Marketing

Template:Activity For us, marketing is concerned with creating two-way open communications channels between the organisation and the community it is part of, so that the organisation can better serve said community. There are a number of interrelated activities and strategies we can use, which will allow us to become more aware about what the needs of the community are, so that we can adjust our products and services to those needs. At the same time we need to refine the way we communicate about what is being offered and ensure that the people who might be interested in our services are informed about them.

The current situation is that various products and services are being developed, for small teams of associates filling various roles to be able to provide things like IT systems set-up, staff training and various workshops for the public. We are applying free software solutions to provide all of the services because we believe in freedom from corporate control for us and our community. Apart from that, we could not technically and legally provide our products and services in the way we do if used proprietary software. We are striving to provide a fully-integrated solution that covers workstation and server set up using Ubuntu and Debian, along with all the LAN or web-based IT systems required to run a small business. However, not many people are aware of the quality of solutions that exist as alternatives to Windows or Apple Mac, these solutions have not been promoted widely by our media or other corporate interests.

Conventional marketers develop a marketing mix (product, place, price and promotion), this begins with creating a product the customer needs, ensuring proper distribution at a price the customer can afford and promoting the product appropriately. The marketing mix is influenced by the marketing environment with contains the following factors to take into account:

• Competitive
• Economic
• Political
• Legal and regulatory
• Technological
• Socio-cultural
• Environmental

Our Marketing values

• Marketing is not about pushing product
• Creating more opportunity far all stakeholders
• Promotion: Materials need to be cheap, easy to access and produce
• Reuse entails marketing materials should be easy to adapt to other locations or languages
• Use word of mouth where possible
• Promotion: Offer something of value to the potential customer

Products and Services development

• Documenting our procedures
• Creating model/test setups for Internet cafe and IT systems
• Web form for people to ask questions or suggest further products

SWOT analysis

One challenge for our marketing efforts lies in part in educating the public about the values underlying free software and the quality of solutions that exist, such as Ubuntu, Firefox and Thunderbird. We could provide informational material about free software which also has local contact information for a business offering free software solutions.

The other challenge is demonstrating what is available to people, this is where public meetings and presentations are useful, also making available discs with Ubuntu for word of mouth marketing will help with this.

Even once people know that there is something that gives them more freedom and may even be easier to use, many are wary of making a switch because they have never switched operating systems before and it seems like a big hassle. This is where we can communicate that there is support available for this process, via user groups or training sessions.

Partnerships

If we can align ourselves with other organisations that have similar values we may be able to create synergies for mutual benefit. One marketing activity is to identify organisations in the community that would make suitable partnership organisations and to create relationships with these.

• Internet cafe (shopfront/model setup)
• Systems thinking seminars company (seminar and workshop development)
• Arts sponsorship trust (contacts,promotional possibilities)

Promotion

• Pamphlet
• Ubuntu CDs/DVDs
  • Make ourselves or order runs
• Diagrams
  • Wiki Organisation diagram
  • LAN setup diagram
  • IT Systems diagram

Talking to community

• Website
  • About
  • Values
  • Products and Services
  • Partners

Listening to community

• Public meetings
• Form on website connects into CRM for feedback

CRM

• http://crm.organicdesign.co.nz
• Keeping track of contacts