Date: Fri, 06 Aug 1999 12:09 -0600 From: "Brian McGroarty" <BMCGROARTY@high-voltage.com> To: freebsd-advocacy@freebsd.org Subject: Marketing FreeBSD / FreeBSD as a product Message-ID: <C566D2FFB44AD31186D40008C7333C82@high-voltage.com>
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Newcomers periodically question the choice of Chucky Daemon as FreeBSD's mascot. The resolution of these discussions is invariably a suggestion that the person asking "didn't get it." Sure are a lot of people who "don't get it..." I love Chucky. And I'd like to see him as part of BSD/FreeBSD forever. However he's a poor choice for the cover of the Walnut Creek CD-ROMs. The character, especially in his current incarnations, has a very cartoonish appearance. He's certainly a draw and a recognizable symbol for those already using FreeBSD. But for someone picking over the packaging cold, he grossly misrepresents FreeBSD as a product. - By misrepresenting FreeBSD, not only does Chucky carry no branding value at present; he actually hurts FreeBSD's chances in traditional retail environments. Personal preferences and history of use aside, FreeBSD's strongest selling point is its maturity. The system is stable and extremely solid. And the more rigid development structure keeps it that way. If viewed as a product, FreeBSD's target purchaser is a technically savvy individual who is interested in stability and performance, not a popular trend. Thus, - The packaging needs to reflect the mature and professional nature of the product. FreeBSD itself is an unknown in most circles outside established UNIX production environments and academia. Thus, not only does Chucky carry little branding value, "FreeBSD" itself doesn't describe the product well. Every bit as large as the FreeBSD logo, the cover needs "UNIX" to identify FreeBSD. The strengths should be listed underneath. "STABILITY. PERFORMANCE. SECURITY." - Until FreeBSD is an established brand, the packaging needs to define the brand at a glance. Listing supported hardware is of little use. If you're purchasing the CD-ROM to upgrade, you should already know where to find compatibility information. If you're purchasing cold, you're likely not experienced enough to know whether you have a 3C905 or a 3C509. And little on the packaging will have you excited enough to care. This valuable space would better be spent presenting a few screenshots of useful X desktops. Show Netscape, several KDE apps and gimp. Devote the text to expounding the wonderful virtues unique to FreeBSD, not providing incremental upgrade information. - Use the back of the package to grab the customer once they've got the jewel case in their hand. FreeBSD has something going for it which other popular UNIX-like environments don't. A strong and well-established history. Play this up, for gods sakes. Differentiate FreeBSD from the rest! Berkley branched in 76? 77? The jewel case deserves a gold-embossed "22 YEARS" - add a special tag below that indicating it's "now for personal use" to establish the idea that it's a long standing product while making the product feel paradoxically fresh and new to the buyer. - Take advantage of true UNIX's history. Leverage the unknown nature of the product to make it feel like a new opportunity. I would also STRONGLY suggest that The FreeBSD Handbook and the CDs be made available in a more tranditional software box. The book on its own feels flimsy. And the four CD set on its own looks intimidating. Until a user knows more about the product in hand, you need to be sure that intuition is on your side. Make sure they feel comfortable with your product. Make sure they feel good having that in hand. - An attractive box with heavy contents adds $20 to software's perceived value. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-advocacy" in the body of the message
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