Marketing Proposal 2007

Background

Last year's marketing design work focused on refining the OSGeo logo, producing some simple brochures, business cards and presentation templates. Little has been done to help improve our printed material useful for trade shows and advertising, as well a more detailed marketing plan needs to be produced. This 2007 proposal focuses on designing reproducable material for printed products, as well as an overall branding concept for the web site and other documents that reflect who/what OSGeo represents.

Proposal

All available information has been evaluated in detail leading to this proposal. Of course, regarding the “look and feel” there is still room for improvements to get a more attractive visual appearance which reflects better the living community, professionalism and business orientation.

Apart from the design, it is strongly recommended to set up a communication concept which gives guidelines for the successful address of target audiences. (Not too much theory but clear analysis, definitions, conclusions and useful recommendations.)

The communication concept contains the following:

• Analysis (current situation -SWOT, trends, target audiences and their needs and expectations)
• Positioning for a clear profile: Benefit argumentation – in general and for different target audiences (for users, business, partners, sponsors!) Message, Claim(s)
• Goals in terms of quality (i.e. Image) and quantity (more users, downloads, members to OSGeo, web traffic, presence at events, publications, more sponsors…)
• Recommended communication mix (apart from the basis paperwork- is a flyer or white paper extra for sponsors helpful? How much PR in which media, which themes – user oriented, business /sponsor oriented…”direct marketing” to win more sponsors - if necessary, if yes, which kind of?)

This concept will answer very clear to questions like: What are the needs of our target audiences? How to address them? Do we need different benefit argumentation, if yes, what should be communicated and to whom? What should be the message? What communication mix should be used (PR, Direct Marketing, Paperwork: flyers, white papers….) in which time frame should the goals be reached? (12 months?)

On basis of this concept a communication plan can be developed easily: Collateral measures (PR) for events and workshops, special campaigns to win new sponsors etc., incl. budget planning and schedules.

The overall aim of this is to make OSGeo to a real “brand” where all the target audiences understand immediately what it stands for.

This work is very important to do to get a correct basis for a continuous, stringent and sustainable communication which can be used as a background for all content in website, flyers etc. A lot of information is already there but it should be gathered together in a framework and to be reviewed for being able to draw conclusions and to get the thread through.

Summary

In summary, the following items will be dealt with within this proposed contract:

• Design Concept on basis of existing logo
• Communication Concept (short version, ca. 14 pages, includes conclusions and recommendations, see above)
• Brochure “OSGeo” (2 sheets / 4 pages (DIN A 4, Format 21 x 29,7 cm) Concept, Design/Layout)
• Website Design (Base design for main page and Base design for one underlying page. Both pages ready to use as a master for OSGeo web-programmer)
• OSGeo Journal Design Cover and an Inside Template (optional: set up of whole Journal at price per page)
• Project Management

Further Steps

The above does not include discussion of online/electronic means for promoting OSGeo via search engine ratings. Discussions about these approaches has only just begun and may result in another an additional proposal focused on online outreach.

References

The current proposal is to re-use the contractor that produced branding for GeoNetwork-opensource. The branding products were made for use on printed material as well as the GeoNetwork web site, etc.

Some GeoNetwork branding samples:

• Marketing material
• Web site/app theming