[ubuntu-za] PROMOTION in media for Ubuntu12.04 release

Jan Greeff jan at verslank.net
Sun Apr 15 16:12:31 UTC 2012


Well said Rusty.

I posted a few notes about Ubuntu on my Facebook and Twitter pages with 
some positive feedback, there's also quite active discussions going on 
in the social media. Perhaps we can use the figures shown there about 
the numbers of people participating and pool resources to compile some 
good, short but incisive copy for the journalists, if they don't have to 
write it but can claim credit it will help.

http://www.facebook.com/search/results.php?q=ubuntu&init=quick&tas=0.8375668716734569&search_first_focus=1334505959000

Best wishes,

Jan


On 15/04/2012 15:51, Rusty wrote:
> Open letter - Ubuntu 12.4 - Launch in public media
>
> To write our not to write - that is the question
>
> DISCLAIMER:  This letter is about PROMOTION in the media for the 
> Ubuntu 12.04 release
> I am only an Ubuntu user and do not code or even understand anything 
> regarding coding.
>
>
> SALUTe                     (old Roman greeting form :-)
>    UBUNTUCI             (polite way to address a number of Ubuntu users)
>
> Open letter to the South African Ubuntu users
>       on occasion of the launch of Precise Pangola - Ubuntu 12.04
>
>              regarding:    PUBLICITY ON LAUNCH OF UBUNTU 12.04
>                                   during the last week of April
>
> Fellow Ubuntu users,
>
> From the heading you would be able to see that I wish to hear if there 
> were any way in which we could get some publicity for Ubuntu 12.04 in 
> the South African media during the end of April.
>
> I have tried to achieve that with the launch of previous versions - 
> but with very little success.  I wish to see a different outcome this 
> time and therefore come to all of you to ask if together we could get 
> some positive publicity for Ubuntu 12.04.
>
> To get an idea of the issues and hurdles which I had experienced in my 
> past endeavours in this regard, may I share my past experiences:
>
> I tried to reach both a specific journalist whom I thought would be 
> supportive of the project, as well as write to the editor of one of 
> the national weeklies who I regarded as being more objective on their 
> news coverage, e.g. the Sunday Independent.
>
> 1)  I'm not sure if I ever had the correct email address of the 
> journalist, but I got no feedback from him. Same with the newspaper 
> editor.
> 2)  I also did not see any mention of the launch in any general 
> newsmedia. However I am not in a position where I necessary would have 
> seen such an item even if it had been published.
> 3) at the time I did not think of trying to reach the various local 
> weeklies which are delivered free of cost door to door in major cities.
> 4)  I did have limited success in a social discussion forum where I 
> sometimes surf. Though it was only limited in success, because other 
> Ubuntu users who did acknowledge their use of Ubuntu, did not come 
> forward to highlight the launch, add comments or take the matter 
> forward - which I experienced with a bit of sadness, because the 
> opportunity was there to build some hype for Ubuntu and it was lost - 
> in my opinion.
>
> Is it possible to achieve a better outcome this time?
>
> What would be needed?
>
> My previous experience had been that I wrote to people whom I did not 
> know or have contact with.
>
> If we (?) try to get some publicity for Ubuntu 12.4 this time round in 
> the media, it would help if we could get a correct email address so as 
> to be sure that any documentation/correspondence goes where it is 
> meant to go. Surely someone among the Ubuntu community could help in 
> this regard with supplying the email actresses of someone in the media 
> world sympathetic to the new release of Ubuntu 12.04.
> One should also consider the electronic media as a field in it's own 
> right - so as to make sure that that field is reached.
>
> Then there is the whole area of the free weeklies which are always 
> looking for a story to use as filler items between their 
> advertisements.  Each area has their own free weeklies where there is 
> a big likelihood of getting an Ubuntu story out -  if someone is 
> willing to reach out to those.
>
> When someone has access to the media, the question is what material to 
> use.  A placard or poster is not enough, even if it is the best out of 
> the publicity stall of Ubuntu.  A story needs to be written / or found 
> - fully completed.  Perhaps someone had already written something, or 
> found such like and can send it to a central person.
>
> The main question is if the Ubuntu community or someone from this 
> community is willing to take up the task and if the necessary 
> information will be available.
>
> For myself, I am going to try and get an article out in our local free 
> weeklies - there are two where I live.
>
> Regards
> Rusty
>
>
>
>
>
>



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