Mint Marketing and Promotion - Retail DVD with booklet

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sunewbie

Mint Marketing and Promotion - Retail DVD with booklet

Post by sunewbie »

Hello,

I am new to Linux and a non-technical end user. I searched Forums for promotion of mint and found about promotion tools like t-shirts, banners, blogging, displaying batch on website.etc but could not find any way to promote Live DVDs. In India, even 256 kbps is defined as broadband. Many home users have limited Mb plan, as surfing do not consume much Mbs, for them 800 MB is too time consuming and sometimes costly affair. They prefer to purchase DVD for Rs 100/- (USD 2) and then can of course share it with friends for free.

I have some thoughts about spreading Mint. I think hard copies of DVDs are great way to market Mint. The question is - how to reach to end users?. These are my thoughts

DVD should contain a small booklets which has mint manual, link to forum, a small articles of advantage of Linux and the Advantage of Live DVD. Booklet could also advise user to install it inside Vitualbox. A small intro of Virtualbox would be handy. Again explaining License and liberty to copy and distribute would be beneficial too. - This will gain their confidence and remove / reduce fear.

1. Give Live DVD with popular Magazine related to computer technology. The collaboration can be worked out. Either offer very cheap DVDs or include to cost of DVD in the magazine. Then publishers would give some percentage to mint foundation.

2. Offer DVDs at cheap price in Retail shops – stationary shops keeping computer items like pen drive, cords, computer hardware stores etc. Retails shore owners generally do not demand extra money, if they are assured of some credit if we are ready to take back sold DVDs.Malls can also be approached too.

3. Free giveaways. Give a free laptop pre-configured with Dual Boot of Win 7 and Linux Mint or just Mint. Run a contest or a lucky draw. Participant will have to donate minimum amount say, USD $ 5. After you get double amount of the the item to be given free, you do a lucky draw and offer lucky participant a laptop.

4. You can also collaborate about lucky draw with hardware vendors, Laptop vendors and let them do the marketing.

5. Tech Geeks can approach Schools, Colleges to educate mint and offer free DVDs to Teachers and DVDs at a nominal price to students.

6. Tech Geeks can approach Computer training institutes to teach / introduce linux or mint. Make students aware of virtual machines like virtualbox, so that they can toy with any Guest OS. (I was not aware of Virtualbox till I came across the name in forums).

I know this can be very demanding Job. It also requires one to be technically sound. Just wished to share my thoughts.
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xenopeek
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Re: Mint Marketing and Promotion - Retail DVD with booklet

Post by xenopeek »

sunewbie wrote:DVD should contain a small booklets which has mint manual, link to forum, a small articles of advantage of Linux and the Advantage of Live DVD. Booklet could also advise user to install it inside Vitualbox. A small intro of Virtualbox would be handy. Again explaining License and liberty to copy and distribute would be beneficial too. - This will gain their confidence and remove / reduce fear.
I think the Linux Mint User Guide is quite good, but you address some additional topics that could be covered for Linux newbies. And do you mean a physical booklet? That will drive the price up quite a lot I think.
sunewbie wrote:1. Give Live DVD with popular Magazine related to computer technology. The collaboration can be worked out. Either offer very cheap DVDs or include to cost of DVD in the magazine. Then publishers would give some percentage to mint foundation.
Make the extra booklets part of the default Live DVD. Popular Magazine's, at least in Europe, such as Linux Format, C't Magazine, etc. are already frequently including Linux Mint on their coverdiscs, so this way it would reach people automatically. And I'm sure these magazines would be happy to include in their review / comments on the included Linux Mint, that these booklets are there.
sunewbie wrote:2. Offer DVDs at cheap price in Retail shops – stationary shops keeping computer items like pen drive, cords, computer hardware stores etc. Retails shore owners generally do not demand extra money, if they are assured of some credit if we are ready to take back sold DVDs.Malls can also be approached too.
Once the booklets are made, sure. Are you starting work on the booklets?
sunewbie wrote:3. Free giveaways. Give a free laptop pre-configured with Dual Boot of Win 7 and Linux Mint or just Mint. Run a contest or a lucky draw. Participant will have to donate minimum amount say, USD $ 5. After you get double amount of the the item to be given free, you do a lucky draw and offer lucky participant a laptop.

4. You can also collaborate about lucky draw with hardware vendors, Laptop vendors and let them do the marketing.

5. Tech Geeks can approach Schools, Colleges to educate mint and offer free DVDs to Teachers and DVDs at a nominal price to students.

6. Tech Geeks can approach Computer training institutes to teach / introduce linux or mint. Make students aware of virtual machines like virtualbox, so that they can toy with any Guest OS. (I was not aware of Virtualbox till I came across the name in forums).

I know this can be very demanding Job. It also requires one to be technically sound. Just wished to share my thoughts.
Good ideas, up to an individual to start doing this in his or her area I think.
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sunewbie

Re: Mint Marketing and Promotion - Retail DVD with booklet

Post by sunewbie »

xenopeek wrote: Are you starting work on the booklets?
I am not a designer. Worst, I do not have a creative eye. So I do not think I have a capacity to make a booklets. Was just watching Spread Ubuntu and after seeing the artwork and presentations, I am nowhere near them.
xenopeek wrote:I think the Linux Mint User Guide is quite good, but you address some additional topics that could be covered for Linux newbies. And do you mean a physical booklet? That will drive the price up quite a lot I think.
Yes the price will increase, but that will not be a burden. That will / should have an impact on end users, mostly end users

** all my opinions are based on my experience, things happening around me and the general mindsets of common Indian People. Hard copies cannot be replaced by e-copies. Newpapers still exists and they survive well (ads help them reduce costs :) They do not strain eyes and give us a much needed break from staring at idiot boxes :) :D)

Thanks
sunewbie

Re: Mint Marketing and Promotion - Retail DVD with booklet

Post by sunewbie »

@xenopeek

Regarding the idea of printed booklet, I had a second thought.

As an End user, very new to linux world, even if I get a DVD, I am unaware of

1. Live DVD
2. Virtualization software
3. It can be installed inside windows
4. Software center and repos.
5. Great community and support for FREE
6. OS is is FREE to use and distribute even in offices .i.e for commercial use.

I also have fear and curiosity. Linux is altogether different OS. How will it be? Can I use existing files and word documents, etc? What if I install and if something goes wrong, what will happen to my data? I know that my hardware vendor can retrieve the data from windows but can he retrieve data from Linux? how can i approach anybody, incase I need help. Is Linux Stable?

These were the first questions that came to me. I think printed booklet will be definitely beneficial and will be of immediate use, since any body can read it and gain more confidence before inserting it in the DVD drive.

If someone can add his / her name and contact no in case of troubleshooting, this can be great for locals.
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xenopeek
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Re: Mint Marketing and Promotion - Retail DVD with booklet

Post by xenopeek »

Perhaps a alternative approach would then be to do an "Official Linux Mint" book, like The Official Ubuntu Book. This is aimed at people new to Linux and Ubuntu, and includes a Ubuntu Live DVD with the book. Target price of 25 USD / 18.30 EUR / 1233 INR is not bad either, I think.
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sunewbie

Re: Mint Marketing and Promotion - Retail DVD with booklet

Post by sunewbie »

xenopeek wrote:Perhaps a alternative approach would then be to do an "Official Linux Mint" book, like The Official Ubuntu Book. This is aimed at people new to Linux and Ubuntu, and includes a Ubuntu Live DVD with the book. Target price of 25 USD / 18.30 EUR / 1233 INR is not bad either, I think.
There is a big difference when you convert USD to INR (Indian Rupee)(1 USD = 45 INR) 25 USD may not look big amount, but for a middle class family, any thing above INR (Rs.) 1000/-, needs a second thought to be bought. Perhaps, people join a library, so that they can read many costly books at a cheaper rate.

So a booklet, which gives only brief explanation and necessary / useful links for further e-docs or print docs (or point to a link wich has a list of useful resources) should do a job. The objective of booklet is to make anyone having a DVD to try any Linux Distro. This kind of booklet can fit inside the CD/DVD jewel case. For in-depth info, books / manuals like 'The Official Ubuntu Book' should do the job.
sunewbie

Re: Mint Marketing and Promotion - Retail DVD with booklet

Post by sunewbie »

If you look at six points, you do not need to type pages to make one aware
As an End user, very new to linux world, even if I get a DVD, I am unaware of

1. Live DVD
2. Virtualization software
3. It can be installed inside windows
4. Software center and repos.
5. Great community and support for FREE
6. OS is is FREE to use and distribute even in offices .i.e for commercial use.
I would like to add one more point.

7. Virus Free OS. No Need of Anti-virus softwares.

e.g.

1. LIVE DVD: This feature enables us to try Linux Mint without having to install it on HDD. You can check for hardware compatibility, internet connection, edit word and excel files, see photos, listen to your favourite music, watch movies using pre-installed softwares, which are completely FREE.

2. Install inside windows as a guest OS using Virtualbox: Virtualbox (arround 95 Mb .exe file FREE download) is a virtualization software, inside which one can install many OS including Linux Mint. It will run parallel with windows, like like any other program like MS word or MS Excel. Installed OS function is the same way as it would function when it is installed on HDD. OS responds very fast under virtualbox. Install it, try it, have a feel of OS and when you are convinced that Mint can replace your Windows for most (if not all), install it alongside your windows OS, with the help of dual boot option.

7. No virus trouble. No OS is bullet-proof to viruses. Linux is designed to be more stable. Downloading software from repos(software center) help reduce virus. Nothing installs without password prompt. On the other hand, there are very few viruses as compared to tons for windows. Antivirus softwares are available. Most viruses are targeted for windows may land in linux, but are harmless. These viruses can be again transferred to windows through USB drive or by any other means. Some AV do not work in the way they work in windows and do not monitor in real time. Dual boot users also install firewall and AV so that windows is protected.

To add, Advantages of Linux can be given in brief:
Why Should I use Mint or any other linux?

The list is long one. You can cut soft and just highlight main points.

Some things are self explanatory and do not need in-depth explanation.

I think a 10-12 page small size booklet (that fits inside CD/DVD Jewel case) should be enough, just for introduction.

** Even though it is not a manual, but not just a promo material. It is intended to help one step into Linux world.

EDIT: Added last line marked **
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xenopeek
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Re: Mint Marketing and Promotion - Retail DVD with booklet

Post by xenopeek »

I think a Live DVD might work, but the booklet should focus on using it in Virtual Box. There are too many problems with getting the Live DVD to work out-of-the-box, especially with laptops (to be able to boot you need to set your BIOS right, you might need to add boot parameters for your hardware, and you have to be ready to solve problems with graphic card drivers, audio etc.). Perhaps I've lost perspective by spending too much time reading the problems people have :wink:

Still, all those problem resolutions you won't cover in a booklet, and it needs to be there for a favorable first impression on the "Windows just works, why won't this?" crowd (i.e., anybody not already capable of installing their own OS, whether Windows or other). Virtual Box seems to be the better alternative, as things will work out-of-the-box with that, and you only need cover the installation of Virtual Box on Windows. If people like what they see, from the Linux Mint User Guide / with help from the forum or IRC, they can then install it to their actual hardware.

Obvious problem with this might be (I don't know) for regions where people on average have lower spec hardware (anything with < 2 GiB memory), which would be unsuitable for smoothly running Linux Mint on Virtual Box.
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sunewbie

Re: Mint Marketing and Promotion - Retail DVD with booklet

Post by sunewbie »

I agree with you. Virtualbox should be the first step along with the list of Windows equivalent softwares for Linux Mint.
kurok

Re: Mint Marketing and Promotion - Retail DVD with booklet

Post by kurok »

Why not just include a pdf file instead of a booklet, that would help keep the price down and give them what they need to get started. Also if needed they could print those parts needed for reference while installing the system and then copy it to their install for further reference. sorry if this isnt making sense been a long day.
sunewbie

Re: Mint Marketing and Promotion - Retail DVD with booklet

Post by sunewbie »

kurok wrote:Why not just include a pdf file instead of a booklet, that would help keep the price down and give them what they need to get started. Also if needed they could print those parts needed for reference while installing the system and then copy it to their install for further reference. sorry if this isnt making sense been a long day.
The idea is to give a hard copy with the DVD Jewel box. the purpose of booklet is to make one try any Linux Distro.

PDF is a good idea, but not everybody is net-a-holic. Google is a a treasure bank, and one can get all info from it, provided you are willing to spend some time on it.

If the booklet can convince the buyer that Linux is safe, FREE, better OS and that it can be tested even w/o installing on hard disk, they wouldn't mind to try it. Better idea, as discussed above is to install inside virtualbox, so that they can have the actual feel of it, try for few weeks and then go for a dual boot. So installation inside virtualbox should be highlighted.

As xenopeek said, let's hope that buyer is using a newer laptop/PC. :)

Attempt is to make users try Linux, who use net for limited purpose.

This is an going going process, so you are never late. There is always a scope of improvement and suggestions are welcome :)
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