> 	- Intellectual Property issues are closely monitored and have  
>> been evaluated for all core projects
>> 	- High quality software, use of standards etc...
>> 	- Coherence and collaboration between projects
>> 	- Support and training from professional companies
>> 	- Free and Open Source Software is not just source code, it is  
>> about participation and true open collaboration. Hell with fake  
>> open source ;-) , OSGeo is about real Free and Open Source  
>> Software. Users have to be made aware of this in clear terms.
>>
>> 	I may have forgotten some things now...
>>
>> - We have to improve the visual identity that is reflected in the  
>> web site, OSGeo journal, articles, flyers and conferences. This  
>> goes beyond the OSGeo logo I think. (just to be clear, I will not  
>> try to touch the logo because it is very good already!).
>>
>> Goals:
>> 	- Have a message we can deliver to users that is convincing and  
>> clear. They have to directly understand the benefits of using  
>> OSGeo software over other solutions :-)
>> 	- Be able to use the marketing materials to convince potential  
>> sponsors of the benefits of joining OSGeo as a sponsor. "This is  
>> what you get when you support in OSGeo", "Professionalism and  
>> quality that benefits your business".
>> 	- Be able to add at least 5 (!?) new, substantial OSGeo and/or  
>> project sponsors to the list in the coming year.
>> 	- Have a common visual identity (see above) with at least a  
>> folded A3 size flyer that gives the key messages/ overview.
>> 	- The materials will have to be available for translation by the  
>> different local chapters. We have to be able to maintain / update  
>> these materials.
>>
>> OK, I talked for an hour on this, so I for sure miss things in  
>> this email, but I think I got the main components.
>>
>> I have suggested that when we get started, they (Birgit and Ines)  
>> join the mailing list to participate in some of the discussion.
>>
>> Once I have an initial proposal from them, I'll get this back to  
>> the list.
>> Ciao,
>> Jeroen
>>
>>
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>
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Tyler Mitchell
Executive Director
Open Source Geospatial Foundation
tmitchell at osgeo.org
P: +1-250-277-1621
M: +1-250-303-1831