[Linux-aus] Wrong medium, wrong market

[Jeff Waugh]

<quote who="Andrew Donnellan">

> On 12/10/05, Jeff Waugh <jdub at perkypants.org> wrote:
> > Sorry, this just seems like a colossal waste of time and money to me.
> > Not just because there's no coherent and useful message that we could
> > deliver [1], but because television audiences are so entirely irrelevant
> > to LA, and its goals as an organisation.
> 
> How are TV audiences irrelevent?

The demographic that TV advertising usefully touches is not useful for LA.
But I'm assuming you think you want to hit every demographic - why? Why is
'Linux' or 'software freedom' going to hit a nerve? When the most successful
TV ad in recent times has been a humourous, reflexive brand vehicle for beer
in epic style, how well do you think an ad for 'Linux' or 'software freedom'
will be? The medium, and its demographic, just doesn't do anything for Linux
Australia... and you don't spend advertising money without a goal in mind.

> > It is not LA's responsibility to answer Microsoft's brand advertising.
> > As our industry becomes more relevant to the consumer market, companies
> > will step up to the plate to do that. Our audience - as in, Linux
> > Australia's audience - is something else entirely.
> 
> What companies? We have consultacies, etc., but not Red Hat or VA.

When 'Linux' is ready for the consumer market, companies (some of whom exist
already) will go after it. Right now, to be extremely blunt - from someone
who is deeply involved in the 'Linux desktop' - we're just not there yet. We
have the bottom end and parts of the top end, but we don't have that massive
chunk in the middle (that's a 90% chunk, btw).

> No. Every IT guy knows about Linux and I would guess that 90% of them have
> used Linux some time. We need to tell *everyone else*.

Why? What are they going to get out of it, and what does Linux Australia get
out of telling them about it? Blunt, again: What's the return on investment?

> > [1] Unless it expressed something enormously broad like information
> > freedom, but how many people who watch TV would even begin to see
> > relevance in that?
> 
> Express why people should use Linux. Just something simple - Linux is
> virusfree, stable, secure. Visit linux.org.au for more info or visit
> <insert local LUG details here>.

Which programme's ad break would you slot this into? What kind of result do
you expect to achieve? Why does my Mum think you're selling pop-rivets?

- Jeff

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