Re: [libreoffice-marketing] Re: LibreOffice with Windows on new computers: why not?

On Sunday 31 Oct 2010 17:39:58 Marc Paré wrote:

> Re: retail sales.
>
> However, we do have to be careful not to alienate users who will later
> find out that the distro is a free download. They would need some kind
> of great value for their money .. as you said support package; clipart;
> manual etc. This would obviously require creating a worldwide helpdesk
> system. I am not quite sure if this would satisfy this user who would
> have paid at the retail level even with all of the perks.

Not if you advertise the fact, added value is the key.  A lot of people want 
the book.  OpeSUSE is free as well, the openslx (http://www.open-slx.de) 
costs.. about $NZ100.  with that you get manual and 3 months support from 
Novell

> If you consider the amount of dollars that TDF/LibO would have provide
> worldwide to print manuals and press DVD's and this as often as the
> major update to the distro, it may be worthwhile instead to mount more
> creative style campaigns such as paying OEM's to print the TDF/LibO logo
> with short offer of the download of the free software; a sticker banner
> that users could stick on their brand new box with the LibO site address
> and download instructions; something that looks like an on-line dating
> service "Call me and we can get together over a nice cup of LibO" etc.
> This may be a better way or an additional way of creating user and brand
> awareness.  
There is no incentive to the OEM however, to do it properly and how do you 
track how many of these he's done.  Sorry but paying OEMs to do this without a 
method of tracking it is crazy.  That would expose the Foundation to huge 
costs with no benefit.  The risk analysis is bad. 

Also it still doesn't fix the margin issue for the retailer and you rig it so 
that there is no cost to the foundation by getting someone like OpenSLX to 
develop the packaging and content.  their return comes from sales, they pay 
the foundation a fee based on sales.  No setup or ongoing cost to the 
foundation.  Sure it means that the fee will be small compared to the Sales 
price but it removes the setup cost issue.  In fact I would probably put it 
out to tender.  

They get advertising on the website as the "official supplier" and the 
foundation and the documentation producers get a small share of revenue.  
Simple and low risk.

Cheers
GL

-- 
Graham Lauder,
OpenOffice.org MarCon (Marketing Contact) NZ
http://marketing.openoffice.org/contacts.html

OpenOffice.org Migration and training Consultant.

INGOTs Assessor Trainer
(International Grades in Open Technologies)


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