Re: Marketing/PR cont'd

[Nadim Shaikli <shaikli at yahoo dot com>]

--- Ra'id Al-Jamali <rjamali at omantel dot net dot om> wrote:
> This post will be mostly a quick summary and recap. I shall build upon
> them in a followup...
> 
> (1) Conceptually, the PR/Marketing (the Front-shop) process should
> operate in two main modes:
> 	a- An Outward, outreach or Show-and-Tell mode
> 	b- An Inward, information and intelligence gathering mode
> 
> (2) Outreach audience consist of:
> 	a- General public
> 	b- Institutes of higher learning
> 	c- Commercial organisations
> 	d- Major Linux distributions
> 	e- Linux User Groups
> 	f- (any more?)

Individual and group developers as well as potential volunteers.

> (3) Inward intelligence will be on:
> 	a- General computer usage statistics and trends
> 	b- Penetration of FLOSS into Arabic world
> 	c- Market research studies and projections (Nadim?)
> 	d- (any more?)

By market research I meant data to size-up the computer market in the
middle-east.  What is the demographic of the computer users, what are
their main usages, etc.  What sort of growth to expect, within which
demographic and where.

> (4) The outreach subprocess should exploit major media of mass
> communication: print, audio/visual, digital/electronic. Each type of
> media will require its own tools:
> 	a- Print: Pamphlets, handouts
> 	b- A/V broadcast: presentations, etc..
> 	c- Digital: Web (online), Live CD (offline)

        d- Arabize current website and static content
        e- Interviews with focus on volunteers and community
           (To not only personalize our existence, but to instill and
            educate about open source fundamental and voluntarism)
 
> (5) Initial objective of the PR process is to preach the Free (see
> below) and Open Source model and help increase its penetration.
> [ DEFINITION: Free as in not under restriction, compulsion or restraint.
> Freedom from cost, or cost-free, might be a fringe benefit but that's
> not guaranteed. Unless specified otherwise, I will henceforth refer to
> the state of freedom or liberty as being 'free', while absence of price
> is always qualified as 'cost-free']
> 
> (6) Current recommended action:
> 	a- Assemble list of contacts in universities (2b)
> 	b- Assemble list of contacts in LUG (2e)
> 	c- Assemble list of contacts in Linux distros (2d)
> 	d- Assemble list of contacts in Linux Businesses (2c)
> 	d- Assemble list of contact for media (see 4)
> 	e- Focus on creating the appropriate outreach tools (see 4)
> 	f- Look into how to acquire intelligence on point 3c
> 
> A quick reponse:
> 
> * Introductory material section
> I've had a look and my short answer is: No, it's no longer fit for the
> outreach purpose. Obviously the types of audience in point (2) above
> have different needs. Some screenshots and layman's FAQs are the first
> thing that comes to mind for the broad-base audience. Also require
> specific introductory content for each type of audience. I have a few
> ideas, but as mentioned more on that in a follow-up.

Great, then add the need for "friendlier and simpler" FAQs and pamphlets
to the list of action-items and todos above (point-6).

Ra'id - I very much like what you are doing (you seem very logical and
methodical which is wonderful).  Now that the PR.todo is clear, I'd
suggest the following,

 a. prioritize the todo list
 b. pencil out required tasks and possible tangible actions
 c. recruit and attain a list of people willing to help in ANY capacity
    i. classify people into interest levels and doers vs. none (according
       to action list created in #b above)
 c. set some deadlines (keeping goals in mind)
 d. execute
 e. revisit entire process upon completion of any deadline

The key to all of this is focus, commitment and communication (as in anything
in life really).  In passing, what would you like to see from Arabeyes'
website in terms of a place-holder for all of this (a sub-project webpage
(akin to KDE or Arabbix or ...), a CVS subdirectory tree, etc) ?  What would
help you going and progressing ?

Can't wait to see this effort take-off and bare some fruit.

Salam & keep up the great work.

 - Nadim


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