[ubuntu-uk] [uk-marketing] Article for local mag

[Matthew Larsen]

Hey Chris,

Nice article although I feel you fall into the 'non-techie explanation
trap' as I call it. For example in your first paragraph:

"Microsoft Windows (or Windows more commonly) is a bit like a brain
for your computer. It's the 'intelligence' that knows how to print a
document or display a mouse pointer or connect to the Internet"

is quite deceiving I find. My suggestion would be something along the
lines of: "Windows is a piece of software called an Operating System.
The Operating System (OS) is an interface between the hardware,
software and the user. Without an OS computers are pretty useless
machines!..." etc. I just find that saying things like 'its the brain
of the computer' doesnt do anyone any favours in trying to explain
whats going on

"Let me introduce you to my favourite operating system" --> no-one
will care what your favourite is. Its like saying a prius is my
favourite type of hybrid. Maybe just saying "There is an alternative
to Windows..."

"Without getting into the nitty gritty and legalese, I think it
suffices to say that Ubuntu is free" nice :-)

"Ubuntu is safe" "Ubuntu is stable". I like these short statements a
lot. Remember that in a magazine article more people read the top of
the article than all the way through so you may want to re-structure a
little.

"Ubuntu is environmentally friendly" eerm be careful here. People will
assume that it makes your PC emit less emmissions. May want to replace
with "Ubuntu can run fast on any hardware so you dont need to upgrade
every year"


Hope these comments help :-)

Regards

On 24/07/07, Darren.Mansell at opengi.co.uk <Darren.Mansell at opengi.co.uk> wrote:
> You seem to have a great understanding of marketing. I used to work for
> a large British computer manufacturer (who shall remain nameless) and I
> had a fair bit of involvement with the marketing department.
>
> They used to do things like send spam emails out and get blocked from
> some mail servers purely to get people talking about them. And a venture
> into selling Linux PCs got them on the news too. It worked though, they
> are one of the only independent UK OEMs still going (just about).
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ubuntu-uk-bounces at lists.ubuntu.com
> [mailto:ubuntu-uk-bounces at lists.ubuntu.com] On Behalf Of alan c
> Sent: 23 July 2007 18:46
> To: British Ubuntu Talk
> Subject: Re: [ubuntu-uk] [uk-marketing] Article for local mag
>
> Darren.Mansell at opengi.co.uk wrote:
> > Fair enough. It's a difficult balance between factually correct and
> > marketing.
>
> Understood. Marketing is to achieve an objective, though not quite at
> any cost. However, the sound bites and advert bites or whatever that
> we find ourselves immersed in, in the various media, in our daily
> lives are never factually correct in the technical sense.
>
> Even if push comes to shove and promises are found clearly wanting,
> the marketing blurb would have had a risk assessment and a damage
> limitation strategy ready in the (marketing persons mind, say) strategy.
>
> A well known question is What is the worst that could happen (if
> things went wrong)?
> Would a slightly imperfect statement in a parish magazine or local
> newspaper cause a national outcry - no.
>
> And in the unlikely event it actually did cause an outcry. What great
> coverage! Priceless national debate about masses of windows viruses
> versus one or two lucky mavericks in linux. But I dream.
>
> It is interesting to search say on 'Linux News'. There are a
> surprising number of really eye catching headlines, some associated
> with highly controversial content. It gets coverage. The skill is to
> get noticed by various means without being dis-honourable.
>
> FWIW I think information is best aimed at a particular target
> audience, with probably differing content for different purposes.
> --
> alan cocks
> Kubuntu user#10391
>
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-- 
Matthew G Larsen
   > mat.larsen at gmail.com
   > +44(0)7739 785 249