[Linux-aus] LWE Marketing Strategy

[Andrew Cowie]

On Thu, 2005-19-05 at 14:59 +1000, Jeff Waugh wrote:
> Other suggestions? Please discuss.

It occurs to me that a principle task we would have at LWE would be
simple identification and differentiation. *We* have some idea of what
"the community" means, but no one else does. Nor are they typically
likely to care, off hand. So, we will probably have to focus on (at
least implicitly) answering:
        
        What are you?
        What does Linux Australia do?
        Why are you here (at this show)?
        Why should I care?
        And what do you want me to do as a result?

Saying "we represent the community" is kinda meaningless in a wide open
public forum (especially one with a cacophony from the vendors).

Saying "we represent the developer community" is slightly more specific,
but still perhaps not meaningful to an attendee.

Saying "we promote the fact that Linux and Open Source is this
incredible diversity of independent developers, commercial vendors, runs
everywhere, empowering, free, and great, rah, rah" is actually no
better, because, well, we're already at a Linux show. People may not
actually get the subtle nuances in that statement - or worse, may think
they already know everything they need to know about Linux, because the
picked up a brochure at an Oracle stand.

The presence of Linux [Australia] at something like EdExpo this past
weekend (or, as Pia would remember, at WSIS in Geneva) works out as
really cool because of its novelty and uniqueness and the fact that it's
*not* entirely on topic. But at an actual "Linux" event, then dynamic is
different - and one I don't think we "the community" have had to compete
or express ourselves in as yet.

Given that the average corporate IT trade show team has it down slick,
sleek and really glossy, I should hope that we will find a way to
likewise create such a presence. Otherwise we will look like a bunch of
hicks - and that won't really help the cause.

AfC
Sydney

P.S. I would expect Microsoft to have really nice booth (they do at most
other Linux shows nowadays). And probably way bigger than ours. Consider
the impact of such a thing on our attempted messaging as discussed
above.

-- 
Andrew Frederick Cowie

Technology strategy, managing change, establishing procedures,
and executing successful upgrades to mission critical business
infrastructure.

http://www.operationaldynamics.com/

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