Fwd: [Marketing] OSGeo Marketing Strategy part 2

Tue Oct 9 18:44:30 EDT 2007

Forwarding to new list for archives

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Jeroen Ticheler <Jeroen at Ticheler.net>
> Date: October 9, 2007 1:38:41 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>
>
> Thanks Dave for the excellent additions!
>
> Yes, service companies and software companies need to recognize  
> themselves in the message and we may indeed have to look at  
> tailored messages in some circumstances, or at least keep them in  
> mind when evaluating what we come up with in a first round.
>
> Brings to my mind that I also mentioned governments, EU, etc.. as  
> potential sponsors that may be sensitive to the way we formulate  
> the message and to the OSGeo mission.
>
> Ciao,
> Jeroen
>
> On Oct 9, 2007, at 10:11 PM, Dave McIlhagga wrote:
>
>> 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