Re: [Marketing] [IAEP] 172 XO-1s for $24 each (+ freight) $4, 000 total

[Dave Crossland]

On 14 June 2016 at 12:09, Sean DALY  wrote:

> >On Tue, Jun 14, 2016 at 4:56 PM, Dave Crossland  wrote:
> >> On Tue, Jun 14, 2016 at 3:38 PM, Dave Crossland  wrote:
> >>
> >>> A brand that is not being diluted is stale, rigid, dying.
> >>
> >> I completely disagree, but it doesn't matter.

>

> Please speak up! :) Why do you think brand dilution is not a
> very positive thing?


> Dropping everyone but SL Marketing from a marketing discussion.
>

I think this is a really important discussion for the wider community, as
it relates to the future/vision topic :)


> A strong brand is a differentiator, which practices exclusion.
>

I kindly assert a brand does not need to practice exclusion to
differentiate from other brands in the same space - eg, _many_ companies
use Helvetica as their type identity, but are not confused. Most companies
use 'retail' typefaces that anyone can purchase a license to for a very
modest cost (typically well under $500.) Exclusion _may_ help a brand,
which is why some companies commission custom typefaces that no-one else
has access to. Eg, Google used Catull for over a decade, available to
anyone who could pay, and last year switched to their own custom brand
type, Product Sans.

The premiere NY design museum, the Cooper Hewitt, released its
(expensively) commissioned custom typeface as a libre font -
https://github.com/cooperhewitt/cooperhewitt-typeface - because its brand
designers have the same position I do.


> This might seem contradictory for a free libre open source software
> project, but then again, most such projects have feeble marketing.
>

I assert it is contradictory for _any_ brand who wants to engage with the
vibrant remix culture that epitomises the current decade. If your customers
love your brand, they want to participate in diluting it. I think an
insistence on deterring them is a hold-over from previous decades.


> For anyone to adopt a brand, they have to feel close to it and know what
> it stands for, what it is and what it definitely is not.
>

How can anyone adopt a brand without diluting it?


> Brand dilution means the vision of the brand losing focus, applying its
> values to products, services or ideas outside its core association.
>

I would rephase this as: Brand dilution means the vision of the brand
expanding to new horizons, apply its values to products, services and ideas
beyond its core that still express its values, and thus add value to the
brand.


> Brand owners often try to extend a brand, since the rewards can be
> substantial. However more often than not a diluted brand loses its power
> and is considered has-been, irrelevant or worthless.
>

I kindly assert this is only true for some brands, and not a universal
truth :)

The point is that Sugar's brand is not very strong, but the green $100
laptop brand is strong. So it would be good to continue using green laptops
if we have any reference hardware.

-- 
Cheers
Dave
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Re: [Marketing] [IAEP] 172 XO-1s for $24 each (+ freight) $4, 000 total

[Sean DALY]

Dropping everyone but SL Marketing from a marketing discussion.

A strong brand is a differentiator, which practices exclusion. This might
seem contradictory for a free libre open source software project, but then
again, most such projects have feeble marketing. For anyone to adopt a
brand, they have to feel close to it and know what it stands for, what it
is and what it definitely is not. Brand dilution means the vision of the
brand losing focus, applying its values to products, services or ideas
outside its core association. Brand owners often try to extend a brand,
since the rewards can be substantial. However more often than not a diluted
brand loses its power and is considered has-been, irrelevant or worthless.

Sean.


On Tue, Jun 14, 2016 at 4:56 PM, Dave Crossland  wrote:

> On 14 June 2016 at 10:14, Sean DALY  wrote:
> > On Tue, Jun 14, 2016 at 3:38 PM, Dave Crossland  wrote:
> >>
> >> A brand that is not being diluted is stale, rigid, dying.
> >
> > I completely disagree, but it doesn't matter.
>
> Please speak up! :) Why do you think brand dilution is not a very
> positive thing?
>
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Re: [Marketing] [IAEP] 172 XO-1s for $24 each (+ freight) $4, 000 total

[Sean DALY]

On Tue, Jun 14, 2016 at 3:38 PM, Dave Crossland  wrote:

> A brand that is not being diluted is stale, rigid, dying.



I completely disagree, but it doesn't matter.
Sean.
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Re: [Marketing] [IAEP] 172 XO-1s for $24 each (+ freight) $4, 000 total

[Dave Crossland]

On 14 June 2016 at 09:16, Sean DALY  wrote:
>
> On Tue, Jun 14, 2016 at 2:03 PM, Dave Crossland  wrote:
>>
>> > That color combination has been very widely copied, even today.
>>
>> I think the amount of copying ought to be seen as a metrics of success
>> for a brand.
>
> Sure, except it dilutes the brand.

I am asserting that this dilution is a positive outcome - in the age
of cheap social media and memes, brands don't have control as they did
in the age of expensive mass media; and per the medium is the message
and all that, the new media environment changes the value of the
outcomes. A brand that is not being diluted is stale, rigid, dying.

>> > which is why I invested in the SL branded memory sticks
>
> At the time everyone clamored for several, to be
> distributed at conferences and such.

How much did you/we sell them for?

> This was over six years ago, so I probably wouldn't recommend the same
> supplier, better to start from scratch, especially since the payment to them
> was delayed at the time - if they remember our small order, it may not be
> fondly. The key criteria in my choice was that they were willing to do
> several color variants in the tiny run of 100 sticks, as a favor if we would
> bring subsequent business,

Cool :)

> which in the end didn't happen.

Yikes - why not?

>> > and had the beauty shots created at the time.
>>
>> Where are these located? :)
>
> wiki
> https://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Marketing_Team/Booth_Banners
>
> see for example:
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8117064.stm

Nice!!
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Re: [Marketing] [IAEP] 172 XO-1s for $24 each (+ freight) $4, 000 total

[Sean DALY]

On Tue, Jun 14, 2016 at 2:03 PM, Dave Crossland  wrote:

> > That color combination has been very widely copied, even today.
>
> I think the amount of copying ought to be seen as a metrics of success
> for a brand.
>

Sure, except it dilutes the brand.


>
>
> > which is why I invested in the SL branded memory sticks
>
> Cool! Do you still have any of those sticks left? Where did you get them
> made?
>
> I still have one or two. At the time everyone clamored for several, to be
distributed at conferences and such.

This was over six years ago, so I probably wouldn't recommend the same
supplier, better to start from scratch, especially since the payment to
them was delayed at the time - if they remember our small order, it may not
be fondly. The key criteria in my choice was that they were willing to do
several color variants in the tiny run of 100 sticks, as a favor if we
would bring subsequent business, which in the end didn't happen.


> > and had the beauty shots created at the time.
>
> Where are these located? :)


wiki
https://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Marketing_Team/Booth_Banners

see for example:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8117064.stm

Sean
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Re: [Marketing] [IAEP] 172 XO-1s for $24 each (+ freight) $4, 000 total

[Dave Crossland]

On 14 June 2016 at 05:14, Sean DALY  wrote:
>
> On Tue, Jun 14, 2016 at 6:21 AM, Dave Crossland  wrote:
>>
>> The green case is probably the most important thing, I think, because
>> of that brand equity
>
> The green and white case (perhaps with a "crank handle") is the only brand
> equity OLPC (and Sugar Labs) have.

Exactly! :)

> That color combination has been very widely copied, even today.

I think the amount of copying ought to be seen as a metrics of success
for a brand.

> It's always far easier to market an object than a virtual product such as
> software,

:D

> which is why I invested in the SL branded memory sticks

Cool! Do you still have any of those sticks left? Where did you get them made?

> and had the beauty shots created at the time.

Where are these located? :)

-- 
Cheers
Dave
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Re: [Marketing] [IAEP] 172 XO-1s for $24 each (+ freight) $4, 000 total

[Sean DALY]

On Tue, Jun 14, 2016 at 6:21 AM, Dave Crossland  wrote:

> The green case is probably the most important thing, I think, because
> of that brand equity
>


The green and white case (perhaps with a "crank handle") is the only brand
equity OLPC (and Sugar Labs) have. That color combination has been very
widely copied, even today.

It's always far easier to market an object than a virtual product such as
software, which is why I invested in the SL branded memory sticks and had
the beauty shots created at the time.

Sean
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