Idea
#10093: Organise Linux TV Ads worldwide
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25
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Written by Auzy the 20 Jun 08 at 11:57.
Category: Marketing.
Related to:
Nothing/Others.
Status: New
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Description
We should all work together on a donation drive towards a worldwide generic linux advert for TV to boost interest in linux.
Not a day goes by when people aren't be pounded by marketing adverts from Apple about OSX, or by Microsoft about Vista. So when people buy a new computer, they have been pounded so hard that they will buy OSX or Windows. They will forget we even exist.
By displaying adverts worldwide, we will accumulate interest in Linux, and make sure that they at least consider us before purchasing.
A side effect of this advert may also be that hardware driver developers are no longer able to ignore us as easily.
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Comments
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Eldmannen wrote on the 20 Jun 08 at 15:29
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The broadcast time will cost a lot of money.
I wonder if it is not better spent on developers?
I rather hire a developer than a preacher.
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Tuxoid wrote on the 20 Jun 08 at 20:27
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I've always wanted to do ads for free software on youtube. They'd be under the creative commons. I just don't have the confidence or animation skills (And in my opinion, neither does Linux, as of now)
The issue with T.V. ads, is that there is many pieces of free software, that make little to no money. Most free software projects on accept donations, but generally do not cost money. It boils down to the cost of Air Time. Generally, it's very expensive in western countries (where market share is most scarce).
Marketing of Linux has been unsuccessful in the past with Red Hat Linux. Before 2002, Red Hat dipped its feet, into the waters of advertising. Red Hat was so unsuccessful, it not only stopped advertising, it changed its target audience for Red Hat Linux. Red Hat Linux was originally aimed at anyone interested, but after its advertising, Red Hat narrowed their distro's target audience down to the Enterprise Desktop, ans the Server market. They later stated, "the end-desktop is too hard". From looking at the situation, Red Hat had just become very unmotivated; so much so, that they doubted the possibility of the end-desktop.
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steve196 wrote on the 20 Jun 08 at 22:51
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Linux is already commonly known.
If you want a bigger userbase, you better spend the money on developing apps, that have to do with hardware or software compatibility (wine, ndiswrapper and other wrappers...) and, more importantly fixing unexpected behaviours of the system (like the laptop harddisk spindown issue etc.) and working on cross-compatibility with other distros, to make life easy for commercial software vendors.
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flammon wrote on the 20 Jun 08 at 23:49
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YouTube is the new TV. Make the add put it there. Maybe we need a contest for this. Winner gets $5000 which would be much less than it would cost to hire marketing firms.
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flammon wrote on the 20 Jun 08 at 23:51
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add -> "ad and". How's that comment editing feature coming along?
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Auzy wrote on the 21 Jun 08 at 01:16
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Broadcast time does cost a lot, but the $20000 it costs for a TV ad, might only get 1 fulltime developer. Whilst a TV ad shown to 1million viewers, at worst would probably attract at least 10 new developers, and thousands of new users.
And whilst linux is well known, its well known for being nothing more then a hobbyist OS.
We need to attract a new class of users, and doing so is best done by TV, because that crowd is less likely to be actively using ubuntu (or have tried it) then the youtube crowd.
We must try to branch out. That's one of our problems. We keep insisting going the cheapest route with advertising online, yet, we forget that the real world exists. We can advertise over youtube, but we should also try to get donations to advertise on TV.
We must up our profile as Firefox has done, and what Apple does. Apple's cool image in many ways had a lot to do with heavy advertising. Without advertising saying otherwise, people will never know compiz exists, and believe that we are only good for developers. If we boost our use amongst businesses, it will really push us along. And as traction gains, we will get more and more high quality products.
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drinkypoo wrote on the 22 Jun 08 at 14:53
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Advertising is part of the problem, not the solution. Advertise virally! Instead of complaining about the lack of television commercials, go to some users group meetings and convince people that they need to use Linux.
Or, if you feel that there need to be television ads, feel free to place some.
However, Linus Torvalds' goal is not world domination, or so he claims :) His goal is to work on Linux because he likes to do so. So he's not likely to shell out the money. Ubuntu is already growing by leaps and bounds. Admittedly most of that is stealing users from less-worthy distributions :) but there are PLENTY of new users.
Want to make people want to switch to Ubuntu? Set up a really great Ubuntu desktop and then offer to clone it for people. All you have to do is strip certain things out (like the contents of /home, your account from the passwd/group/shadow files, and your crypto keys) and you can just clone it right over to their system from yours across a network interface after booting your system into single user mode and theirs from a LiveCD/LiveUSB. I'm getting ready to do this for a friend of mine because he admires my compiz/emerald/awn desktop and I have loads of stuff installed (Graphics, games, network stuff, blah blah blah.) THIS is the way to get people on board, not by trying to sell them something free. Just give it to them.
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Auzy wrote on the 23 Jun 08 at 01:00
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What "problem" is advertising a part of exactly?
Its all good and well having a great desktop.. That we have accomplished. But because we have stayed so quiet, hardware manufacturers are ignoring us, so we have pretty lame hardware support in areas.
If they see us advertising, it will prove to them we are no longer a hobbyist os, and we are serious about making linux go mainstream. And, they will know that millions of others had seen the ads.
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Tuxoid wrote on the 23 Jun 08 at 06:34
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Yes, the Linux Desktop is competent for computers, yes, we are much more than a hobbyist os now, yes we are a powerful force of open source (that would make an awesome slogan), yes we are still be ignored (albeit less than we used) by hardware vendors.
Regardless, is hard to market due to money. Canonical makes money, yes, but from what I know about how the profit, I don't think that kind of service can provide enough profit to advertise.
Not only do distributors like Canonical not have the money to advertise, how do you advertise Linux? Know one has figured this out yet. I know not many people have had a try at it (except for RedHat, Novell, and IBM).
Linux is differently designed. It's not your conventional OS. 300+ variants (or distros), 3 major desktops, and a somewhat hard-to-understand penguin mascot. While these are pluses, how do we prove that these are pluses (especially a penguin mascot :)?
I did not bring the that it's free software in, or the fact that it's usually free of charge. I generally believe, most users are still complacent with paying for software that doesn't have public source code. They will as long we make a product that the average user sees as more morally upright and as we care more than proprietary vendors.
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Tree MendUs wrote on the 27 Jun 08 at 03:49
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Use the Linux, Ubuntu, YouTube and other Video sharing community websites to raise awareness of an impending advertsing campaign on TV. That way you build the anticipation and will maximise both the number of viewers at the time of ad, their receptivity, and rememberence.
A cold call TV ad campaign would get results, but a TV campaign that is coordinated with a lead-up campaign via as many other channels as possible, would get much better results. and much better results for the expenditure.
Also forums and chats used for build up.
Any Ubuntu users could put an advertisement on their website.
Ubuntu could have a standard weblink to it gets recognized.
The web link can link back to Ubuntu pages with promo information and materials.
Materials like posters, iron on printouts for make your own tshirt.
Links to videos at video sites, make a donation, join a project, and more.
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Auzy wrote on the 27 Jun 08 at 04:01
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ooops:
Broadcast time does cost a lot, but the $20000 it costs for a newspaper ad, might only get 1 fulltime developer. Whilst a TV ad shown to 1million viewers, at worst would probably attract at least 10 new developers, and thousands of new users.
And yeah, online advertising works f*** all guys. They did research already that showed that users brains are wired to automatically skip over online ads (because we have trained ourselves well to do so).
I agree there should be build up. But I also don't think that some people here realise just how ineffective internet advertising is either. Its cheap and nasty.
One thing my previous boss never learnt was that you need to spend money to make money. That's our problem. We are always grasping at our coins, not letting a single one out of our site. And this is a BIG problem. Because, if we had more users, it would be easier to become profitable.
And large advertising pushes is what brings users in. Apple has already proven this. You can fly a dodgy internet ad in front of someone, and they will be like: "pfft". But, if everywhere they turn they are immersed in the product, it means there is much greater opportunity for them to find something about it they like.
At the very least we should work with dell and other hardware companies to advertise the dell ubuntu gear.
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